Luxury Costa Rica 2026: Osa Peninsula Birds, Monkeys, & Herps
Wildlife Photography Workshop at Botanika Osa Peninsula
Unlock world-class biodiversity through your lens
Join me for an immersive wildlife photography workshop based at Botanika Osa Peninsula, Curio Collection by Hilton, located in one of the most biologically intense places on Earth. Surrounded by pristine rainforest, thriving mangroves, and untouched coastline, this workshop is designed for photographers of all levels who want to elevate their craft while experiencing the raw beauty of Costa Rica’s wildest region.
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive to San Jose, Costa Rica
Day 2 – Arrive to Botanika: introduction to the resort
Day 3 – Full-day shooting at Miramar & Finca Kobo
Day 4 – Full day shooting in various habitats and Rancho Piro
Day 5 – Sierpe River pontoon tour
Day 6 – Reptiles & amphibians at La Tarde
Day 7 – La Danta Lodge
Day 8 – Depart Botanika for San Jose, Costa Rica
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica. Your transport will be ready to take you to your hotel at a Hilton resort for the night.
Day 2: Start your morning with a premium breakfast buffet at the Hilton followed by a transport back to the airport to catch your Sansa domestic flight to the beautiful Osa Peninsula! You will board a small, 12-seater plane catching beautiful views along the way. A transport vehicle will be awaiting you as you arrive in Puerto Jimenez to take you to Botanika Osa Peninsula. From here you will get checked in and receive an introduction to the property grounds which is absolutely stunning and brimming of wildlife photography opportunities.
*60 lb bag limit for your domestic flight
Day 3: Meet in the dining area for breakfast & drinks. We will embark on a forest excursion in search of yellow-throated toucans, scarlet macaws, fiery-billed aracaris, and other mammals including 4 different monkey species, sloths, and coatis
Following the forest excursion we will arrive at Finca Kobo—a chocolate farm—to photograph reptiles, amphibians, and insects. This is your opportunity for macro as they will have a whole station built for us with various props and such! Workers from the farm have gathered a myriad of critters the previous night for us to photograph where they will be returned back to their original location after the shoot. No worries if you don't have a macro setup; your super telephoto lens will work just fine as well as something like a 70-200mm—in fact, sometimes I prefer this. Also, if reptiles, amphibians, and insects do not interest you, you can simply walk the farming grounds which is essentially a garden of eden for various birds which will include bird feeder locations.
Lastly, we will enjoy lunch at the farm with some homemade chocolate and fruit before making our way back to Botanika.
Day 4: Dining area for breakfast and drinks followed by our excursion to Rancho Piro. On our way we are stopping by different locations targeting some of Costa Rica’s finest birds in different environments including more forest, beach and a river. This is a great opportunity to capture anything we have missed the prior day. Rancho Piro is a great opportunity to photograph squirrel monkeys up close as they usually frequent the area. There, we will be welcomed with a homecooked traditional meal followed by more photo opportunities on site.
Afterwards, we will make our way back to Botanika where we will continue checking birding stations and whatever else we can find.
Day 5: Dining area for breakfast and drinks followed by our river pontoon excursion on the Sierpe River where we will be targeting many aquatic reptiles such as crocodiles, iguanas, basilisks, and boas as well as many wetland birds. Also, this is a great opportunity to photograph white-faced capuchins along the river as they play and forage for fruits. Following our river trip we will have lunch there before making our way back to Botanika. On our way to and from the river we will take advantage of stunning views and any wildlife sightings along the way which usually includes more birds and mammals.
Day 6: Dining area for breakfast and drinks as we depart in route to a mountain side of Corcovado National Park to La Tarde. This will be another macro opportunity as we target more reptile and amphibian species such as the famous eye-lash viper, helmeted basilisk, red-eyed treefrogs, poison dart frogs, etc. The property grounds are lush with plants and flowers teeming with birds such as hummingbirds and toucans. Upon arrival the groundskeeper will set up our macro station and will have specimens ready for us to photograph as we have lunch on site. Again, the specimens will be released back to the wild after our photoshoot. Following our shoot we will return back to Botanika for more photographic opportunities.
Day 7: Dining area for breakfast and drinks as we depart in route to La Danta Lodge. This location is know for its viewing platform at about 50 ft high in secondary forest so we can capture birds more so at eye-level. There are also bird feeders at the lodge enabling us to target species such as tanagers, honeycreepers, euphonias, and toucans! Finally, we will have another macro session here where like all the rest of the locations will be handled by professionals. Target species include a myriad of tropical frogs and snakes. After our shoot, the animals will be released back to the wild where they came from.
Day 8: We will gather for one last breakfast before making our departure back to San Jose
What You’ll Experience
Guided Field Sessions—Venture into the Osa Peninsula’s rich ecosystems at dawn and dusk, when wildlife activity peaks. Photograph scarlet macaws in flight, elusive monkeys, iridescent poison dart frogs, and the region’s extraordinary bird diversity.
Expert Instruction—Receive hands-on coaching in the field and classroom—covering composition, lighting, shutter speed techniques for fast action, macro strategies, and ethical wildlife photography practices. Perfect for building a strong and versatile portfolio.
Access to Exclusive Locations—From the surrounding primary rainforest to nearby reserves and river corridors, enjoy prime shooting opportunities in habitats known for sightings of sloths, toucans, coatis, reptiles, and dazzling insect life.
Why Botanika Osa Peninsula?
Botanika offers the ideal blend of luxury and wilderness immersion. With modern accommodations, rainforest views, and direct access to miles of protected habitat, the lodge places you at the heart of Costa Rica’s most vibrant natural landscapes—without sacrificing comfort.
Who This Workshop Is For
Whether you’re a passionate beginner or an advanced photographer looking to expand your portfolio, this workshop provides extraordinary species encounters, personalized guidance, and creative inspiration in one of the world’s richest wildlife destinations.
Have a spouse or friend who wants to tag along, no problem!
For those that would like to indulge in the luxurious life at Botanika you can add a plus one to your room at an additional cost of $1,645.70. If you're plus one would like their own private room the added cost is $3,713.16.
This is an all-inclusive price minus the photography activities that we will be embarking on.
All Inclusive Workshop
This workshop is essentially a one and done purchase! All logistics are taken care of for your leisure. Every morning at Botanika we will begin by having breakfast and drinks, followed by our excursions for the day. We will order our lunches/drinks in advance prior to departing on our adventures. The dinners provided by Botanika are exceptional! Something I guarantee everyone will be looking forward to after long days in the field.
All transportation, guiding services, tips for local guides, and your domestic flight from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez are covered.
Your first night in San Jose at a Hilton property with premium buffet is on us
