Costa Rica Guide

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Coffee Cupping Photos

Ready to cup

Coffee tours are a fun way to learn about the process and history of coffee in Costa Rica. Río Jorcó Estate coffee from the Tarrazu region is highly desired by specialty gourmet roasters from all over the world.  Our friend Jim Alfaro recently invited us to spend a few days in the guest villa and … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Coffee Processing Photos

Washing the cherries

Over the past two decades we've made several visits to two coffee farms owned by friends.  The Rodriguez's small farm above Heredia and on our friend Jim Alafaro's estate at Río Jorcó in the hills of Tarrazu - Costa Rica's most coveted coffee producing regions. Anyone who's interested can visit a … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Coffee Growing & Picking Photos

Immigrant picker

We're fortunate to have become friends with two families who have coffee farms in Costa Rica.  The Rodriguez's small farm above Heredia was our introduction in 1993 to how coffee was grown and picked in Costa Rica and more recently in 2007, and 2015 we've spent a few days on our friend Jim Alafaro's … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Transition Dry to Rain Forest

Firey billed Aracari

The region between Puntarenas and Jacó beach on the central Pacific of Costa Rica has more diversity of plants, trees and animals than nearly any other region because of its unique transition zone  geography.  Along the coast to the north the tropical dry forests dominate in Guanacaste and on the … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Carara National Park Photos

Scarlet macaw (Ara macao) landing

Carara National park is located on the northern end of the central Pacific coast only 30 - 40 minutes from San José but it's a world away from the big city.  The vast majority of travelers to the region zip right past on their way to the well known beach destinations at Jacó and Manuel Antonio but … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Hiking Photos

The moss and river rocks were slippery but as long as the canyon wasn't too steep traveling upstream was much easier than trying to move through the dense vegetation.

Trekking, backpacking, hiking and walking are some of the best ways to see Costa Rica and they're not the same thing.  Trekking implies huts, refugios or other places that you might have a roof over your head while backpacking suggest that everything you need is in your pack. The difference … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Creepy Crawlies Photos

Katydid or grasshopper alongside the Rio Coen

Insects, spiders and other bugs and creepy crawlies are one of my favorite photographic subjects in Costa Rica. Bugs aren't the first thing that comes to mind when the topic of wildlife comes up but if you look closely the mantis, walking sticks, ants, butterflies, bees, katydids and even roaches … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Hot Spring Photos

Miravalles Mineral Hotsprings - Crystal clear, warm, wild, natural, undeveloped and utterly secret

What do you get when you mix a couple of feet of rain with volcanoes and geothermal activity?  Natural hot springs of course.  There are hot water mineral springs all over Costa Rica but the majority are concentrated in the northern central zone along the  continental backbone of volcanoes. Many … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Beach Photos – Osa & Dulce

Playa Tamales is on the horn of the Osa Peninsula between Jiménez and Cabo Matapalo south of Punta Tigra facing Potrero across the Gulfo Dulce

The beaches of the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce on the south Pacific side of Costa Rica are the wildest and most beautiful in the country. North near Bahia Drake playas Colorada, San Josecito, San Pedrillo and others are in coves protected by rocky points and reefs. Llrona, Corcovado and Sirena … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Beach Photos – Caribbean

Cahuita

Just the name Caribbean evokes a totally different feel.  The beaches, development and culture are unique on the east side.  A rainier climate has kept the resorts away, Jamaican immigrants flavor the food and society and the geography creates totally different playas. Instead of a convoluted … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Beach Photos – Central Pacific

Playa Hermosa sunset with striated clouds

Costa Rica's central Pacific beaches alternate between developed and undeveloped starting in the north with the condo towers of Jacó followed by the little beach bars and wildlife refuge at Playa Hermosa, the scattered cabinas and rental houses of the Esterillos, and the long deserted near island at … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Beach Photos – Nicoya

Boats off Tamarindo

The Nicoya peninsula is famous for nearly deserted beaches and excellent surf.  The pavement and bridges are slowly creeping south from Tamarindo, north from Paquera and expanding in the middle by Samára but there are still plenty of remote spots where the rivers are too high to ford in the rainy … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Beach Photos – Guanacaste

Lunch in the shade on Playa Zapotal

Costa Rica has over 300 beaches on 1,300 km of Pacific and Caribbean coastline and browsing these photos is a great way to get a feel for which ones are deserted or developed.  You can choose from playas with black, white, golden, crushed shell, tan or generic gray sand with big waves or small and … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Aerial Photos

Approach to the Puerto Jimenez air strip

It's a lot of fun to fly over the areas you travel to get a birds eye view.  This collection of aerial photos of Costa Rica includes some favorites like Dominical, the whale tail at Uvita, Tortuguero and Corcovado from the air.  However, there are a few places we haven't flown over and it's not … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Sunrise & Sunset Photos

This sunset on Playa Cuajiniquil was almost surreal it was so beautiful. No photoshop, no special filters or camera in fact it was just a little Canon point and shoot.

It's possible to watch the sun rise out of the Caribbean in the morning then make your way across the entire country of Costa Rica to see the sun sink into the Pacific the same evening.  Nothing symbolizes the relaxation of a tropical beach better than a tropical sunset.  The yellow ball of the sun … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Mammals in Pictures

Tapir mudbath

Mammals are one of the hardest subjects to photograph in Costa Rica.  Generally they are shy, often nocturnal and sometimes rare and endangered.  The most famous residents are some of the most rarely seen - getting pictures of a jaguar or tapir for example is almost impossible without an … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Caño Negro Photos

sit on top kayak

The wetlands and the Río Frío that feeds them are two of the very best places in Costa Rica to see and photograph wildlife. We've been to Caño Negro so many times I've lost count. We've bicycled, kayaked and taken motorized safari launches and every time we've seen something different and … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Irazu Volcano Photos

Crater lake

Irazú Volcano National Park is one of Costa Rica's most popular because of it's proximity to San José and the good paved road all the way to the crater.  From the top the views into the emerald and turquoise lakes of the main crater and across the mountains and lowlands are equally … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Airport Photos

Tortuguero Airport (yes that's all there is to it). This is downright fancy compared to Drake and a big step up from the dirt track in the jungle at Sirena.

Costa Rica has three runways where jets can land, two of them serve commercial flights at Juan Santamaría (SJO) 18 km from San José and Daniel Oduber (LIR) about the same distance outside Liberia in Guanacaste.  The third is at Limón and only used by charters. There are another 50 or so private … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Butterfly & Moth Photos

Banded Orange Heliconian Butterfly

Every time we spot a blue morpho butterfly tumbling down the air currents of a tropical canyon like a softball sized sapphire against an emerald green backdrop of rainforest foliage we get almost giddy with delight. I can't count the number of times I've almost broken my neck scrambling down … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Photos

Photos
  • Tortuguero Beach – National Park & Sea Turtles Nesting
  • Tortuguero Village & Canals Photos
  • Guayabo National Monument
  • San Gerardo de Dota National Park
  • Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve
  • Lower Savegre & Rafiki
  • Savegre National Park
  • Pacuare River Rafting Overnight
  • Portalón Estero Rey National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Rainmaker Biological Reserve Photos
  • Hills of Portalón Wildlife Refuge
  • Funny, Quirky, Weird – Costa Rica Humor
  • Bahía Junquillal National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • La Cangreja National Park Photos
  • Pacuare Gilligan’s Island
  • Rincón de la Vieja – Hacienda Guachipelín Photos
  • Quirky, Weird, Funny – Costa Rica Humor
  • Lankester Botanical Gardens Photos



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