Max Vindas

Known for his passion for nature and dedication to conservation and ecotourism, Max Vindas has been guiding natural history trips in Costa Rica since 1993. On his first trip to the rainforest at age eight, Max realized his love for the outdoors and wildlife observation. Since then, he spends as much time as he can in the forest, sharing his knowledge with visitors to his country.

Max studied microbiology and later agro/ecotourism at the University of Costa Rica. During his years as a student, Max helped develop ecotourism projects near Arenal Volcano and on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Max organizes guide-training workshops for local tour outfitters and was recently hired by the Inter-American Development Bank in Brazil to help develop national parks for the country’s emerging ecotourism industry. These experiences, as well as his passion for birdlife and tropical rainforest ecosystems make him one of our most knowledgeable guides in regional conservation and sustainable development.

Born to a farming family in the small town of Ciudad Quesada, Max says his work today may help begin to reverse the damage clear cutting has made on his country’s wilderness and soil. This belief provides him with a constant drive to share his passion for nature with visitors to his country. "My job is focused on bird watching and environmental interpretation," he says. "So every time I feel the stress of living in the city, I just go to work."