Rooted in Costa Rica.
Built from experience.

The origin of Tayra

It started close to home.
This is Israel’s story.

Israel grew up in a rural community in northeastern Costa Rica, where forests, farms, and rivers were part of everyday life. His work at a biological station later brought him into contact with researchers, professors, and students from other countries. That experience showed him that Costa Rica could be more than a place people visited: it could be a living classroom, and local people could play an important role in what visitors learned.

In 2008, he founded Tayra Educational Expeditions as a family-owned company. At the beginning, much of the work was practical: transportation, lodging, meals, field access, and solving the unexpected problems that are part of travel. But Israel wanted Tayra to offer something more personal—trips built around real learning, genuine connections, and respect for the places and people hosting each group.

Today, Tayra works with universities, student groups, researchers, eco-travelers, and volunteers across Costa Rica and Panama. Israel and his team remain closely involved in every program, from the first conversation through the final day in the field. That personal involvement matters because guests are trusting Tayra with their students, their research, and their time.

Israel continues this work because he has seen what a meaningful field experience can do. It can help a student choose a career, give a professor the local support to teach or conduct research well, create income for local families, and strengthen conservation work. For him, Tayra is not only a travel company; it is a way to connect education, opportunity, and conservation in the part of the world he calls home.