Costa Rica: I am going to coast side of Costa Rica on March 1 (Tamarindo) for a wedding. Having never been there before and somewhat limited by wedding activities (no not mine) can...

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

I am going to coast side of Costa Rica on March 1 (Tamarindo) for a wedding. Having never been there before and somewhat limited by wedding activities (no not mine) can anyone tell me of any can't miss photography activities you have personally experienced near by? Mostly interested in beach shots and definitely birds.

Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

suntouched wrote:

I am going to coast side of Costa Rica on March 1 (Tamarindo) for a wedding. Having never been there before and somewhat limited by wedding activities (no not mine) can anyone tell me of any can't miss photography activities you have personally experienced near by? Mostly interested in beach shots and definitely birds.

Check it the sea turtles coming out of the sea and onto the beach to lay eggs. It might be too late in the season but check it out. It is an almost magical experience if you have a chance to see it.

FredCM Loc: Central Illinois

Isn't Tamarindo on the Pacific side? I think we stayed at a resort there. There's surfing and beautiful sunsets. The lobby of the resort had info on side trips and excursions. Beautiful country but... you have to travel by bus. The roads are in great shape but... it's hilly, twisty, and curvy. The bus can't make good speed. Monteverde and Arenal are not nearby. The hummingbird station in Monteverde is very special.

No turtles on the west coast.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

I’ve been to Peninsula de Osa, south of where you’ll be, a couple times. There’s a reserve there that’s rich with wildlife of all types. However, there’s also the Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge nearby. You won’t have to go far. It really comes down to how long you’ll be there and how far you’re willing to travel.

Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

FredCM wrote:

Isn't Tamarindo on the Pacific side? I think we stayed at a resort there. There's surfing and beautiful sunsets. The lobby of the resort had info on side trips and excursions. Beautiful country but... you have to travel by bus. The roads are in great shape but... it's hilly, twisty, and curvy. The bus can't make good speed. Monteverde and Arenal are not nearby. The hummingbird station in Monteverde is very special.

No turtles on the west coast.

I saw the turtles with y own eyes. In fact, we walked among then (with a guide of course) with little red lights. Not sur if you are allowed to do that anymore acd it may be too late in the season.

https://www.nativeswaycostarica.com/tour-item/tamarindo-turtle-nesting-tour/

Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room

I wouldn't worry too much about what to photograph when you get there. Costa Rica is so rich with photo opportunities that the best advice I can give you is take extra memory cards and batteries!

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Thanks everyone. This will be my first and probably only trip to Costa Rica. I tried to book some activities via the the resort concierge but he doesn't answer the phone or respond to emails. So I am looking at activities through Trip Advisor which connects directly to the concessions. There is a 2 hour river trip to the Palo Verde State Park that looked interesting and a private reservation for sunset sailing that we might do. Several of the excursions are all day ones including the volcanoes. Some of the all day ones include combination multiple zip lines, horseback riding and long hikes which is an unlikely combination for us :) I'm sure we will find enough to do.

rdgreenwood Loc: Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

My daughter is getting married in Costa Rica in June. I’ll be eager to hear about your trip.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Which coast, and where exactly? Most people go to the Pacific coast, and the amazing thing about Costa Rica is that the microclimate differs dramatically in just a 40-mile distance. The more southern coast offers Manuel Antonio National Park near Quepos - tropical rainforest comes to the edge of the beach - squirrel monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys chase each other through the treetops while iguanas run around the beach. One hundred miles north and on the Nicoya Peninsula the climate is a dry tropical forest - still monkeys but less dense forest. Popular inland day trips from the more northern coast areas include the Monteverde Cloud Forest and the Arenal Volcano. Wherever you go, Costa Rica is "Pura Vida" - pure life!

NatureShooter Loc: NW Illinois

We used a company out of San Jose to plan our complete trip and they more than met our expectations for a great experience. They have travel agents who are transplanted USA people and they were very prompt and helpful for adjusting to what we wanted and were able to do. Not sure if they would do just day excursions for you but I would certainly recommend contacting them to ask. They scheduled excursions for us at various locations that were not strenuous but got us into the wildlife. The birds, monkeys, etc were a photographer's dream! Hope you have a great trip.

https://www.vacationscostarica.com/travel-experts/

charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

Maybe you could go a couple days early or stay a few days longer...better yet do both...Have a good time and post some pictures...stay safe

Chuck

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

My wife and I got married in the US but then left immediately for a Costa Rica honeymoon. We rented an AWD suv and after 3 days in San Jose explored the entire country except the NE corner which was only accesible by airplane or boat, at least at that time (2003). Almost the entire country had beautiful, photogenic places. I particularly recall the volcanos, a nature preserve on the east coast and the beach fronts there, and the Pacific Coast.

I think after going all that way it's unfortunate if a trip has to be confined to the Pacific Coast, particularly if it will be a person's only trip to that country. The Pacific Coast is indeed beautiful and there are many great photo ops there but there is so much more in this small but beautiful and peaceful country. The "Ticos" are wonderful, friendly people and very helpful if needed. Unfortunately, my wife and I have not been back there and we treasure our many memories of traveling almost the entire country.

This is just my opinion but based on personal experience.

slcarn Loc: Draper, Utah USA

suntouched wrote:

Thanks everyone. This will be my first and probabl... (show quote)

We were there last year and had a great time. We booked our excursions through the concierge after we arrived, which worked really well. I highly recommend the river cruise, lots of birds, crocodiles and creatures. We saw monkeys on the drive in and other wildlife on the drive out. Sunset photos from our room were perfect and walking along the beaches provided other birding photos. Lots of vendors on the beaches for souvenirs.

If you can get a tour through a private rain forest, take it. They will walk along with you and point out creatures, birds, and monkeys.

Here's a sunset photo from our hotel room patio.
Have a great time.
Steve

(Download)

rdgreenwood Loc: Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

sb wrote:

Which coast, and where exactly? Most people go to... (show quote)

My daughter is getting married at the Hotel Villa Caletas, located on the west coast of Costa Rica. We’ll have two additional days to explore.

FredCM Loc: Central Illinois

No one has mentioned 2 big reasons to go to Costa Rica. The coffee and the pineapple. Simply fabulous. Red beans and rice? Not so much.