Frogs Heaven, Costa Rica. 5D Mark III | 180mm 2.8 Macro

As I write this, it is already late January 2020. This trip I am about to tell you about was already in September 2019.. Quite some lag time there…

At least I have a good excuse. 2019 was a very challenging year for me personally. Just a good month before this trip to Costa Rica my relationship ultimately came to an end. That time was the hardest in my life. As I scrabbled to get my life under control, I thought that I would really benefit from going far away to a place I always dreamed about visiting. Spend some time alone somewhere beautiful.

And so a hastily planned trip to Costa Rica happened. I relished in my two great past times, travel and photography. I think it turned out to be a healthy thing which got me focused on the future.

Enough about that. This trip was mostly about photography and nature for me. I planned this trip by looking at photos from places in Costa Rica, and deciding where to go on the photo merits. This led me to lots of national parks and beautiful coastlines. I hired a car and booked accommodation as I went – the style of travel I find most flexible and rewarding. Driving in Costa Rica is easy, and it’s a very handy way to get around. Below is a map of my locations (little hearts J).

Points of interest on my journey – Google Maps

Favorite sights

• Frogs Heaven – Up close and personal with frogs and birds.
• Uvita – Whale watching and great coastline.
• Manuel Antonio – Great park with wild life and beaches.
• Santa Teresa Beach – Surfers paradise in Costa Rica
• Sierpe River – Great mangrove boat trips teeming with wildlife

Whale watching, Uvita Costa Rica. 5D Mark III | 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II

Kokopelli Mangrove Tour, Costa Rica. 5D Mark III | 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II

Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve. Costa Rica. 5D Mark III | 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II

Photography Considerations

• Wet weather – If traveling in the wet season like I did you need a proper rain solution for your pack and camera. I used a rain cover for my camera and my pack has a built in rain cover which worked OK.
• Heat & Humidity – Be mindful of condensation when traveling from a cold A/C environment to the hot outdoors. Humidity can damage cameras. Let them acclimatize slowly.
• Macro Lens – A must in Costa Rica, bring a 100mm or longer.
• Telephoto Lens – A must in Costa Rica, I brought my 100-400L IS II and 1.4x converter and needed the reach.
• Ultrawide Lens – Depending on taste, but there are many great confined spaces like close forests that benefit from an ultrawide.

Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica. 5D Mark III | 12mm 2.8 Fisheye

Somewhere in Costa Rica. 5D Mark III | 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II | 1.4x

Frogs Heaven, Costa Rica. 5D Mark III | 180mm 2.8 Macro

Travel Tips

• Don’t plan too much! – Keep your schedule loose in case you love or hate an area. Accommodation is easy to find on Booking.com or similar.
• Know the locations – You should research the great destinations you really want to see before setting off.
• Driving / Roads – A car is a great way to get around. I strongly advise a 4×4 and good insurance. Many roads are very bad.

Donate a coffee!

Buy me a coffee! I can only take great photos and produce all this awesome content when I am fueled up on coffee.

€3.00

Full Gallery

For the full album please click here!

Happy Shooting