Getting the Perfect Photo in Costa Rica

You’ve got to get the shot, the one photo that will sit on your desk for years on end, always bringing a smile to your face and warm memories to your heart. But it isn’t easy to capture perfection, and the pressure is on.

Where are a few great places in Costa Rica to get that amazing photo? We have some picturesque spots near our luxury vacation villas that are ripe for the picking. Here are some of our best suggestions:

• Tarcoles Bridge:

Okay, this is a bit outside of our Dominical zone, but if you drive down south from the international airport in San Jose, you’ll have to drive over the Tarcoles Bridge. It’s a popular spot about 30 kilometers north of Jaco. There are a few restaurants and a souvenir stand just before you pass over the bridge. The draw is obvious, massive crocodiles — some greater than 15 feet in length — are lurking in the river below. There can be more than a dozen crocs down there at any moment, and oh boy are they intimidating. But with a bit of free-thinking and skillful camera work, you can get some incredible shots. This is a great place for a big lens or a drone camera that will allow you to get up close and personal without actually putting yourself in the danger zone.

• Nauyaca Waterfall:

An incredible double waterfall just a few minutes east of Dominical, Nauyaca Waterfall is an ideal local for any type of aspiring photographer. You can ride horses or hike the 4-kilometer path to the falls, so pack your gear well. When you arrive at the final destination, the absolute best photo to take is by going across the river to a small sandbar on the other side. From this vantage point, your subjects can pose and you can shoot both of the waterfalls together. It’s the only real spot to get both falls in the same photo, and if you do it right the results will be spectacular.

                                            (Photo Credit: Don Lulos Waterfall Company)

• Whale’s Tail From Above:

While walking out to the Whale’s Tail in Uvita is a cool experience — it’s a mile-long sandbar with calm ocean water on both sides — shooting it from above is really awesome. Many of our rental homes have views above the Whale’s Tail, but there are other options if your rental offers different perspectives. The road up to Bar Jolly Roger in Escaleras, midway between Dominical and Uvita, has some of the best Whale’s Tail sightlines in town. If you drive past the Bar Jolly Roger and up above where the road gets paved, you’ll see the Whale’s Tail like you’re looking down from heaven. From there, you just have to line up that perfect photo.

• Sunsets at Rio Baru:

The Baru River feeds right into Dominical beach on the north end of town. During most seasons, the sun tends to set just northwest of the Baru. With some cloud cover to mix up the evening colors, the sunsets here are as spectacular as any Vincent Van Gogh painting. There are typically people around to watch the sun disappear each afternoon, so asking someone to snap a photo of your family and friends shouldn’t be a problem. If your photographer is any good, you may just hit the jackpot.

(Photo credit: Mono Congo Cafe)