Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Las Baulas National Marine Park
Encompassing more than 1,000 acres of beach, mangrove swamps, and estuary, and more than 54,000 acres of ocean, this wide expanse of sand and sea will make you feel small, in the best way possible. Baula is the Spanish word for leatherback sea turtles, who have been nesting here for thousands of years. While their numbers continue to decline, guides still lead night hikes here between October and May to see leatherback and olive ridley sea turtles lay their eggs. You can also spot scores of native birds like brown-footed boobies and pelicans, kayak through the mangroves and estuary, or learn to surf on some of the best waves in the country. There are no hotels or restaurants on the beach thanks to government regulation preventing development, but there is a taco stand and a ranger station open from 8 am to 4 pm at the entrance to the beach. Be sure to bring water and sunscreen, and your own shade. The park closes to the public at 6 pm and 5 pm during turtle nesting season.
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2. Nesting Giant Leatherback Turtles
Playa Grande used to host the world's largest visitation of nesting giant leatherback turtles, but the number of turtles has fallen drastically in the past 20 years, from a high of 1,504 in 1989 to less than 40 currently. This loss is due to long-line commercial fishing boats that trap turtles in their nets, causing the turtles to drown, along with poaching of turtle eggs and loss of habitat. The beach is still strictly off-limits 6 pm to 6 am from October 20 to February 15, during the peak nesting season. You can visit only as part of a guided tour with a park ranger, from the headquarters for Las Baulas National Marine Park, 100 meters (328 feet) east of Hotel Las Tortugas. If you are lucky, spotters will find a nesting turtle. At their signal, you'll walk down the beach as silently as you can, where in the darkness you'll witness the remarkable sight of a 500-pound creature digging a hole in the sand large enough to deposit up to 100 golf-ball-size eggs. About 60 days later, the sight of hundreds of hatchlings scrambling toward open water in the early morning is equally impressive. Turtle-watching takes place around high tide, which can be shortly after sunset, or in the early morning. Plan on spending one to six hours at the ranger station waiting for a turtle to come up, during which you can watch a video on the turtles in English (the guides speak mostly Spanish). You are charged only if a turtle sighting is confirmed. Visitation is limited to 60 people per night (in groups of 15 max) and unregistered visitors are not allowed. Reservations should be made one week in advance either by phone or at Las Baulas National Park headquarters at Playa Grande.
Playa Grande, Guanacaste, Costa Rica2653–0470Sight Details
Rate Includes: $25, only if turtle is spotted, includes guided tour -
3. Playa Grande
In addition to being a paradise for surfers and sunbathers, the narrow woodsy patch that lines this wide, pristine Blue Flag beach holds howler monkeys and an array of birds, and the mangrove estuary on the north end of the beach has crocodiles. Because it's a protected area, the beach is unspoiled by buildings and natural beauty abounds. There is not a lot of shade. Be aware that the surf is a little heavy for safe swimming, and there's an abundance of mosquitoes during the rainy months, especially near the estuary, so bring plenty of repellent. The beach's shores and waters are part of Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas. Admission is free during daylight hours but off-limits at night during the turtle-nesting season (October 20 to February 15), when tourists come on guided turtle tours, hoping to catch the increasingly rare sight of a leatherback turtle building a nest and depositing eggs. The beach gained protected status in part because a surfer who arrived here more than 30 years ago was so upset by the widespread turtle-egg poaching that he adopted a conservationist's agenda. Louis Wilson, owner of Las Tortugas Hotel, spearheaded a campaign to protect the nesting baulas (leatherback turtles) that eventually resulted in the creation of the national park. When walking on the beach, be sure to avoid the dry sand above the high tide line where turtles lay their eggs. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: surfing; walking.
Playa Grande, Guanacaste, Costa Rica -
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