Costa Rica
Photo tour and Workshop:
April 25- May 2, 2025
This trip is an excellent opportunity to photograph amazing wildlife (especially birds), unique flora, and spectacular views. Whether you want to learn wildlife photography or are already a pro, this memorable trip will offer you opportunities to come back with wall-hangers and images to share with family and friends.
Limited to 8 participants , reserve your spot now!
General Information
This 7 night Costa Rica tour will take you to 3 diverse regions in the heart of Costa Rica. The first stop is Sarapiqui, where we’ll spend two nights and enjoy an immersive lodge experience at Pierella Gardens. We’ll tour two spectacular eco-parks: La Selva and Tirimbina. They have amazing trails, hanging bridges, and are home to hundreds of endemic birds. We’ll enjoy night tours and search for the beautiful King Vulture. We’ll spend the next two nights at a beautiful Cerro lodge in Tarcoles. The lodge grounds provide amazing views and trails to explore the flora, birds, monkeys and other creatures. While there, we’ll enjoy guided tours at Carara National park, photograph birds from the beach, like scarlet macaws, storks and frigatebirds, as they fly to their nest at sunset, and take a private river boat tour. Our final stop will be two nights in the could forest of San Gerardo de Dota, a known hangout for the Resplendent Quetzal. At an elevation of almost 8,000 ft. the mountain range and frequent climate changes are simply breathtaking. We’ll explore the Quetzales National park and take a couple of tours in hopes to find, observe and photograph Quetzales in their natural habitat.
Details:
Skill Level
At times, we’ll be walking between 2 and 3 miles carrying our gear. There will be some incline, especially in Gerardo de Dota. There will also be steps to get to cabins, facilities, and observation decks.
This tour/workshop is for all levels of photographers. To maximize your photo opportunities, I recommend that you know how to use your camera and the basics of photography (exposure triangle, DOF, etc.). If you have questions, please contact me to discuss your personal situation.
Daily Itinerary & other details
Lodging information
Pierella Gardens is an 8.5 acre Environmental and Conservation Organization. With lush gardens and an abundance of birds, you can spend a whole day enjoying the grounds. They raise endemic butterflies and provide them to educational centers, research centers, and Zoos all over the world.
They offer two types of rooms, both with private bathrooms: Rustic, with mosquito netting and fans; and privacy rooms that are spacious and with AC. The privacy rooms are windowless. Meals are offered family stile, and include delicious varieties of fruits, vegetables and meats. Accommodations for special dietary needs are available.
For more information, contact me or check them out here Pierella Gardens
Cerro Lodge was built to provide the best service to nature lovers, especially birdwatchers and photographers. It is surrounded by beautiful countryside, with views of the sea and mountains. The lodge facilities are in a privileged location, since they are minutes from the Tárcoles River, the Carara National Park and just steps from Calle La Barca; All three are excellent places for watching birds, butterflies and other animals.
For more information check here: Cerro Lodge
The Mirador de Quetzales hotel is located in the Talamanca mountain range, specifically in Cerro de la Muerte . This is a colder part of the country, being in the mountains. Mirador is a nature center and focuses on being stable with the environment. They have been around for over 25 years providing great services to their guests. The Mirador property has been in the same local family since 1948.
For more information click here: Mirador de Quetzales
As of now, there are no special COVID requirements to enter Costa
Rica, unless you’ve been in China, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan within 14 days of travel. You can check this link before travel to check for any updates or changes to their policy https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements . You must have a valid passport with a couple of blank pages, and is valid for the duration of the trip. No visa is required as of this writing, but you need to show a return ticket. You can not enter with more than $10,000 in cash. For additional information and US State department
updates go to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/CostaRica.html
Trip cancellation and/or interruption, baggage, and medical/accident insurance is highly recommended. Adi Ringer, Adi Ringer Photography and Artemis Artworks are not responsible for any damage or loss of luggage or gear; injuries or extra expenses not specifically outlined in this document before, during or after the program. Please research coverage and costs, we have no recommendations or affiliations.
Luggage limits might be the first point of consideration for you, since you won’t want to send expensive gear with your checked luggage. Figure out how much weight you can carry, carry-on limitations, etc.
I used my 500mm 90% of the time, sometimes with a TC or in DX mode. I definitely recommend you take the longest lens you have, since most of the wildlife will be birds. At the lodges you’ll have lots of birds close by, so you’ll be able to take great shots with a 70-200 or something similar. The forest can get pretty dark, so fast lenses like f2.8/f4 work best.
There are lots of macro opportunities with flowers and bugs, so if you have a macro lens, you’ll get good use out of it.
Finally, if you’re into landscapes, bring your wide-angle lens. At every turn, there will be an amazing view. I ended up using my phone for landscapes since I didn’t want to switch lenses.
A few other suggestions:
- Monopod or tripod
- Two camera bodies if you have them.
- Spare batteries
- Flash
- A lot of memory space (You’ll take thousands of images)
- External drive for backup
- Computer or tablet for image culling, processing and backing up.
- Accessories: Lens cleaning kit, rain covers, flashlight.
Comfortable light cool clothing, with warmer layers. Neutral and dark colors are preferred since bright colors might scare off wildlife or bring unwanted attention. Quick drying clothes help since it’s often warm and humid with frequent chances of rain. I like to wear camo clothing, not to be invisible or blend in, but because I don’t want to worry about staining my clothes as I kneel or lay down on the dirty or wet ground. Bathing suit for enjoying the pool, comfortable hiking shoes, sunscreen & bug spray. You’ll want to pack warmer clothes for the mountains, days can be cool and nights pretty cold. The lodges have minimal heating capabilities in the rooms.
The weather in Costa Rica in November typically ranges between 70s and 80s (f). It’s the transition time between the rainy season and dry season, so there is always chances for rain. You should pack clothing and gear protection accordingly.
I’ve been doing wildlife photography for over 10 years and had the fortune to travel to Africa, India, Costa Rica and Argentina.
I’ve used Lightroom since I started taking pictures and have found it to be all I need to render great images. And with all the new masking features, it’s easier and faster to use. I use Nikon gear, currently using the Z8 mirrorless camera.
I am very fluent in Spanish, having grown up in Argentina, so it’s easy to communicate or translate in Costa Rica. I’m very excited to share this trip with other people interested in wildlife photography.
If you have any questions for me, I’m easy to reach, you can email [email protected] or you can text/call 8056105527. I’ll get back to you within the day.
Payment, fees, expenses & refunds
The tour fee is $4,750 based on single occupancy. There is a double occupancy discount of $195 per person if you share the room. Limited to 8 participants.
The fee covers 7 nights of planned lodging. During those dates, the following planned activities are also included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Transportation, park fees, guide fees and tours. All instruction, workshops, and sessions by Adi Ringer.
Transportation into and out of Costa Rica, airport taxes, travel insurance (highly recommended). Lodging, tours, meals, or transportation not specified in the itinerary. Alcoholic drinks, hotel incidentals (laundry, phone calls, room service, movies, drinks, etc.); personal equipment, costs associated with changes to travel plans or itinerary for reasons beyond our control. Optional activities or activities during free time.
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to save a spot. The balance must be paid no later than 60 days before the tour starts. All reservations after that will require full payment.
Gratuities are not mandatory, and not an expectation as common as they are in the US. However, they can be an important part of someone’s income and are very much appreciated. You may tip any amount you’re comfortable with.
The deposit of $500 is non-refundable since I have to pre-pay for some commitments and reservation fees.
If payment in full was made and cancelled more than 120 days before the trip, a full refund, minus the $500 deposit will be made. If cancelled within 90 and 119 days before the trip, the refund will be 50% of the payment. No refunds will be given for cancellations made within 90 days of the beginning of the trip.
An exception will be considered if the participant finds a suitable substitute participant for the tour. “Suitable” is at the sole discretion of Adi Ringer to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the entire group.
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Inquiries and booking
After submitting this form, I will personally reply by email within 24 hrs. If it’s an inquiry, I’ll answer your questions; if it’s a booking, It will have payment information and additional details regarding the trip.
