The world of nature delivers unforgettable eco-experiences for travelers and photographers alike who are looking for something different that can both entertain and educate. From jaw-dropping waterfalls to volcanic excursions, getting in touch with nature on your next tropical vacation can be a whole lot of fun. To help you get started, we want to share with you our TOP FIVE unforgettable excursions that you may want to put into your bucket list.

Los Haitises National Park – Samana, DR

Los Haitises National Park is a national park located on the remote northeast coast of the Dominican Republic, close to Samana. This park also nurtures one of the DR’s few remaining rainforests, once used as a filming location for the feature film Jurassic Park. You can explore this park by boat from Samaná. The boat takes you right to the park where you can hike through the rainforest and view the flora & fauna up close. Alternatively, you can kayak along its lush mangrove system. The caves are fabulous there, shaped by limestone rocks developed by the remains of marine corals and other organisms. It looks like something from another world. These photos were primarily taken with a 11-24 mm lens.

Arikok National Wildlife Park – Aruba

Comprising almost 18 percent of the island of Aruba, Arikok National Park has an amazing selection of flora and fauna, and cool looking caves. Two of Aruba’s most exciting sites are the Quadirikiri and Fontein caves. The caves have colorful stalactites, rock formations hanging down from the ceiling, and stalagmites building up from the ground. The Fontein Cave is the most popular of the caves as it is the only one that has the drawings of Arawak Indians on the ceilings, providing a real sense of island history. The Quadirikiri Cave is famous for its two chambers, illuminated by the sunlight streaming through holes in the roof of the cave. These photos were taken primarily with a 16-35mm lens.

Dunn’s River Falls – Jamaica

No visit to Jamaica is complete without a trip to the magnificent Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios. At about 180 feet high and 600 feet long, the waterfalls are terraced like giant natural stairs leading you up to the top of the falls. Climb up the falls and enjoy spectacular views from the top or take a refreshing dip in one of the natural pools along the climb. The falls are a perfect place for adventurers with its rushing cascades that empty itself into the warm Caribbean waters. For this adventure I took along my Canon D30 underwater camera.

Arenal Volcano – Costa Rica

Costa Rica is truly a photographer’s dream come true, whether it is the beaches, volcanoes, rivers, jungles or the exotic flora & fauna, Costa Rica has it all with some of the friendliest people we have ever met. We made sure we took time aside to visit the famous Arenal Volcano. This volcano is an active volcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José and it measures at least 5,357 ft. high. This well-known volcano is surrounded by the Arenal Volcano National Park and Lake Arenal. We photographed the volcano, the 2-toed sloths, frogs, alligators, birds, jaguars and chased down a family of howler monkeys eating breakfast under the rainforest canopy. Most of the
photos were taken with a 100mm Marco, 24-105mm, 70-200mm and 16-35mm lens.

Xcaret Eco-Park – Mexico

Xcaret is a must-see destination while visiting Cancun and Riviera Maya. Although it is a bit of a themed amusement park, it is unlike any other because of its natural wonders. The remains of the Ancient Maya civilization can still be seen within Xcaret’s more than 80 hectares of land. Some of the activities include quiet jungle trails, an underground river, caverns, diverse wildlife, Coral Reef Aquarium teeming with colorful fish, an Orchid Greenhouse, and a Butterfly farm. There are activities for every interest and age group at Xcaret; whether you want to swim through a Mayan cenote, zipline high across the jungle, Snuba with the family or swim with exotic marine species (including stingrays). Lots of photo opportunities abound. For this adventure I took along my Canon D30 water camera and iPhone.

We hope our Eco-Adventure trips will help fill your travel bucket list!

Happy Shooting!

About the Author

Peter Dulis is a Canadian photographer and visual storyteller living in Toronto, Ontario. His work has been published in several magazines such as Graphic Arts Magazine, Visual Wilderness, Luminous Landscape, Photo News and has been recognized for photography excellence.

Peter shares many of his tips and techniques in his monthly newsletter – PhotographyAdventures.ca

4 thoughts on “<strong>Six Unforgettable Eco-Adventures in the Caribbean</strong>”

  3. Antoine

    Bonjour Mr Dulis, Je suis toujours impressionné par vos photos, elles sont magnifiques, et elles donnent une forte envie de voyager.
    merci de nous les faire partager. un admirateur : Antoine.

    Reply

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