Tortuguero and the Caribbean Coast
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Tortuguero and the Caribbean Coast - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Tortuguero National Park
There is no better place in Costa Rica to observe sea turtles nesting, hatching, and scurrying to the ocean. The July–October nesting season for the green turtle is Tortuguero's most popular time to visit. Toss in the hawksbill, loggerhead, and leatherback—the three other species of sea turtle that nest here, although to a lesser extent—and you expand the season from February through October. Hatching takes place September to December. You can undertake night tours only with an authorized guide, who will be the only person in your party with a light, and that will be a light with a red covering. Photography, flash or otherwise, is strictly prohibited. The sight of a mother turtle furiously digging in the sand to bury her eggs is amazing, even from several yards away, and the spectacle of a wave of hatchlings scurrying out to sea is simply magnificent. This outstanding natural resource is also home to 138 mammal species including manatees, monkeys, and jaguars. For more information see the highlighted listing in this chapter.
South of Tortuguero village, Tortuguero, Limón, 70205, Costa Rica2709–8086-Tortuguero National ParkSight Details
Rate Includes: $17 -
2. Playa Tortuguero
The crashing waves and misty air (it rains a lot in Tortuguero) give you the unsettling feeling that you're standing at the edge of the world. Swimming and surfing are simply not possible here—sharks are present along this stretch of coast, for one thing—but by night, depending on the season, this beach comes alive with the age-old ritual of Tortuguero's four species of sea turtles laying and burying their eggs. They then hatch and the baby turtles scurry out to sea, a spectacle that's viewable only in the company of a licensed guide. Sunbathing? People-watching? Who needs those when this is the real show? Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunrise; walking.
North of Tortuguero village, Tortuguero, Limón, 70205, Costa Rica -
3. Sea Turtle Conservancy
Florida's Sea Turtle Conservancy runs a visitor center and a museum with excellent animal photos, a video narrating local and natural history, and detailed discussions of the latest ecological goings-on and what you can do to help; there's a souvenir shop next door. For the committed ecotourist, the John H. Phipps Biological Field Station, which is affiliated with the conservancy and has been operating in Tortuguero since 1959, has camping areas and dorm-style quarters with a communal kitchen. If you want to get involved in the life of the turtles, help researchers track turtle migration (current research, using satellite technology, has tracked turtles as far as the Florida Keys), or help catalog the population of neotropical migrant birds, arrange a stay in advance through the center's offices in Florida.
Tortuguero, Limón, 70205, Costa Rica352-373–6441-in North AmericaSight Details
Rate Includes: $2 -
4. Tortuguero Hill
For a hike with a view, climb the steps nearly 400 feet to the top of Cerro del Tortuguero. This inactive volcano marks the highest point in the region, and rewards hikers with panoramic views of the Tortuguero canals and rain forest. If you book this experience as an organized tour through your lodge, expect to pay around $40. Otherwise, the 2.1 km (1.3 mile) hike will set you back a small $3 access fee, plus the cost of your boat taxi. Check the boat schedule to plan your return trip accordingly.
Tortuguero, Limón, Costa RicaSight Details
Rate Includes: $3 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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