Chief Adventurer, Travel Guru, and Master Planner at Capture the Atlas
Hello! I’m Ascen, the person behind the travel articles you’ll find on Capture the Atlas.
Since I was a little girl in Almería, Spain, the stunning beaches of my hometown sparked my desire to explore the wonders of our planet. I’ve always had an innate curiosity for what lay beyond the horizon, which led me to travel around the world and share my experiences online as soon as I got my first job. Today, ten years later, I’m still traveling, but this time, I’m accompanied by many readers who trust my guides and use them to plan their own trips.
Besides traveling, there’s nothing I like more than helping others plan their trips through my experiences. I’m very organized, and although I also like to improvise, I know that good planning and logistics are key to making the most of every second of our vacations. That’s my mission with this blog: to guide you step-by-step in organizing your next great adventure.
Whether I’m observing wildlife, capturing stunning landscapes, or exploring big cities, I always have my camera with me. My passion for photography, fueled by my adventure partner, Dan Zafra, has turned this hobby into my way of life. Today, in addition to writing travel guides, I also organize and lead photography tours, helping travelers from all over the world capture the essence of each destination.
Thanks to this combination of travel and photography, I can offer a unique perspective in each of my guides and tours, ensuring that each experience is unforgettable, whether you travel with Capture the Atlas or on your own.
My story
What if I told you that Capture the Atlas wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t studied industrial engineering?
Although I had gone to camps, taken a few trips around Europe, and traveled around Spain with my parents as a child, it was when I finished my degree and got my first job that I could start traveling with a real purpose.
During my first year as an engineer, I saved up to take a month-long trip around Europe by train, and the following year, I explored Southeast Asia for six weeks. However, the real adventure began in 2016, when I was offered a visa to work in the United States. Since I had to wait nine months for my appointment at the embassy, I took advantage of that time to travel around Sicily, Cuba, and the Canary Islands, leading to the creation of my first travel blog, Atlas de una Amazona.
Eventually, my visa came through, and I moved to Philadelphia, where I began exploring the United States: constant getaways to New York, trips along the West Coast, national parks, the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas… The travel guides I published began to gain readers, partly thanks to Dan’s incredible photos that accompanied them. That’s when we decided to join forces in 2017 and co-found Capture the Atlas, a bilingual blog (English & Spanish) that combined my passion for planning trips around the world with Dan’s passion for capturing the wonders of the planet.
Dan also began writing about photography, which sparked my interest in this art. That same year, I bought my first camera and soon found myself capturing the Northern Lights in Norway, landscapes in the Canadian Rockies, and the Milky Way in the deserts of the Wild West.
As the blog grew, many travelers asked us if we would be willing to organize trips where we taught photography, and in 2019, we launched our first photography tour to Iceland.
Although the pandemic interrupted our plans in 2020, the demand in 2021 was so high that Dan left his corporate job, and at the end of 2022, I made the decision to dedicate myself full-time to documenting our travels, creating detailed guides for other travelers, and organizing and leading photography trips.
It was a difficult decision since a year earlier; I had been offered a great position in California as a Vice President at an industrial machinery company. However, the truth is that this job did not align with my life purpose: helping other travelers live unforgettable adventures.
Travel resume
I have explored a vast number of destinations in depth and can offer you an authentic and practical perspective based on my firsthand knowledge. At Capture the Atlas, all of my tips are backed by my own personal experience, which is why I only write travel guides for destinations I know well:
In 2017, I moved to the United States, and since then, I have been exploring its great cities and incredible national parks. These are some of the destinations I know best:
- Las Vegas, Nevada: We currently live in Las Vegas and know the city like the back of our hand, as well as the surrounding areas: Area 51, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Mojave Desert, and Death Valley National Park, which is two hours away and is one of our most popular photography tours.)
- Grand Canyon: We were already in love with the Grand Canyon before we moved to Las Vegas, but now that it’s two hours from home, we go every chance we get.
- Philadelphia: We lived in Philadelphia for 6 years, from 2016 to 2022, so we know the city and the state of Pennsylvania inside and out.
- New York: We visited the city and state of New York countless times when we lived in Philly, as it’s less than two hours away.
- New Jersey: We also took advantage of our years living on the East Coast to explore this state and its beaches, especially in the summer.
- Washington DC: We visited DC over 10 times while living in Philadelphia, as it’s only two hours away.
- Acadia National Park: 2018, 2019 (We found the darkest skies on the East Coast here, so we started organizing astrophotography tours in Maine’s beautiful national park).
- San Francisco: After visiting the city several times, we moved to San Francisco in 2023 and lived there for a year.
- Yosemite National Park: The year we lived in California, we visited this national park many times, in all seasons of the year.
- Alaska: We traveled to Alaska in 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023, spending a total of 1 month and 2 weeks, including two trips to photograph bears in Alaska and two 1-week trips to see the Northern Lights in Fairbanks.
- Arizona: Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend (2017, 2020, 2022 – 2 weeks), and Monument Valley (2017, 2022, 2023 – 2 weeks, including an astrophotography tour).
- Utah: Salt Lake City (2021, 2022 – 10 days), Bryce Canyon National Park (2017, 2020, 2022 – 3 weeks), Zion National Park (2017, 2020, 2022, 2023 – 3 weeks), and Arches National Park and Canyonland National Park (2021, 2022, 2023 – 4 weeks, including two Utah photography trips).
- Hawaii: Maui (2021 – 1 week), Kauai (2021 – 1 week), Big Island (2024 – 2 weeks), and Oahu (2024 – 1 week).
- Other U.S. cities: Los Angeles, California (2019, 2024 – 15 days); Seattle, Washington (2020 – 1 week); Portland, Oregon (2020 – 1 week); New Orleans, Louisiana (2019, 2022 – 2 weeks); Houston, Texas (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 – 8 weeks); Chicago, Illinois (2017 – 1 week).
Also, since we’ve been living in the United States, we’ve taken advantage of every opportunity we’ve had to explore the neighboring country. These are the places in Canada that I know and write about on Capture the Atlas:
- Niagara Falls, Canada and the USA: 2019, 2022 (10 days)
- Canadian Rockies: Banff, Jasper and Yoho: 2017 (3 weeks and my first time seeing the Northern Lights)
- Vancouver: 2017, 2028 (10 days)
- Toronto: 2017 (1 week)
- Quebec: 2017 (1 week)
- Yellowknife: 2022 (1 week)
Although I no longer live here, Spain is my first home, and I love my country. Honestly, I don’t think there is any tourist destination quite like it. Dreamy beaches, gastronomy, big cities, culture and history… There are countless places I know and an even larger number of corners that I want to visit one day. For now, I hope that my first-hand experience will help you organize an unforgettable trip to these destinations:
- Madrid: I studied and lived in Madrid from 2008 to 2016. I still spend two or three weeks a year in the capital since Dan’s family lives here.
- Canary Islands: The first time I went to the Canary Islands was when I was 7 or 8 years old, and I’ve returned many times for family vacations. I have visited all the islands, but these are the 3 that I have traveled to the most in recent years:
- Barcelona: My mother’s whole family is from Barcelona, so we went there a couple of times a year. Although, curiously, the time I did the most “touring” in Barcelona was when I introduced Dan to the city in 2023.
- Other cities and regions in Spain that I know and where I can help you prepare your trips: Granada, Jaén, Seville, Cádiz, Huelva, Málaga, Córdoba, Murcia, Alicante, Valencia, Castellón, Tarragona, Albacete, Cuenca, Toledo, Segovia, Ávila, Salamanca, Cáceres, Badajoz, Asturias, A Coruña, Pontevedra, Bilbao, San Sebastián, La Rioja…
By the way, you won’t find information about Almería on the website because I refuse to spoil the secrets of my land to the world. However, if you send me a message, I’ll happily help you prepare for your trip, but only if you keep my secret!
Although I had already made weekend getaways around Europe and lived in London for 3 months, I really got the taste for traveling around the “Old Continent” after doing a 6-week Eurail ride in 2015, where I visited many European capitals. Of course, in recent years, I usually prefer to travel to remote regions near the North Pole in search of the “Lady in Green,” but I know and can help you prepare trips to all these European destinations:
- Iceland: We’ve been traveling to the Land of Fire and Ice almost every year since 2018. We do both Northern Lights tours to Iceland and Midnight Sun photo tours.
- Norway: Since 2017, we also travel to Tromso and Lofoten almost every year, as we organize tours to swim with orcas in Tromso and tours to photograph the Northern Lights in Lofoten.
- Finlandia: 2018, 2024 (Finnish Lapland is another one of our most popular photography tours, as you can see the Northern Lights in Finland quite easily).
- Sweden: 2020 – 1 week (another unique place to see the Northern Lights).
- Sicily, Italy: 2016 – 10 days. This was the first trip that Dan and I took together, so it will always be a special destination for us.
- Lisboa, Portugal: 2010 and 2015 – 15 days.
- London, UK: I worked for 3 months at a Costa Coffee in central London in the summer of 2011. It was my first time “living” abroad, and it helped me overcome my fear of speaking English. I had already visited the city in 2010 and returned in 2016.
- Other European countries that I know and for which I can help you prepare a trip: France (Paris), Germany (Munich, Cologne, Berlin and Hanover), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), Belgium (Bruges, Ghent and Brussels), Austria (Vienna and Salzburg), Poland (Krakow), Czech Republic (Prague), Ireland (Dublin), Hungary (Budapest), Slovakia (Bratislava), Switzerland (Zurich) and Andorra.
The Asian continent has always caught my attention both for the variety of its cultures and for its different cuisines. Each country I have visited is unique, but I have always found the same common point in Asia – the kindness of its people, who welcome visitors with open arms so you always feel at home.
- Indonesia: 2016 and 2019. 3 weeks in Bali and another 3 in other destinations in the country, including seeing orangutans in Sumatra and the temples of Yogyakarta.
- Malaysia: 2016. 1 week in Kuala Lumpur and another in George Town, Penang and other areas of the country.
- Singapore: 2016. 1 week.
- Japan: 2022. 3 weeks.
When I was working as an engineer in the United States, I had to travel to Latin America quite often since I was responsible for the Americas region for my company. This allowed me to explore several countries on this continent. However, the longest time I have spent in Latin America was in 2023, when we traveled for almost 8 consecutive months from one country to another.
- Costa Rica: 2019 and 2022. 5 weeks.
- Panama: 2019. 1 week in Bocas del Toro.
- Cuba: 2016. 4 weeks.
- Argentina: 2023. 3 weeks. One of the most popular tours we organize every year is to Chilean and Argentine Patagonia.
- Chile: 2018, 2019, 2023. 3 weeks. In addition to visiting the country during the Patagonia tour, we visit it during our photography trips to San Pedro de Atacama and the Bolivian Altiplano every year.
- Bolivia: 2023. We only include the Salar de Uyuni in our photography tours, but we have also visited the Sajama National Park and other amazing places in this country.
- Peru: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023. Although we only organize photography tours to the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash, Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Manu National Park are other places I know.
- Colombia: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022. 8 weeks, including trips to Bogotá, Medellín and Cali.
- Ecuador: 2023 (4 weeks diving in the Galapagos Islands: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela, Bartolome, Santa Fe, Española, Floreana, Pinzon, and Seymour.
- México: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021. 5 weeks, including Mexico City and Yucatan Peninsula: Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Holbox, Tulum, and Chichen Itza.
- Brazil: 2018, 2019. 3 weeks.
- Dominican Republic: 2015. 10 days)
- Australia: 2023. 1 week in Sydney, 1 week in Melbourne and the Ocean Road, 1 week in Tasmania, and 1 week in Mungo National Park and the New South Wales Outback, where we host an astrophotography tour in Australia.
- New Zealand: 2023. 1 week in the North Island and 3 weeks in the South Island.
- French Polynesia: 2024. 1 month honeymoon in Tahiti, Fakarava, Rangiroa, Tikehau, Bora Bora, Huahine, and Maupiti.
- Russia: 2018. 2 weeks in Kamchatka.
- Morocco: 2014. 2 weeks.
- Egypt: 2013. 1 week.
- Turkey: 2013. 1 week.
Travel photography
Photography is an essential part of my travels. I love capturing each destination from a unique perspective and sharing my passion by teaching others how to use the camera in manual mode for the first time. Seeing how a world of possibilities opens up for those who are starting out in photography is what fills me the most during these tours.
On a personal level, what I enjoy the most is wildlife photography. Capturing animals in their natural environment is a unique experience, where patience and knowledge of the behavior of each species play a crucial role.
Another of my great passions is Northern Lights photography. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of being under a sky covered by the dancing Green Lady. Documenting this fleeting and ethereal phenomenon requires technique and dedication, but the result is always worth it.
I also specialize in landscape photography, where I try to capture all the remote settings that my travels have taken me to, as well as in astrophotography, using advanced techniques such as the use of star trackers to extract all the details of the Milky Way.
Media I've been featured in
Over the years, we’ve received recognition in various national and international media outlets, as well as in travel and photography magazines. Here are some of our highlights:
- Selected as one of the 10 Best Spanish Travel Blogs of 2024 by elmejorblogdeviajes.com
- Included among the 7 Best Travel Blogs (2024) by misegurook.com
- Named in the Top 5 Best Entertainment Blogs of 2024 by blogdemoda.es
- Winners of the Travel Category at the @Regiondigital.com (2022)
Prominent Media Features: Our work has garnered attention from some of the most respected outlets in the industry such as National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, Forbes, BBC, The Sun, Fox 5 San Diego, Sky News, and MSN.
Specialized Travel & Photography Platforms: We have been mentioned in prestigious travel magazines and specialized photography media such as Frommer’s, Intriper, Digital Photography Review, PetaPixel, Digital Camera World, 121 Clicks, and Australian Photography.
Other international Media Recognition: Our content has reached a global audience through various international media such as MyModernMet, BoredPanda, Business Insider, Vice, Medium, New Scientist, New Atlas, Atlas Obscura, Popular Science, Live Science, Gizmodo, Colossal, EarthSky, Nature, DeMilked, El País, El Mundo, ABC, La Vanguardia and Heraldo.
