Trogon Photo Tours

Costa Rica

September 5-17, 2021

Photo Tour: This 13 day photo tour features the best lodges and locations for bird photography in Costa Rica.  You will photograph toucans, tanagers, curassows, parrots and King Vultures in the Northwest, beautiful poison dart frogs and roosting owls in the Sarapiqui Valley.  We do multi-flash hummingbird photography at 2 different lodges at both mid level and higher altitude elevations to get a lot of different species.  We spend a day and a half photographing the majestic Resplendent Quetzal and we will go on a river cruise where we photograph raptors, herons and crocodiles up close.  And those are just the highlights of the tour. 

Tour Leader: Charles Gangas.  Chuck spends his winters photographing birds in Costa Rica.  He's an enthusiastic tour leader who will help you get the most out of your tour.  

Number of Participants: Maximum of 6 photographers and 9 total participants.

Cost: $5,200 per photographer with a $600 single supplement.  4,500 for a non photographer spouse.  Deposit to reserve your spot $1,400.   This includes all in country transportation, lodging, meals, guiding, instruction, property fees and drinking water.  It does not include airfare to get to Costa Rica, drinks other than water, tips and items of a personal nature such as phone calls or laundry. 



Itinerary:

Sep 5th - Arrival to Costa Rica, transfer to Cerro Lodge, about an hour from the airport on the Pacific Coast. Cerro Lodge is a good place to see and photograph Scarlet Macaw.  Overnight: Cerro Lodge   

Sep 6th - We have 2 activities today, the first is a boat trip on the Tarcoles River, this trip will get you close to Bare-throated Tiger Herons, Boat-billed Herons, Caracaras, Black Hawks and Crocodiles.  Our other activity features seeking out some special birds wtih a local guide including some of the smaller owls, Turqouise-browed Motmot and Lesser Ground Cuckoo, among others.  Overnight: Cerro Lodge

Sep 7th - Morning bird photography at Cerro Lodge then we check out and on the way to our next lodge we will visit a location which attracts scarce tanagers such as Bay-headed, Speckled and Emerald in the morning and then transfer to our lodge in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.  In the afternoon we will look for Agami Heron, Spectacled Owl and other great birds.  Overnight: Montechiari Hotel

Sep 8th - We will have a morning searching for Trogons, Motmots and other forest species on the Peninsula Road andtransfer to Laguna Lagarta.  Photography of toucans, parrots etc in the later afternoon.  Overnight: Laguna Lagarto Lodge  

Sep 9th  - Full day at Laguna Lagarto.   This is the best location in Costa Rica for photographing birds coming in to fruit feeders.  Some of the spectacular species include Keel-billed and Yellow-throated Toucans, Aracaris, Brown-hooded Parrots, Montezuma Oropendolas, Honeycreepers and Great Curassows.  There is a hide for photographing King Vultures and we will do snake photography as well as multi-flash bat photography at this location.  Overnight: Laguna Lagarto.  

Sep 10th - Morning photography at Laguna followed by transfer to the Sarapiqui River Valley lowlands.  In the afternoon we will visit a location where we will photograph 6 to 8 species of rainforest and poison dart frogs.  Overnight: Bambu Lodge

Sep 11th - We will leave the lodge early and spend the morning at a location in the lowlands where we will visit roosting sites of owls, potoos and Honduran White Bats.  At this spot there are also fruit feeders which attract some different birds such as Chestnut-headed Oropendelas and Emerald Tanagers.  Then transfer to Bosque de Paz Lodge, mid elevation, Caribbean side.  Afternoon multi-flash photography of hummingbirds including the amazing Violet Sabrewing and about 4 other species.  The fruit feeders at this lodge attract tanagers, barbets and the amazing Black Guan.  Overnight: Bosque de Paz

Sep 12th - Full day of multi-flash photography at Bosque de Paz.  Other interesting species here include Black Guan, Paca and Prong-billed Barbet.  Among the hummingbirds we photograph are the endemic Black-bellied Hummingbirdand the gorgeous Purple-throated Mountain Gem.  Overnight: Bosque de Paz Lodge

Sep 13th - We will spend the morning at Bosque de Paz then transfer to our next lodge, Hotel Queliatles.  Sunbittern, Antpittas and other birds are possible here and there are many hummingbird species in the garden.    Overnight: Hotel Quelitales

Sep 14th - After a bit of bird photography around the lodge we will transfer to our next location in the highlands of the Pacific Slope.  We will spend today doing multi-flash hummingbird photography with species including the amazing Fiery-throated Hummingbird Overnight: Savegre Lodge

Sep 15th - Today we have a full day photographing the incredible Resplendant Quetzal.  The locals here really have the quetzal photography nailed, they have setup perches which the quetzals use at several different locations in the area.  Overnight: Savegre Lodge

Sep 16th - We have a half day of quetzal photography followed by check out and in the afternoon we will return to San Jose for our hotel near the airport.  Chuck will do image review in the evening with whomever is interested.  Overnight: Rodeo Boutique Hotel, San Jose

Sep 17th - Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.  Cerro Lodge is only an hour from the international airport.