To live in Costa Rica means walking inside exuberant green forests, cool water streams, nice beaches, impressive waterfalls and awe-inspiring sunrises and sunsets. To capture this beauty, patience and perseverance is needed, along a critical eye to spot great compositions. I am blessed enough that through my hiking and birdwatching trips, many of these places reveal themselves in front my eyes. I hope you enjoy taking in the view from your screen.
Late afternoon light at Cerro Pelado, with the gravel trail windling its way along the hill
A small waterfall in Cinchona
Magia Blanca waterfall at Peace Waterfall Gardens, as seen from the lookout point from the higher portion of the trail
My third time at Rio Celeste greeted me with lush vegetation, humid weather and nice turquoise water
A couple of leading lines that point to the offshore rock at Bahia de los Piratas
A different view of the Milky Way from Tortuguero National Park. The very big star to the left is Jupiter it seems. A little bit of light from the town was hitting the low clouds, hence the glow visible near the trees.
The forest canopy glows when hit by early sunrise light at Kekoldi, Talamanca
It is the dry season, yet multiple colors adorn trees in Palo Verde
Mist is colored yellow during sunrise at Volcan Arenal
The Savegre river crosses through the forest in San Gerardo de Dota, then it plunges down the small pedestrian bridge on this short but intense trail
Another shallow stream that runs through the exuberant forest in Braulio Carrillo National Park
Tree species in Costa Rican highlands assume more conical shapes, reminiscent of pine forests that are found in the northern parts of the world
A small patch of the forest canopy that can be seen from the deck at El Copal, with exuberant green trees all around
The exuberant forest canopy is a signature of the Caribbean slope of the country, with vast expanse of green forest covering the land
A view of the river in Tirimbina Private Reserve from the hanging bridge
A few staircase steps brings you to a closer spot to admire the beauty of Magia Blanca
La Fortuna Waterfall in long exposure
A view of the main river than runs through Caño Negro, an oasis for water birds
After the sun went below the horizon, the sky turned a dramatic combination of deep blue, orange and yellow
Orange Sunset at Cerro Buenavista
The Hanging Bridges at Monteverde are a must stop for any tourist, both foreigners and nationals
The blue color of late afternoon light at the pacific coast
I might need to work on better poses, but the light on this forest was just amazing.
Sometimes a landscape image becomes more compelling by adding the human element. It brings scale, emotion and the ability to imagine us at that place.
A dramatic sunset with lighit rays breaking through the clouds
Entirely different vegetation can be seen in the highlands, with bushes replacing the tall trees characteristic of the lowlands
Encantada waterfall at Peace Waterfall Gardens can be appreciated from eye level from the lower lookout point
The forest canopy glows when hit by early sunrise light at Kekoldi, Talamanca
This shallow river runs through the exuberant cloud forest in Cinchona
I remember when I thought that Costa Rica was not very good for landscape photography, because we did not have impressive mountain ranges or crystal clear lakes. How wrong I was! For the forest provides exquisite opportunities to see the beauty of this planet and to capture it with my camera.
La Fortuna Waterfall in long exposure
A very shallow stream of water inside the exuberant rainforest. With so much humidity, rocks are entirely covered by moss and plants
Light green trees with branches covered in red bromeliads at El Copal
Small waves hit the red rock at Bahia de los Piratas during an overcast sunset
It is a slippery climb onto a rock to be able to reach this side of the river
A cool stream running among the dense forest in Braulio Carrillo National Park
A view from the hanging bridge of the river crossing the Yorkin Indigenous Reserve at Talamanca, Costa Rica
Walking down the trail a few meters, the Templo waterfall can be appreciated from the riverside
A green oasis of life among the barren rock in Cerro Pelado
The entrance to the Agami Heron nest lies beyond this natural frame of tree branches. While most of the trail in Pacuare Reserve is about 3 meters wide, from here on the trail is very tight, which makes you feel more connected with the forest.
A look at the exuberant forest in Boca Tapada. The caribbean forests in Costa Rica are very dense and feature very tall trees
Being a tropical country, Costa Rica does not have autumn or spring seasons, but some trees do turn their leaves orange or red in specific conditions
My third time at Rio Celeste greeted me with lush vegetation, humid weather and nice turquoise water
A hiking group approaches the last ridge of Cerro Pelado as the light starts to hit from the side during sunrise
A cool stream running among the dense forest in Braulio Carrillo National Park
Sunrise shot at Bahia de los Piratas
A small waterfall in the highlands forest in Cinchona
A light green tree elevates itself above the dense canopy in this forest in southern Talamanca
A long exposure of the beach at Tortuguero during sunset. Most people had already left, so it was a very calm moment, with the fresh wind blowing towards the beach, and the sound of waves crashing into the sand.
A section of the trail at Pacuare Reserve. While the forest is full of green colors, the trail is marked by dead leaves and soil that look orange-brown. It can be seen as the path I am going through, or where I come from.
A portion of the Milky Way as seen from Tortuguero National Park at 4:00 am. BACKSTORY: I went to the edge of the beach at 8 pm the previous day, but the crescent moon was bright, so the stars looked too faint. I went to bed around 9 pm, but due the heat and a mosquito, I could not sleep a single hour. At midnight, I went to sit outside our room, where it was cooler, and just looked at the stars and people passing through the streets until about 3:30, when one of my friends got up. We packed and went for the stars at the beach. The moon had set already, so the sky was so dark and the stars just popped in brightness. Clouds started to move in and by sunrise, they had covered most of the sky. I am glad we went so early.
Templo waterfall at Peace Waterfall Gardens. The fern at the left hand side adds to the feeling of tropicalness
“Botarrama” trees ressemble a gigantic broccoli in terms of shape. I don’t like broccoli, but these trees are gorgeous
This waterfall is the last stop at the trail in San Gerardo de Dota. Its waters are very clear, while the pond looks a deep green hue
Luck provided us a wonderful sunrise with Arenal Volcano uncovered after two days of heavy clouds
Sunset at Cerro Pelado during the dry season
Sunset at Cerro Pelado during the dry season
Following the trail through Cerro Tortuguero is essentially a walk into the dense tropical rain forest. Nothing breaks the calmness of being inside so much green, except for Spider Monkeys loudly screaming and throwing branches at you.
