Calling all passionate photographers! Imagine trekking through lush rainforests and misty cloud forests, camera in hand, capturing toucans, macaws, and the elusive quetzal in their natural habitat.
Costa Rica Photography Workshops 2026 by Physis Photo Tours offer exactly that—an enthusiastic, immersive journey designed by a photographer, for photographers.
These workshops promise a collegial atmosphere where we learn together, regardless of your skill level. Get ready for custom, small-group adventures focused on nature, wildlife, and bird photography in some of Costa Rica’s most breathtaking locales.
Why Choose Physis Photo Tours?
Physis Photo Tours is all about photography-centric travel. These workshops are crafted by an experienced local photographer who understands the needs of fellow shutterbugs. That means you’ll be in the right place at the right time—think golden hour light filtering through the jungle canopy, or quiet boats at sunrise on misty wetlands. The schedule isn’t a rushed tourist agenda; it’s built around photographic opportunities. With intimate group sizes (private or small groups only), you’ll have plenty of one-on-one guidance and the flexibility to linger for “just one more shot!” without feeling rushed.
Importantly, these workshops are all-in-one packages. Physis handles all the logistics—transportation, lodging, meals, and park access – so you can focus entirely on your photography passion.
No need to stress over travel details; from the moment you arrive, everything is taken care of. As one experienced traveler noted, Physis specializes in small group tours at small lodges, ensuring exclusive activities – for example, you won’t find yourself crammed into a boat with two dozen strangers; instead, a private boat and guide will be arranged for your group.
It’s a truly immersive experience that takes you off the beaten path, leveraging deep local knowledge to get you closer to wildlife and into hidden gem locations that casual tourists often miss.
Immersive Nature & Wildlife Photography Experience
These workshops prioritize nature, wildlife, and bird photography. Every aspect is tailored to maximize your time in the field. Early morning and late afternoon outings take advantage of the soft, magical light and when animals are most active. Midday might be spent reviewing shots, learning editing tips, or simply relaxing in a jungle lodge hammock as you chat with fellow photographers about the day’s sightings.
What makes this experience special is the local expertise guiding you. Your tour leader knows Costa Rica’s ecosystems intimately and works with local spotters and guides who can find that camouflaged tree frog or know just where a sloth is hanging out. Thanks to this insight, you gain access to off-the-beaten-path locations and unique photo ops that would be hard to find on your own. You might set up a multi-flash rig to freeze a hummingbird’s wing-beats in mid-flight, head out after dark for a chance to photograph elusive bats or glowing red-eyed tree frogs, or try macro photography on brilliantly colored butterflies and tiny poison-dart frogs. Each day is an adventure designed to fill your memory cards with stunning images and your mind with unforgettable memories.
And don’t worry if you’re not an expert yet – all levels are welcome. In a supportive, collegial atmosphere, beginners receive hands-on help with settings and composition, while advanced photographers can chase the perfect shot with expert facilitators assisting. The camaraderie of a small group of like-minded enthusiasts means everyone learns from each other. By the end of the trip, you’ll not only have great photos but also new friends and new skills gained in the field.
Explore Costa Rica’s Best Photo Hotspots
Costa Rica is a dream for nature photographers, boasting around 5% of the world’s biodiversity in one small country. Physis Photo Tours has hand-picked a circuit of destinations that showcase this incredible diversity. From lowland rainforests teeming with life to high mountain cloud forests shrouded in mist, you’ll experience a range of environments, each with its own unique subjects and challenges. Here are the highlight locations featured in the 2026 workshops:
Sarapiquí – Tropical Rainforest Riches
Sarapiquí, in the heart of Costa Rica, is a tropical paradise for photographers. Dense rainforests, winding rivers, and vibrant wetlands create an ideal backdrop for nature and wildlife shots. This region is renowned for its remarkable biodiversity, including an astonishing array of birds. In fact, Sarapiquí boasts over 500 species of birds, making it a haven for birdwatchers and photographers alike. You can expect to photograph toucans perched on branches with their rainbow bills, flocks of parakeets darting through the canopy, and even the brilliant scarlet macaws that occasionally streak across the sky. Keep an eye out for furtive creatures like frogs, iguanas, or shy mammals rustling in the undergrowth. Local reserves such as Braulio Carrillo National Park and La Selva Biological Station are nearby, providing protected habitats where howler monkeys roar from the treetops and blue morpho butterflies flutter along the trails.
A typical day in Sarapiquí might start with a dawn walk when the forest is alive with bird song – perfect for capturing that hummingbird hovering mid-air or a troop of monkeys greeting the morning. Later, you could take a leisurely boat ride down the Sarapiquí River, your camera ready for kingfishers, crocodiles, or a heron poised to strike. The weather here is tropical and generally photographer-friendly: the dry season (Dec–Apr) offers bright conditions for vivid shots, while the wet season (May–Nov) bathes the forest in rich greens and photogenic misty rainfalls. No matter the season, Sarapiquí’s blend of wildlife and lush scenery will fill your viewfinder with inspiring subjects.
Caño Negro – Wetland Wildlife Wonderland
Heading north to the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, you’ll enter a completely different ecosystem – one dominated by water. Caño Negro is a vast expanse of wetlands, lagoons, and slow-flowing rivers near the Nicaragua border, considered one of the most important wetland habitats in the Americas. Here, photography becomes a boat-based adventure. We’ll quietly glide along the Rio Frío at sunrise or sunset, giving you a low-angle perspective of wildlife against shimmering reflections. The area’s unparalleled biodiversity offers an exciting challenge for any wildlife photographer. Through your lens, you might capture the sight of a caiman peeking above the surface, a family of river otters playing in the shallows, or even a stealthy jaguar or tapir coming to the water’s edge (if you’re very lucky!).
Bird life is especially rich in Caño Negro. The wetlands are a haven for waterfowl and migratory birds. You’ll train your camera on everything from elegant herons and egrets stalking through the marsh, to flocks of spoonbills and ibises flashing pink and white. One of the most sought-after sightings here is the Jabiru stork, a huge and majestic stork species that is iconic to Caño Negro. With its massive bill and striking black-and-white figure, a Jabiru standing in the marsh makes for a frame-worthy shot. There are also several species of kingfishers (tiny to large) zipping by, hawks and falcons patrolling the skies, and colorful passerines in the surrounding foliage. Thanks to the small-group setup, we have the flexibility to linger when we find something special. Your guide and boat captain will help position you for the best angles, whether it’s getting that mirror-like reflection of a bird in the water or a close-up of a basking iguana on a branch. By evening, as you review your photos of the day, you’ll appreciate how different Caño Negro’s scenes are – a testament to Costa Rica’s rich variety of habitats.
Boca Tapada – Remote Jungle Hideaway
Boca Tapada is a true hidden gem for photographers seeking an off-the-grid rainforest experience. Tucked in northern Costa Rica near the San Carlos region, this area is remote, wild, and bursting with life. We stay at a rustic eco-lodge deep in the jungle (far from any crowds), where nature is literally at your doorstep. The lodge sits on the edge of the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve, a protected rainforest that is among the most biodiverse areas on Earth. For you, this means endless inspiration – every hike or even a stroll around the lodge grounds can reveal something amazing to photograph.
Boca Tapada is especially famous for its birds. Great Green Macaws, an endangered species, call this rainforest home – and hearing the flapping of their huge wings overhead is an experience you won’t forget. With patience (and a bit of luck), you might capture these vibrant green parrots as they feed on almond trees or fly in pairs across the canopy. Toucans are common here too, often seen hopping from branch to branch with their multicolored bills, offering excellent composition opportunities. The forest also shelters trogons, motmots, and an array of hummingbirds that frequent the lodge’s gardens. But it’s not just about birds; every layer of the rainforest is alive. You’ll have chances to do macro photography of poison dart frogs on the forest floor, or wide-angle shots of towering ceiba trees draped in vines. Camera in hand, you could encounter anything from playful spider monkeys above to a slow-moving sloth peeking from the treetops, and perhaps even a photogenic green iguana basking in a sun patch.
One highlight many photographers rave about in Boca Tapada is the hides and special setups available. The local guides sometimes arrange photo hides for attracting rare subjects (for instance, there’s known to be a hide where king vultures – striking white and black large birds – can be observed at close range). And if you enjoy creative techniques, this is a great place for multi-flash hummingbird photography given the variety of hummingbird species around. After an exhilarating day out in this wild paradise, you’ll fall asleep to nature’s chorus of insects and frogs, eager to wake up and do it all again. Boca Tapada truly feels like having a private slice of the rainforest, making it a favorite for photographers who crave exclusivity and authentic wilderness.
San Gerardo de Dota – Cloud Forest & Quetzal Kingdom
For a change of scenery (and climate), the workshops venture up into the highlands to San Gerardo de Dota, a small village nestled in the Talamanca Mountains. At roughly 7,000 feet (2,100 m) elevation, San Gerardo sits in a cool, misty cloud forest environment. The landscapes here are completely different – think mossy, ancient oak trees shrouded in fog, a crystal-clear river running through a green valley, and a chorus of hummingbirds zipping around. This serene mountain retreat is world-renowned for one bird in particular: the Resplendent Quetzal. Photographers and birdwatchers from around the globe come to San Gerardo for a chance to see this legendary bird. With its iridescent emerald-green feathers, bright red belly, and extraordinary long tail plumes, the male quetzal is truly a sight to behold. On our early morning outings, we’ll quietly hike into the cloud forest (often with a local quetzal expert) to spot them among the wild avocado trees. Capturing a quetzal perched in the wild, or if we’re lucky, witnessing one in flight, will be a highlight of your portfolio and a memory for a lifetime.
Beyond the quetzal, San Gerardo de Dota offers countless other photographic delights. The region is home to dozens of hummingbird species – shiny green violetears, tiny volcano hummingbirds, and the impressive long-tailed sylph, to name a few. You’ll likely get to practice high-speed shooting at feeders where hummingbirds hover inches away, their wings a blur. The area’s cloud forest scenery is also breathtaking. We’ll take you to scenic viewpoints where layers of forested mountains fade into the mist, perfect for landscape shots using wide-angle lenses. Nearby waterfalls provide opportunities to experiment with long exposures for silky water effects. And the flora is remarkable – macro photographers will enjoy the diversity of orchids, bromeliads, and fungi thriving in the cool, damp understory. Don’t forget the local culture too: San Gerardo is a rural community, and a friendly encounter with villagers or farmers can lead to impromptu portraits or cultural photography moments that add context to your nature shots.
San Gerardo de Dota is typically the final stop on the workshop, offering a relaxed atmosphere to wrap up your journey. Evenings might be spent by a cozy lodge fireplace, exchanging stories and favorite photos with your group. The mix of adventure and tranquility here really encapsulates what makes these workshops special – you’ve chased birds through rainforests, waded through wetlands, and now you unwind in the mountains, all the while surrounded by incredible nature.
What to Expect: Guidance, Gear, and Group Vibes
Throughout the workshop, personalized guidance is a given. Your lead photographer-guide will be at your side to help with anything from setting the right ISO in low light, to composing a dynamic landscape shot, to mastering tricky techniques like panning or macro focus stacking. In the field, instruction is hands-on: if you’re unsure how to approach a scene, just ask – they’ll gladly offer suggestions or even demonstrate. In the evenings or during breaks, there may be informal tutorials on editing, image reviews, or discussions on topics like wildlife behavior (knowing your subject can greatly improve your photos!). The goal is that you come away a better photographer, not just with great pictures.
Group sizes are kept small and intimate, usually just a handful of participants. This ensures that everyone gets ample attention and can move at a comfortable pace. It also means we can access special locations where larger groups can’t go, and minimize our footprint in delicate environments. You’ll quickly find a camaraderie developing – it feels like traveling with friends who share your passion. We encourage a collegial atmosphere: share your shots, swap tips or lenses, and cheer each other on when someone nails that perfect photo. Many past participants say this supportive vibe was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
In terms of gear, all types of cameras are welcome, from DSLRs and mirrorless rigs to bridge cameras or even smartphones. Of course, having a telephoto lens (for wildlife/birds) and a wide-angle (for landscapes) will help you fully take advantage of the scenes. A macro lens is great for insects and frogs, and a tripod will be useful for low-light and waterfall shots. But don’t worry if you don’t have a huge kit – technique and creativity matter more than gear, and our guide will help you get the shot with whatever camera you have. Also, because you’re in the tropics and mountains, be prepared for mixed conditions: bring quick-dry clothing, a rain cover for your camera, and a willingness to get a bit muddy at times (that’s often when the best shots happen!).
Lastly, expect the unexpected! Wildlife has a way of surprising us – perhaps an otter family will show up where we didn’t see them before, or we take a spontaneous detour because a local farmer tipped us off to an owl’s nesting spot. The itinerary is flexible to maximize photographic opportunities. By embracing that spirit of adventure, you’ll truly get the most out of these workshops.
Ready to Embark on Your 2026 Photo Adventure?
If your heart is racing at the thought of exploring Costa Rica’s jungles with your camera, then this is your call to action. The Costa Rica Photography Workshops 2026 by Physis Photo Tours are now open for booking – and remember, we keep groups small and exclusive, so spots are limited. Don’t miss the chance to join a one-of-a-kind journey where every day is a photography dream.
Pack your enthusiasm, unleash your creativity, and let us handle the rest. Reserve your spot now to secure your place in this unforgettable experience. Whether it’s capturing the glint in a monkey’s eye, the rainbow of a toucan’s beak, or the silent grace of a quetzal in flight, Costa Rica is waiting to fill your frame with wonders. We can’t wait to share this adventure with you—see you in Costa Rica in 2026 for the ultimate photography workshop!
Ready to learn more or have questions? Reach out to us and we’ll be happy to assist. Let’s make 2026 your year of incredible photos and lifelong memories!