Costa Rica Expeditions - Guides

Federico was born on April 11, 1971, in Costa Rica, but has lived all over the world, including Jerusalem, Madrid and New York. He speaks perfect English and can also understand Hebrew. He has worked at Costa Rica Expeditions for 9 years and particularly enjoys guiding Multisport and Naturalist trips, which combine his love for nature with biking and other outdoor sports.

Federico first became interested in guiding while working with young adults. He was the group leader for a 5-month program with Youth Challenge International and later went on to work for Fundacion D.A., a foundation that works with children with ADD.

Federico is currently taking his last courses at the Universidad Estatal a Distancia for a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management. He also undertook two years of courses in Agricultural Engineering and four years of Industrial Design. Realizing how important environmental education is to the planet, Federico has taken numerous courses on the Natural History of Costa Rica. His goal is to impress on guests the value and beauty of nature.

Federico shares most of his free time with his wife Karol and his three-year-old son, Santiago. When not with them, he is usually riding his mountain bike or photographing wildlife, two of his favorite pastimes. Read testimonials.

marcos alvarado

Originally from Limon Province on the Caribbean coast, Marcos learned to swim and fish at a young age. As a child he spent most of his time in the outdoors and developed a deep love and appreciation of the tropical rainforest and its fauna.

Marcos, 33, worked in cruise ships until he decided to come ashore and work as a guide in 2001. Since then, he has worked on the Osa Peninsula and more recently, leading biking trips. Marcos has two children, Fernando, 9, and Kemsy, 4. His birthday is Aug. 22, 1974. Read testimonials.

diego blanco

Diego, 26, was raised in Ciudad Quesada, a rural town located next to a National Park and studied Tropical Biology at the Univ. of Costa Rica. “My backyard was full of birds, bugs and even snakes,” he says. “As a kid I observed all these creatures with interest and developed a love of the outdoors and the wildlife of Costa Rica.”

Diego began guiding Costa Rica Expeditions’ Multisport and Naturalist trips in Sept. 2006. He is an avid mountain biker and after a decade with his home town’s swim team he swam for the National Team for two years. Diego spent a year in Belgium as a high school exchange student and later worked in Florida for six months in 2003.

Recently Diego began a Masters Degree correspondence program in Wildlife Management at the State University. When he's not guiding, Diego likes to read, bike and spend time with his girlfriend and his family. His birthday is Nov. 3, 1981.

Read testimonials.

ricardo jimenez
ricardojimenezch@hotmail.com

Ricardo, called Robalo by his fellow guides, has led a very interesting and diverse career at Costa Rica Expeditions. In 1989, he started as a bus driver for group trips. Then he decided that he wanted to become a river guide. Not speaking a word of English, he signed up for classes at the University and was conversing before the year was up. Working his way through the ranks, Ricardo became one of our head river guides in 1993.

Seven years later, in January 1999, he decided to come ashore to work in the San Jose offices as Operations Manager. Recently, however, he decided to return to the river and has started guiding rafting trips once again. Ricardo, whose birthday is July 2, 1963, is married to Isabel Garbanzo, the company’s Director of Human Resources. They have been married for 17 years and have two children, Renan, 15, and Marcela, 13.