Local team · Costa Rica

Our naturalist guides

Selecting a dedicated guide for your adventure is 100% recommended for the best experience. Our founder and coordinator, Elías Peña, ensures that you'll be matched with the perfect guide for your specific activities and interests. Every guide is carefully selected to make your Costa Rica experience unforgettable.

Elías Peña

Founder · Head Naturalist Guide · Travel Coordinator

14 yrs English · Español

Elías founded VIVO Expeditions after 14+ years leading naturalist tours across Costa Rica. Born in La Fortuna, he combines deep local knowledge of the Arenal region with hands-on experience across Boca Tapada, Caño Negro, Manuel Antonio and Corcovado. He personally designs every multi-day itinerary and is your point of contact from first message to post-trip follow-up.

Specialties

General naturalist guidingTour coordinationBirdwatchingMulti-day itinerary design

Certifications

· General naturalist guide & tour coordinator
· PYME Costa Rica registered small business
· Wilderness first-aid trained

Best for

General naturalist guide and tour coordinator for any type of tour — he designs and coordinates the trip personally.

Notable highlights: Great Green Macaw nests at Boca Tapada, King Vulture hide sessions, Agami Heron colony, resident Jaguar tracks in Corcovado.

Chino (José Luis)

Senior Wildlife & Family Guide

12 yrs English · Español

Chino is the guide you want if you're bringing kids or want to guarantee sloths. His eye for wildlife on the Bogarín Trail is unmatched — regular sightings of two- and three-toed sloths, poison dart frogs, and roosting owls. Patient, warm, and endlessly enthusiastic.

Specialties

FamiliesNight toursBird watchingGeneral guidanceSloth spotting

Certifications

· Wildlife tracking specialist
· Family-tour trained

Best for

Best for families with kids, night tours, and wildlife observation — combines family patience with expert bird knowledge.

Highlights: 40+ sloth sightings/month at Bogarín, resident Spectacled Owl couple, poison dart frog courtship.

Edward Vargas

Photography Guide — Boca Tapada Specialist

15 yrs English · Español

Edward has spent 15 years photographing and guiding in Boca Tapada. He builds multi-flash setups for hummingbirds and bats, and knows the exact perches for Agami Heron, Red-capped Manakin and toucans — including his own garden hide.

Specialties

PhotographyMulti-flashBoca Tapada wildlife

Certifications

· Wildlife photography guide
· Multi-flash photography setups

Best for

Multi-flash photography, Agami heron, Red-capped Manakin, hummingbirds, bats, toucans, Edward's garden, Jaide Sopilote Rey — wildlife photography in Boca Tapada.

Highlights: Agami Heron, Red-capped Manakin, King Vulture (Jaide Sopilote Rey), hummingbird and bat multi-flash sessions.

Leonardo

Driver & Naturalist Guide

10 yrs English · Español

Leonardo grew up in Arenal and knows every lava field, viewpoint and hidden waterfall in the 1968 park. He drives and guides our Safari Float trips on the Peñas Blancas River. Fun, energetic, safety-first.

Specialties

Safari FloatPeñas Blancas RiverArenal 1968 Trail

Certifications

· Naturalist guide
· Professional driver

Best for

Safari Float Peñas Blancas transport and nature guidance — adventure combos and scenic tours.

Highlights: Volcano-lit sunrises from 1968 viewpoints, howler monkeys along Peñas Blancas, tanagers at fruit feeders.

Yehudi Hernández

Naturalist Guide & Photography Instructor

12 yrs English · Español · Português (básico)

Yehudi leads our international photography workshops — Pantanal (Brazil) for jaguars, Colombia Andes for hummingbirds and endemics. Nature photographer and patient teacher for every skill level, he fine-tunes exposure alongside you in the field.

Specialties

Brazil Pantanal expeditionsJaguar photographyPost-processing coachingColombia Andes workshops

Certifications

· Wildlife photography workshop instructor
· Pantanal expedition-certified

Best for

International wildlife photography workshops and Pantanal expeditions — expert bird and jaguar photography with post-processing coaching.

Highlights: 30+ Jaguar sightings per Pantanal trip, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock leks, Sword-billed Hummingbird portraits.

Fabián

La Fortuna Waterfall Guide & Family Companion

8 yrs English · Español

Fabián accompanies families at the La Fortuna Waterfall and on transport days, keeping groups moving at the right pace. He is a companion and driver rather than a general naturalist guide, and kids love him.

Specialties

La Fortuna WaterfallFamiliesKid-friendly experiencesTransport & tour companion

Certifications

· First-aid certified
· Professional driver & tour companion

Best for

Families and kid-friendly rainforest experiences — makes nature accessible and fun for all ages.

Highlights: Rufous Motmots at eye level, sloths on the Waterfall trail rim.

Luis Fallas

Family Guide & Photographer

9 yrs English · Español

Luis specializes in families and turns rainforest walks into games kids remember years later. He also helps with general photography in the field, and is endlessly patient with a two-year-old or a grandparent.

Specialties

Mistico Hanging BridgesFamiliesNight walksGeneral photographyRainforest ecology

Certifications

· Family-tour trained
· General photography guiding

Best for

Families, night walks, bird observation, and general photography — patient guide who turns rainforest walks into memorable family adventures.

Highlights: Owl butterflies on the bridges, spider monkeys crossing the canopy, glass frog on night walks.

Andrew

Head Naturalist Guide — Manuel Antonio Specialist

12 yrs English · Español

Andrew leads our Manuel Antonio operation: national park walks, rainforest observation and the Damas Island mangrove tours. He is a birder first, and families keep asking for him because kids stay engaged the whole way.

Specialties

Bird watchingManuel AntonioRainforest observationDamas Island mangrove toursKids-friendly

Certifications

· Naturalist field training
· Mangrove tour guiding

Best for

Bird watching enthusiasts, families with kids, Damas Island mangrove tours — excellent guide in the Manuel Antonio zone with deep rainforest knowledge and great rapport with children.

Highlights: squirrel monkeys, sloths in the park canopy, boat-billed herons and mangrove hummingbirds at Damas.

Miller Josué

Naturalist Guide

6 yrs English · Español

Miller guides general naturalist tours across several zones — hanging bridges, volcano trails and wildlife walks — and adapts easily to mixed groups.

Specialties

Wildlife observationHikingArenal area

Certifications

· Naturalist field training

Best for

General tours across several zones — flexible naturalist guiding for mixed-interest groups.

Highlights: coatis on the 1968 trail, toucans at dawn, howler monkeys along the bridges.

Johander

Naturalist Guide

8 yrs English · Español

Johander covers general naturalist tours in several zones, from Arenal trails to wildlife and birding walks, and works well with first-time visitors to Costa Rica.

Specialties

Wildlife observationBirdingArenal area

Certifications

· Naturalist field training

Best for

General tours across several zones — solid all-round naturalist guiding.

Highlights: Great Curassow on forest floor, sloths, poison dart frogs on the trail edge.

Denis Fernández

Photography Guide — International Experience

12 yrs English · Español

Denis leads photography-focused tours and multi-day trips with international experience, coaching bird photography in the field and reviewing post-processing afterwards.

Specialties

PhotographyWildlife photographyBird photography

Certifications

· Wildlife photography guide
· Bird photography coaching

Best for

International wildlife photography tours with post-processing guidance and expert bird photography coaching.

Highlights: Resplendent Quetzal, hummingbirds in flight, highland endemics.

Isabel

Social Media Manager & Communications Lead

3 yrs English · Español

Isabel runs VIVO Expeditions social media and client communications, answering messages, sharing field content from our guides and helping travelers plan before they arrive.

Specialties

Social mediaCommunicationsContent creation

Certifications

· Content creation
· Community management

Best for

Connecting with VIVO Expeditions on social media, tour planning consultations, content creation requests.

Behind the scenes: the reels, reviews and stories from every expedition.

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