"Tours of a Lifetime"
"Top 3, Best Values in The World"

ADRIANA MONTERO
Assistant to the Director of Travel Planning
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Adriana is Costa Rica Expedition's newest addition to the travel planning team, and comes to us from another agency where she worked her way from bilingual secretary into trip planning. Before entering tourism Adriana put her bilingualism to work in a different Costa Rican industry; the call center. Now here, she is enjoying getting to know the company and her work, and loves what she calls the "relaxed but dedicated" vibe around the office.  read more...


ALBERTO MARTINEZ
Operations Coordinator

Also known for being your, don’t forget your sunblock reminder, alternate transportation finder, lost book tracker, forgot your phone charger solver, let me get the doctor on the phone operator.

Alberto   was born on September 15, 1976 in San José, Costa Rica.  He had the lived in the Dominican Republic for 4 years when he was a child because of his father’s job. Later, he spent one year in Finland as an exchange student. read more...


ALEJANDRA BOLAñOS
Senior Travel Planner
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I was born in Costa Rica and my hometown is Alajuela, the city of Mangos. I have studied Business Administration and Tourism and be on the field for the past 25 years. read more...


ALEJANDRO MENDEZ

Alejandro, affectionately called “Pulpo,” spent some years in the US but returned in early 2006. Before leaving the country, Alejandro worked as a CRE Naturalist Guide for seven years. Now in Operations, he knows exactly what kind of logistics go into making even the most complicated trip run smoothly. read more...


ALEJANDRO CANO
Naturalist Guide

Alejandro Cano Ospina was born in October 28, 1965. His father is an internationally known cellist, who played with the Costa Rican Symphonic Orchestra for several years. Alejandro’s mother is a homemaker and always had an interest for sustainability and the environment, which she instilled in her three sons.  read more...


ANDREW NEWCOMB CARBALLO
Naturalist Guide

Born in San Jose on July 21, 1963, his father was a merchant Marine from Buffalo that sailed all over the world and lived in Japan, China and the Philippines. He would spend up to six months at sea and then come home for two or three months. His mother a wonderful cook, mother and house wife was from the town of San Ramon de Alajuela in Costa Rica. read more...


ANGELO BENLEY

Angelo was born on July 7, 1976. He was raised in the Town of Tortuguero by his grandparents, Don Alberto and Doña Ana Cristina. His grandfather planted crops and grew plaintain, cassava and coconuts. His grandmother worked at one of the lodges in Tortuguero as a cook.  read more...


ARELIS MARIN
Assistant Manager Monteverde Lodge

Arelis was born and raised in the region of Monteverde on July 8, 1985. She has worked for Monteverde Lodge for five years. The first four years she worked at the Front Desk and for the last year she has been the Assistant Manager of the lodge.  read more...


ARTURO JARQUIN

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Arturo's passion and career is landscape architecture. He is a graduate of the Longwood Gardens Horticultural School's work-study program in Pennsylvania (1983-4) and also spent a year working at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis (1987-8). Arturo, who worked for Costa Rica National Parks for three years (1979-82), not only has a strong background in horticulture and conservation, but also has a strong knowledge of the country's native bird species. read more...


BERNAL DIAZ

Born in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1960, Bernal has been guiding in Costa Rica for over 25 years, he has been guiding for Costa Rica Expeditions since December of 2010, we are delighted to be able to offer the services of this talented Naturalist to our guests. read more...


CAMILA ROMERO
Guest Satisfaction Specialist

Camila was born on May 1, 1984, in Bogotá Colombia where her family is from.

Her father was a sales man for a company that distributed rubber window seals for cars throughout in Central America and he traveled more than he was home. Work brought him to Costa Rica often and in 2000 he decided to move his family here giving him more time with his wife Mariela and his daughters Camila and Valentina. read more...


CARLOS GOMEZ
Master Naturalist Guide & Director of Guiding Depa

Carlos, or as he is better known, Charlie, started his birding career working with Gary Stiles, the author of Birds of Costa Rica. He has guided birding and other natural history groups for Costa Rica Expeditions for two decades. Before that, he was Station Manager at the Organization for Tropical Studies' La Selva Biological Station. Called "legendary" in the Washington Post, groups he has led include Henderson Birding, Audubon Naturalist Society and Noble Proctor.  read more...


CARLOS VAZQUEZ

Carlos was born in the city of Quepos, on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. His love of the outdoors was transmitted to him by his parents. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of looking for crab and shrimp the forests of Mangrove forests of Quepos and then back at home, his mother's delicious soup. Carlos' father was a truck driver and for a time Carlos thought he wanted to follow in his footsteps. read more...


CARLOS LUIS VASQUEZ

Carlos was born in the city of Quepos, on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. His love of the outdoors was transmitted to him by his parents. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of looking for crab and shrimp the forests of Mangrove forests of Quepos and then back at home, his mother’s delicious soup.  read more...


CINDY OLIVARES RODRIGUEZ
Assitant Manager, Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Cindy was born and raised in Monteverde, she graduated from the Santa Elena High School and is now taking general courses at the UNED (National University at a Distance) read more...


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CLARENCE TAYLOR

Although he was born and raised in San Jose, Clarence has spent a lot of time traveling inside and out of Costa Rica. He did all his studies in Costa Rica, mostly focusing on the tourism industry, but also completed a year of medicine. read more...


DIEGO BLANCO
Naturalist Guide

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.” read more...


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DIEGO MONTERO

Diego, 29, has been on Costa Rica Expeditions’ white water team since 2005, and has been guiding rafting trips for 9 years. He enjoys his career for the thrills and for the opportunity to meet new people from around the world. “I have also been able to travel a lot - to Italy, Norway, Nepal, Chile and Argentina - thanks to rafting,” he says. Diego speaks Spanish, English and Italian and is an excellent surfer. He is married to Betsy Chaves and his birthday is March 6, 1979. read more...


DIEGO BLANCO
Chief Operating Officer
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Diego was born on November 3, 1981 in the city of Ciudad Quesada; a rural town in the San Carlos region of Costa Rica. He grew up working on his father’s farms with his brothers and sisters. read more...


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DIEGO VALVERDE
Operations Coordinator

Also known as your guardian angel, troubleshooter, lost jacket tracker, forgot your medicine solver, keeps the ball in motion magician.

Diego is a native of the region of Pérez Zeledón in the south of the country, where he was born 33 years ago. His family eventually moved to the Aserri region, on the southern slope of the Central Valley, where Diego grew up. read more...


DONALD LORIA

For Donald, being a naturalist guide offered the perfect career to a student spending his university years dedicated alternatively to the study of biology and English. Today he’s been guiding for seven years, and came to Monteverde Lodge at the beginning of 2015. Given what our guests are saying about his knowledge and infectious enthusiasm when out walking the cloud forest, we're feeling pretty pleased to be able to offer Donald. read more...


DOUGLAS ESPINOSA
Senior Travel Planner
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Read Douglas's Bio.


EDDIE RECIO
Naturalist Guide
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Eddie was born in San Jose on August 22, 1969. His parents were in the clothing business in San Jose and they had Eddie and two brothers and two sisters. As children, the kids spent a great deal of time in the northwest province of Santa Cruz, Guanacaste with their paternal grandparents. Their grandparents were of Italian descent and immigrated to Costa Rica as a result of World War II. read more...


EDUARDO AGUILAR

Eduardo "Novoa" joined our rafting staff in 1998. Born on May 31, 1977, and raised near Turrialba, Eduardo first became interested in the river while working for a wooden paddle factory in town. A local rafting company warehoused their equipment next door and, interested in using the paddles he constructed, Eduardo began begging river trips with the guides. He also learned his English from his river friends. Eduardo is a keen birder and enjoys playing basketball and kayaking in his free time. He has a son, Dixon, 7. read more...


EDUARDO NAVARRO
Transfer Guide

Eduardo was born in the province of Heredia, where he currently lives, in the district of Mercedes, and as he tells us, it is a very beautiful place to live. read more...


ELENA MONGE
Senior Travel Planner
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Read Elena's Bio.


ELIER ZUÑIGA

Born on May 10th 1979, in the city of Puntarenas, Elier is one of four brothers and sisters.

As a little boy, it was his dream to work outdoors, he was sure that he didn’t want to work in an office. Elier was one of those boys that his mother asked to empty his pockets at the back door because she knew that insects, reptiles and seeds were sure to be stashed there. He didn’t walk around whistling, he walked around imitating bird calls.

After graduating from the Universidad Estatal de Puntarenas, Elier was an exchange student in Ellensburg, Washington. Here he had the opportunity to polish his English while working at a ski resort, he says this made a tremendous difference in his understanding of guests and greatly improved his English.

Elier has been guiding for 9 years, his special passion is tracking a specific species his guests want to see, but he loves the forest and its plants and creatures in general. His biggest thrill while roaming the forests of Monteverde was finding an ocelot with guests, an extremely rare sighting.

When he’s not interpreting the Cloud Forest with his guests, Elier enjoys playing soccer, swimming and spending time with his wife Alicia and his children Christian and Kendra.  read more...


ERICK BATISTA
Corporate Director

Erick planned to become an electrical engineer, but his career path took a different turn when he started working for a tour operator a decade ago as an accountant. read more...


ESTEBAN BIAMONTE
Naturalist Guide

Esteban Biamonte is a biologist very passionate about birds, as well as any other kind of living creature. He started carrying his binoculars everywhere when he was 18, and has not stop doing it since.  read more...


EVA ARROYO CAMPOS
Naturalist Guide

Born on June 12, 1986, in San José, Eva has three things that inspire her more than anything in life: one is love of the outdoors and the other is love of sports and art and the last love is for the ocean, a passion that she shares with many Costa Ricans, blessed with the luxury of having easy access to both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. read more...


FEDERICO ALBAN
Naturalist Guide

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. read more...


FEDERICO "FICO" CHACON
Naturalist Guide

Born on November 15, 1976 in San Jose, Costa Rica, Federico "Fico" Chacon has been guiding for 12 years. His training comes from the University of Costa Rica, the National Institute of Learning. He has completed various courses in natural history including Birds, Herpetology and Botany. He has also studied Social Sciences and Psychology. His greatest teacher has been his experience in the field, having guided in Costa Rica, Panamá, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. read more...


FERNANDO ESTRADA

Fernando, best known as "Don," was born on May 30, 1954, in Bluefields, Nicaragua. He is one of 13 siblings. As a child and young man in Bluefields, he had seen the Puerto Cabezas Indians come to town to sell turtle meat but he had never seen one of the giant sea turtles alive. Elders told stories about them coming ashore to lay their eggs in Tortuguero and Don wanted to see this first hand. read more...


FERNANDO PéREZ
Naturalist Guide

Born in San Jose on May 29, 1966, Fernando is a longtime resident in a small town of La Pastora near the Turrialba Volcano.

Fernando’s traces his love of the outdoors and community service to his days as a young Boy Scout, his troop was #22. His Boy Scout troop taught him discipline and love of the outdoors. He enjoyed the challenge of working on is badges and receiving the distinction of being the camp specialist for camping, orientation with a compass and assistance to police officials during events like elections, independence day parades and holiday celebrations. read more...


FRANCINE RODRIGUEZ
Receptionist, Monteverde Lodge

Born on January 31, 1990, Francine was raised in the Monteverde region. She went to High School in the town of Abangares. After High School she wisely went on to study English at the Boston College in San Jose and then she further polished her English at the INA, Costa Rica?s National Institute of Learning. Francine also has a technical degree in computer operation from INA.  read more...


GABRIEL VARGAS

Gabriel, 27, is from San Jose and has been working as a guide in Costa Rica for several years. Gabriel grew up on a family ranch, where he learned to love the outdoors and nature. He earned a degree in agro-ecotourism from the Central American School of Cattle Raising and later studied at the National Institute of Biodiversity. “I was drawn to guiding because I like being with people,” he says. “I’m also very proud of my country and it’s great to show off Costa Rica’s natural treasures to visitors.” In his free time, Gabriel likes to spend time with his son Fabian. He also enjoys body surfing and horseback riding when he’s back on the ranch. read more...


GERARDO AGUILAR

Gerardo, also known as "Cola," was born on October 20th, 1949. Although he has only been with Costa Rica Expeditions since 2004, Gerardo has been guiding since 1969, when he started as a sport-fishing guide in Barra de Colorado. He learned to speak English just by hearing his guests talk and then decided to complement his newly acquired skill with more formal studies in tourism, choosing courses in “Attention and Guiding” and “Ethics in Tourism.” He has won the respect and friendship of many guests at Tortuga Lodge and is known for his permanent smile, hard work and flashy silver necklaces. Gerardo is originally from Barra del Colorado and enjoys reading in his spare time. He has four adult children. read more...


GERARDO MURILLO

Born in San Jose on October 15, 1964, Gerardo, also known as "Siau," has been guiding whitewater rafting expeditions since 1986. He grew up on his father’s farm in Turrialba where he spent most of his time outdoors riding horses and playing in the rivers and fields. read more...


GERARDO ARTAVIA
Naturalist Guide

Born in San Jose in on April 19, 1973, Gerardo has a Chilean mother and a Costa Rican father. His father went to Chile to get his Doctorate in Economy and met his mother while he was there. They got married and came back to Costa Rica when he had completed his degree. Gerardo went to Elementary and High School in San Jose at a Catholic school run by priests from Spain; this is where he learned English.  read more...


GIOCONDA CABALCETA
Naturalist Guide

Gioconda grew up in the Guanacaste province, spending her childhood with her 5 siblings and 23 cousins in a small town close to the ocean, riding horses, harvesting cotton, looking at the leatherback turtles nesting on the beach, swimming in the rivers, taking care of her many pets that where brought to her father, a physician, as gratitude for his service by patients, a perfect childhood that developed in Gioconda the love for Nature. read more...


GORDON HEIN
Chief Operating and Financial Officer
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Michael Kaye first met Gordon when he was toiling away for long-time Costa Rica Expeditions’ client, International Expeditions in Helena, Ala. When International Expeditions became part of Grandexpeditions.com, Michael quickly snatched Gordon for a temporary assignment in Costa Rica. The “temporary” assignment that began in early 2002 continues to this day. read more...


GUILLERMO "MEMO" MONGE
Operations Coordinator

Also known for producing a flying carpet to take you over a landslide OR alternate transportation finder, lost book prescription glasses finder, forgot your iPad finder, let see if I can get you another night at this hotel coordinator.

Guillermo returned to Costa Rica Expeditions in 2017 as Operations Coordinator, he had worked for us in the same position between 2007 and 2009.  read more...


GUSTAVO MENDEZ
Senior Travel Planner
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Read Gustavo's Bio.


GUSTAVO  CAMACHO
Naturalist Guide

Gustavo was born in the town of Grecia, north of San Jose. He grew up on a farm, where his father grew mainly sugar cane and coffee. They also had horses and some cattle and goats for milk.  read more...


HERMAN VENEGAS
Naturalist Guide

Born on a small coffee farm in Tayutic, Turrialba, as a little boy, Herman spent his days outdoors. His mother says that as a child he was especially curious about nature.

His first opportunity to observe guiding was when he got a job at a well-known birding lodge close to his home town, Rancho Naturalista. Herman listened to guests and local guides talking about birds and quickly began to learn, after a short time he was the one identifying the species and sharing their story. read more...


HILTON KAYE
Vice President of the Board of Directors

Being the son of Costa Rica Expeditions founders', Hilton has been there from the beginning observing and learning from Michael and Yolanda about the great possibilities that can come from Legendary Service and Unforgettable Memories. Acting as liason between the Board of Directors, Special Projects, and the Leadership Team, he’s had plenty of experience and know-how to become a great addition to the creative and hardworking Costa Rica Expeditions' family. New York City has been his home for more than 25 years, making him love and accept new challenges and opportunities that arise. By helping to implement and adopt more teamwork, experience and communication, he is looking to provide great experiences, success and most importantly Legendary Service to our family, guests and friends. “Like my dad always said, “Vacation time is precious so “Dele Viaje” or Get on it”, he says. read more...


IRIS HIDALGO
Transfer Guide

Iris was born in the rural village of, Jicotea, in the region of Turrialba (the white water rafting region of Costa Rica) on April 3, 1991.

During her childhood and adolescence, she was always in contact with Nature, and living in a region where tourism is part of daily life. Due to this, in 2010 she began to study Ecological Tourism with the goal of becoming a Naturalist Guide. read more...


ISABEL GARBANZO
CEO & HR Officer
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Isabel joined Costa Rica Expeditions in 1988. She is the staff’s problem solver and everyone’s confidant. Isa has degree in Psychology. She applies her knowledge of theory with her innate people skills, much to the company’s benefit. read more...


IVAN SOTO
Ground Transport Coordinator

Ivan, 27, is from Moravia, outside San Jose. He has worked in tourism for three years, the first two-and-a-half at a local outfitter, concentrating in reservations, sales and operations. "I like being at the controls, making sure our customers tours, transfers and flights are executed perfectly," he says. "Also being part of a supportive and professional team is great." Ivan enjoys playing sports and listening to music when he is off. His birthday is Aug. 27, 1980. read more...


IVAN SOTO
Transportation & Transfer Guide Coordinator

Ivan was born in San José, on August 27, 1980. He grew up in the suburb of Moravia, where he continues living. He has two siblings, a sister and a brother.

Ivan loves soccer, rock music and driving his motorcycle.  In his free time, he practices mountain biking, running and CrossFit. He has participated in several races, including a marathon. read more...


JEANINA ALFARO

Jeanina, 25, was born outside San Jose, the oldest of five siblings. Put in charge of watching her younger brother and sisters (and often her cousins too), she grew into a leader, a guide and caretaker - exactly the skills needed to manage and organize groups. At Costa Rica Expeditions Jeanina is in charge of coordinating the various activities of some of our visiting groups, including rafting, hiking and diving. This year Jeanina graduated from the Univ. of Costa Rica with a degree in industrial engineering. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking Costa Rican dishes for friends and giving talks on the country’s natural history. Her birthday is Feb. 1, 1983. read more...


JOE BERNINI
Naturalist Guide

One of the most common questions Joe gets from guests is, with a name like “Bernini”, is he a Costa Rican? In his words he was made, born and raised in Costa Rica. His name comes from his Italian grandfather, who came to Costa Rica to work on the railroad to the Atlantic back in the 1800’s. Don Ruggero fell in love with a girl from Heredia, the Costa Rican province famous for its beautiful women. Joe belongs to the third generation of the Costa Rican Bernini family. read more...


JONATHAN RAMIREZ
Naturalist Guide

Born on May 8, 1981, Jonathan Ramirez was born on the Caribbean slope in the town of La Alegría of Siquirres. His childhood was spent in large part playing outdoors, swimming in rivers and stream and climbing fruit trees with his friends.

As a young boy Jonathan remembers watching his Dad´s buses with tourists pass through his town on their way to the attractions on the Caribbean slope (¨On 1990, we moved to San José¨) He started to dream about being a tour guide and showing guests the wildlife, forests and culture of his country. read more...


JORGE JARA AYUB

After various school and family visits to some of Costa Rica's protected areas, Jorge became interested in the environment in high school. He decided that he would pursue environmental studies on his own while learning English at Columbus State University in Georgia. Today Jorge is well versed in many areas of nature; he has done courses on ornithology, medicinal plants, sea turtles, general natural history and others. He is currently finishing his degree in Management and Protection of Natural Resources at Cost Rica's National State University. read more...


JOSE MARTINEZ

Jose, also known as "Macho," was born and raised in the small rural town of La Suiza, 30 mins. from Turrialba, the heart of river rafting county in Costa Rica. He went to a high school that focus on conservation of natural resources, which marked him for life with a deep respect for nature and wildlife, and a love of the outdoors. Jose began guiding river trips in Costa Rica several years ago and more recently in California for Mariah Wilderness Expeditions. read more...


JUAN JOSE SANCHEZ

Juan Jose, 24, was born in the mountainous province of Turrialba, near the same rivers on which he now leads rafting trips. Before coming to Costa Rica Expeditions he worked as the safety kayak for different rafting companies. His first job was on the river with his cousins, who were guides themselves.  read more...


JUDITH KIRKLAND
Sales Manager
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Jude, as we call her, started at CRE in 1990, for many years she was our Founder’s, Michael Kaye, right-hand and among her many tasks, she is in charge of the monumental process of assigning each request to our Travel Experts based on each guest’s expectations and what they wanted to do and see in Costa Rica. This is vital for the Sales Team hit sales targets and build a strong, long-lasting relation with our guests. By seeing and analyzing each of our guests’ inquiries, Jude gained a deep understanding of the sales process from several different perspectives. read more...


JULIAN FALLAS
Tortuga Lodge Manager

Julian came to CRE in Sept. 2006, after working at the Ministry of Education. Although he had no previous experience in tourism or hotel management, he quickly adapted to the job and the challenges of running a hotel in a remote area. “I was always interested in tourism and jumped at the opportunity to change careers when I saw an ad in the local newspaper for a job opening at Costa Rica Expeditions that didn’t require experience,” he recounts. read more...


KARLA QUIRóS
Travel Planning Assistant

Karla was born on November 19, 1991 in the city of Cartago. Karla’s father is an accountant and her mother a teacher.  Karla, has two brothers, the oldest is a pharmacist and the younger one studies art.   Everyone in her family studied at the University of Costa Rica. read more...


KATIA VALVERDE
Naturalist Guide

Katia was born on September 21st, 1970 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Her father and mother raised three kids: Katia, her sister and brother.

As a child her favorite subjects were science, history, and geography. Katia enjoyed practicing sports, and dreamed about learning foreign languages. read more...


KENYA MENDEZ
Corcovado Lodge Manager
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Kenya, 27, perfected her English in Burlington, Vermont, where she spent a year and a half in a student exchange program. After returning to Costa Rica she began studying biology and has nearly completed her degree at Costa Rica’s Latin University. She has been with Costa Rica Expeditions since Nov. 1998, when she started as a Transfer Guide and later moved up to Naturalist Guide. Recently Kenya took up the challenge of managing Corcovado Lodge & Tent Camp on the Osa Peninsula. Kenya has studied miniature orchids - particularly their insect pollination – as well as the ecology of the Tropical Dry Forest and worked extensively at Santa Rosa National Park with Dr. Daniel Janzen. She was a volunteer at the National Institute for Biodiversity at Maritza Station where she collected plants and insects that pollinate orchids in the Dry Tropical Forest environment. When she's not working, Kenya, born on Sept. 23, 1978, spends her time with her younger brother and sister, and is dedicated to poetry and painting. She also likes to hike and surf. read more...


KENYA MENDEZ

Kenya was born on September 23, 1978 in the port city of Puntarenas on the Pacific coast. Her mother Aida is from Puntarenas and her father Gerardo is from San Jose. Kenya grew up with her two brothers and sister in the town of Moravia. read more...


KENYA MENDEZ
Naturalist Guide

Kenya was born on September 23, 1978 in the port city of Puntarenas on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Her family moved to San Jose when she was a little girl and she grew up in the city with her two brothers and sister.

She first started working for Costa Rica Expeditions as a Transfer Guide in 2000. She was going to the University and wanted to help her parents pay for school. After working for a season as a Transfer Guide, she then went on to work in the Operations Department where she was in charge of coordinating services for guests. read more...


KEVYN CAMPOS
Lodge Reservations

Born in San Jose on May 19, 1990, Kevyn is from the City of Desamparados where he lives with his brother Byron, his mother, an auditor for the INAMU or the National Institute for Women, and his father works as a messenger in the sometimes chaotic city of San Jose. read more...


KRISTEL BADILLA
Special Projects

Kristel began as a Transfer Guide for Costa Rica Expeditions in 2014 this has been a great help when she moved to the office because it helped her acquire and develop knowledge only obtained by direct contact with our guests. read more...


LARRY MARIN
Naturalist Guide

Since 1994 Larry has guided and managed tours all over Europe, Northern Africa, Asia Minor, North and South America, the Caribbean Islands, and of course his native country, Costa Rica. He has a B.A. in Tourism from Central American Autonomous University in Costa Rica and is certified by the International Tour Management Institute in San Francisco. read more...


LEONARDO GARCIA
Naturalist Guide

Leonardo was born and raised in Alajuela which is a city that is located to the west of San Jose, Costa Rica. His father is a retired topographer and his mother, a retired teacher. They are originally from Alajuela or “Ciudad de los Mangos” (Mango City as it is known for the huge amount of mango trees located in the Central Park). Leonardo has chosen to remain there still since he loves the fact that even while being a big city, everybody knows everybody, which makes you feel you belong. read more...


LIGIA FERNANDEZ
Naturalist Guide

Ligia Fernandez started working for Costa Rica Expeditions as a Naturalist Guide in 1985 shortly after graduating Marine Biology at the Universidad Nacional.

After acquiring her MBA at the INCAE, she worked many years at a project for the European Union and the UICN at the Area de Conservacion Tortuguero.  read more...


LUIS TORRES

Luis was born and raised in Tortuguero, he is a second generation guide. His father, also named Luis Torres worked for Tortuga Lodge first as a gardener, then as a local guide and finally as a Naturalist Guide leading trips all over Costa Rica. read more...


LUIS CUBERO
Senior Travel Planner
[email protected]


Read Luis's Bio.


LUIS GAMBOA

Luis Gamboa, Born March 10th, 1981. Luis lives in San Jose and loves it. He formerly worked as a dealer in Casinos and put himself through The Central University where he earned his Bachelors? degree in Business Administration. Luis then worked for 6 years in the travel business in Costa Rica before joining our Operations Team in early 2010. Luis has full command of Spanish and English and when not at the office coordinating the timely and accurate delivery of services, he enjoys staying home, watching TV and spending time with his family and friends. Luis is married to Mrs. Mipsy Li and has one son, Luis Alejandro born in 2002. read more...


LUZ ELENA ALPIZAR
Guide Scheduling & Reservations Coordinator
[email protected]

Luz Elena has been with us since 1992. She is responsible for many things but, most importantly, for keeping track of every room reservation Costa Rica Expeditions makes. Her other role is to keep our guides in line: juggling their schedules, organizing jobs and often acting as surrogate mother. When she is not working, Luz Elena dedicates time to her son Alejandro, 11. She also enjoys swim class, running in the morning and decorating her house. read more...


MANFRED SANCHEZ
Transfer Guide

Manfred was born on April 13, 1991 in San Jose. His family moved to the province of Heredia when Manfred was still very young, and there lived his childhood and adolescence.

Manfred's father has worked most of his life in Tourism. When Manfred was a child, his father was a partner in a small bed and breakfast in Heredia. There, when guests wanted to tour the countryside, national parks or the beaches, his father used to take and guide them in the destinations they visited. He remembers seeing photos with his dad from all the places he visited with guests. Eventually, his father began to take him along with the guests on these excursions, something that developed in Manfred the love for nature and being outdoors. Due to this he decided to study the career of Eco Tourism. read more...


MARCELO BARRANTES
Lodge Reservations Supervisor

Marcelo joined the Costa Rica Expeditions family in 2017. He currently serves as Supervisor of the Reservations Department of Costa Rica Expeditions Hotels, Tortuga and Monteverde Lodge & Gardens.

Marcelo was born on February 12, 1988, in the province of Heredia, being the youngest of 4 brothers. His father worked as auditor of the Bank of Costa Rica where he retired in 2002. Her mother has always been a housewife, who taught her 4 sons to do all the housework, cooking, washing, cleaning, so that they could apply them in her future life. read more...


MARCIA CARRANZA

Marcia is a guide who goes by many different names. In Corcovado National Park she is “Oruguita” (inch-worm), after the way she climbs into the forest canopy, in Tortuguero National Park she is “Alumna” (schoolgirl) for her small stature, and at home with her brother and sisters she is “Pitín” (you’ll just have to ask her). read more...


MARGHERITA BOTTAZZI
Naturalist Guide

Margherita was born on February 21, 1963. Her father was and Italian Civil Engineer that arrived in Costa Rica on a trip that was given to him as a graduation gift. He fell in love with Central America and found work in construction. He later met Margherita’s mother, they had 5 children, four boys and Margherita which is the youngest.  read more...


MARIA DEL MAR MARIN
Assistant to the Director of Travel Planning
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While her lovely name means Maria from the sea, to us in the office she will always be “Mary”. Joining Costa Rica Expeditions in 2006, she has been an integral part of our mission in several different ways. She spent a year as an assistant, then a year helping manage reservations, before refocusing on Travel Planning in 2009. read more...


MARTHA THOMAS
Receptionist

Martha, who worked at Costa Rica Expeditions for 15 years from 1982 to 1998, recently returned to take up the position of receptionist. She will be handling the dozens of calls, solicitations and deliveries we receive daily in our downtown San Jose office. In the last several years Martha has worked in a restaurant and two local hotels. read more...


MAX VINDAS
Naturalist Guide

Max was born in the town of Ciudad Quesada in the north eastern lowlands of Costa Rica. His father worked the telegraph and radio at the local mail office. His mother was what in Costa Rica is known as an “ama de casa” and looked after the home. Max has two sisters. read more...


MICHAEL KAYE
President & CEO
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Born December 11, 1941, a river guide for many years, Michael was the first to run Costa Rica's white water rivers. Michael and his wife, Yolanda started Costa Rica Expeditions as a white water rafting company in the fall of 1978.  read more...


MIGUEL MARIN
Transfer Guide

Miguel was born Nov. 15, 1966, and has guided for nearly three decades, 25 of them with Costa Rica Expeditions. He discovered guiding after a false career start in business administration, which he studied for 2-1/2 years. read more...


NADYA SHAW
Senior Travel Planner
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NATALIE EWING
Chief Marketing and Guest Satisfaction Officer
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After 13 years as chief operating officer Natalie has stepped back to become Chief Marketing and Guest Satisfaction Officer.

She is in charge of communicating the companies vision of creating unique travel experiences that transcend conventional travel, and then following up to make sure that what we say and what we do coincide. Since she began working at CRE in 1986, Natalie has managed most of the company's departments before becoming COO. This makes her uniquely qualified for her present position.  read more...


NICOLE RODRIGUEZ
Naturalist Guide

Nicole Rodriguez, was born on July 15, 1993, she says that her of the Zodiac, Cancer says that these people are very peaceful and usually in tune with nature. Nicole thinks this might explain her passion for everything that is done outdoors and mother nature.  read more...


NICOLE RODRIGUEZ
Naturalist Guide

Nicole Rodriguez, was born on July 15, 1993, she says that her of the Zodiac, Cancer says that these people are very peaceful and usually in tune with nature. Nicole thinks this might explain her passion for everything that is done outdoors and mother nature.  read more...


NORTON SINCLAIR

Norton, better known as “Putut,” was born on March 10, 1964, in Rio Maíz, Nicaragua, and is one of nine siblings. He began working for Costa Rica Expeditions in 2005, and since then has gained his coworker’s and guest’s affection because of his good humor and sweet character.  read more...


OMAR MURILLO
Ground Transport Coordinator
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Omar has worked as a Naturalist Guide for Costa Rica Expeditions for many years, but recently decided to give up the vagabond lifestyle of a guide for the very detailed-oriented transport programmer job in the company's Operations Department. “I’m looking forward to learning about the bigger picture of the company,” he says. “Coordinating a trip-of-a-lifetime requires careful orchestration of not only transport and lodging, but a whole chain of services.” read more...


ONIK MORRISON
Naturalist Guide

Born in San José on November 21, 1982, her father is from the US and her mother is Costa Rican. Onik has an older brother Ry, an architect and rock climber living in Sweden. Her younger brother, Rony, lives in North Carolina and is studying to become a chef. read more...


PABLO RICHARD
Naturalist Guide

Pablo was born on September 14, 1976 in the outskirts of Paris, France. His parents are Chilean but had moved to Paris to get their doctorates at La Sorbonne University. read more...


PRISCILLA JIMENEZ
Senior Travel Planner
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PRISCILLA MONTERO
Naturalist Guide

Born in San Jose on October 30th, 1982, Priscilla’s mother is from a tiny town near the city of Puriscal, an area mostly dedicated to farming. She came to San Jose to find work and learn to be a beautician. Her father, from the city of Palmares, also came to San Jose looking for work. A New Year’s tradition that is almost lost in Costa Rica, brought her parents together. Families take tables and chairs out to the street and share food, drink and resolutions while they count down to the New Year together. It was on one of those nights that her parents met. read more...


RAFAEL ROBLES
Naturalist Guide

Rafa was born and raised in Costa Rica; his love for nature and outdoor activities began as a child, when he accompanied his father to the far corners of Costa Rica.

His father worked with a government organization which offered incentives to rural communities for developing land. Rafa remembers traveling on the narrow gauge train to Limon and entering the most remote jungles and beaches of Costa Rica by 4x4 jeep or on horseback. Family vacations also contributed to his passion for the outdoors. He tells of camping on deserted beaches for two weeks without ever seeing another group of travelers. read more...


RICARDO DAVIS

Ricardo, known as "Caro" in Tortuguero, was born on October 13, 1959, in Limon Province. He is one of five siblings. Before coming to Costa Rica Expeditions in 2004, Ricardo worked 14 years as a pile loader operator for Plywood Costa Rica in the town of Moin. After that, he started doing boat transfers between Moin and Tortuguero. Watching the local guides with their guests on Tortuguero’s creeks, led him to consider guiding as a profession. Ricardo improved his English and began guiding before coming to Costa Rica Expeditions. Ricardo enjoys talking to visitors and takes special pride in pleasing the guests on his tours by spotting hard-to-find wildife and getting them close enough for a good picture. In his spare time he enjoys playing soccer and playing “Caribbean” dominoes. read more...


RICARDO "ROBALO" JIMENEZ
Operations, Procurement & Costa Rica White Water Manager
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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. read more...


RONNY CéSPEDES
Lodge Reservations Coordinator

Ronny grew up in the town of Escazú, where he helped his parents in their bakery. Ronny has one brother and one sister.

Like many Costa Rican children, Ronny dreamed of becoming a soccer player, but his yearn to travel led him to study Tourism Administration. In 2002, He obtained his diploma in Tourism Administration at the Cartago Community College. He then moved to Canada to continue studying English as a second language. read more...


ROY VALVERDE
Naturalist Guide

Born in the city of San Ramon de Alajuela on October 19, 1987, Roy grew up in one of the provinces of Costa Rica that is best known for its poets and fertile soils. This is the region where some of Costa Rica’s best coffee is grown.

He grew up with his mother and his older sister. His mother was a school teacher and his sister studied English at the University of Costa Rica. read more...


RUFILIO NUñEZ

Rufilio, or "Fillo" as everyone knows him, came to Costa Rica Expeditions in late 2003 with more than a decade of guiding experience. He is particularly interested in the plant life of the rainforest. Rufilio, 46, once worked in fishing and, for many years, in hotels. He is from Puerto Jimenez, Puntarenas, and has two children, William and Yessica. His birthday is April 23, 1962. read more...


SAMUEL ARGUEDAS

Born in the port city of Puntarenas on September 25, 1968, Samuel grew up in the Monteverde region. He is the last of 14 brothers and sisters.

Samuels is a descendant of one of the oldest Monteverde Families. His father, Don Felipe, was a farmer and grew beans and vegetables and then he sold them to a Chinese Restaurant in the Las Juntas de Abangares. At that time, the trip from Monteverde to Las Juntas took 3 days.

Samuel’s mother, Doña Adelaida, stayed at home and took care of the family, cooking, washing, milking their 3 cows, making sour cream and cheese and cleaning. She did this with the help of his sisters. Sometimes, Don Felipe took longer than expected returning to Monteverde after selling their produce and Doña Adelaida would have to hunt for food. The Paca was the favorite animal to hunt because of its soft and tasty meat.

When Samuel was growing up it was unusual for kids to go to school given the need for hands in the field. In spite of this, Samuel completed 9th grade in high school which is a testament to his and his parent’s dedication.

As a child, Samuel wanted to be a Traffic Officer but today he says he’s really grateful that his dream never came true. In 1991 he did a field course with the Monteverde Reserve and fell in love with conservation. Today, Samuel has 18 years of experience in the field dedicating his days and nights to exploring the Santa Elena and Monteverde Reserves with guests, he believes that the outdoors is the best class room of all.

When he’s not setting up the spotting scope for guests or calling a tiny bird out of the forest by imitating its call, Samuel enjoys spending time with his wife, Yorleny and his kids Jeffrey, Angelica and Anthony.  read more...


SELENA SOLIS
Senior Travel Planner
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SILVIA RANKIN
Assistant Manager, Tortuga Lodge

Born on September 28th, 1975, Silvia was born and raised in the region of Tortuguro. Before coming to work for Tortuga Lodge in December of 2009, Silvia had always heard good things about Tortuga Lodge. She tells us that she set a goal of coming to work for us one day. After many years working at a different lodge her dream came true and we are extremely lucky to have her extraordinary smile greet our guests every morning. Our dream came true too!  read more...


SOFIA CORDERO
Travel Planner
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Born December 20, 1979, Sofía was raised in Heredia, Costa Rica. From the ages of 6 to 10 she lived in England, which accounts for her very good command of the English language. Both her love for nature and her country, comes from memories of her childhood when her parents took her to the many of the National Parks of Costa Rica.These trips were a major factor in her decision to study Biology at the University of Costa Rica. read more...


SOFIA CORDERO
Senior Travel Planner
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STEPHANIE JOSEPH
Service Guide

Born in the province of Heredia on August 17th, 1985, Stephanie’s father was a sociologist and her mother was a full time mom.

When she was a little girl Stephanie wanted to be a vet, she loved animals in general but especially dogs. After graduating from high school, she trained to become a guide and in the process of visiting Costa Rica’s parks and reserves became even more convinced that she wanted to spend as much time as possible outdoors, surrounded Costa Rica’s forests. She went on to get a degree in Tropical Biology from the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA) and is currently finishing her Masters at the University of Costa Rica in Ecotourism and Environmental Management from the University of Costa Rica (UCR). read more...


URBANO QUESADA

Urbano, 61, has guided for Corcovado Lodge since it opened and has many years of experience with horses and rural living on the Osa Peninsula. His sharp eyes find crocodiles, macaw feathers and more as he leads horseback trips along the beautiful coastline of the southern Pacific coast to the Río Oro Lagoon. read more...


VALENTIN CORRAL
General Manager, CRE Lodges
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Chef Valentin is from Valencia, Spain, and came to Costa Rica Expeditions in 2005 with nearly 20 years cooking experience in his native country and France. His talent in the kitchen, however, doesn't stop at the dining room door. In the last couple of years he has revolutionized the menus at all three of our lodges, managed inventory and staff, streamlined the supply chain, and made other general improvements – outside the kitchen - at each of our lodges. read more...


VICTOR JULIO MORA
Manager, Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

We are delighted to have Victor Julio back as Manager of Monteverde Lodge after a 3 year absence. We have a long history of service with Victor Julio; he started working at the lodge almost 20 years ago. read more...


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WALTER CENTENO

“I really enjoy meeting people from different places with different customs and being on the river with the other guides,” says Walter, 21, about his job as a Costa Rica Expeditions guide. He started out kayaking on weekends and after school and then looked for a job on the river after graduating from high school. Walter, known as Pate, was born on Nov. 15, 1985. He has emergency first aid training is now studying at the Colegio Tecnica Profesional La Suiza in Turrialba. When he’s not guiding or studying, he volunteers with the Red Cross. He enjoys listening to music or watching TV, and honing his kayak freestyle skills. read more...


WILLIAM GRANADOS
Naturalist Guide

Born in San Ramon de Alajuela, William’s mother was a nurse and his father worked for MOPT, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation. He is the youngest of 8 children.

He grew up in San Ramon, known for it’s coffee. During the summer William worked with his brothers picking coffee and then at the coffee drying and processing mills. Weekends were dedicated to family, they got together for the customary lunch, fun and games then coffee. It was working in the coffee plantations that William first began to develop his love of the outdoors and its wildlife. read more...


WILLIS RANKIN

Tortuga Lodge got hold of Willis in September of 2014, after he’d been guiding for another hotel. But as a Rankin, his pedigree in Tortuguero reaches way back. Willis’s great grandfather was a British captain, whose ship ranked amongst those frequenting the coast to fish and trade in turtle meat. He first arrived in Tortuguero in 1920, making him part of the second family to do so. read more...


YESENIA MORA
Director of Travel Planning
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YOLANDA KAYE
President Board of Directors

Yolanda Amaya Kaye, born in rural El Salvador, is Costa Rica Expeditions' Co-Founder and widow to Michael Kaye, the father of eco-tourism in Costa Rica and our founder. Doña Yoly, as we all affectionately call her, is truly the great woman who was not only behind a great man, but continues to be behind our great organization. Her wise words, observations, smile and willingness to listen to our close knit family alike has provided many of us with a sound "put your feet on the ground, focus and love life" perspective. read more...


YORLENY JIMENEZ
Senior Travel Planner
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