Travel - Home

Places to See in Tortuguero

PDF

Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 October 2009 18:47

Beaches:

Tortuguero’s 22 miles of protected, black-sand beaches are often deserted. Each year, from July through October, park visitors can join an evening guided turtle tour to observe some of the thousands of green sea turtles nesting on the beach. Lucky visitors may also see hatchlings emerge from their sandy nests and make their way to the sea. Travelers should note that in an effort to protect nesting sea turtles, the beach is open to pedestrians only between dawn and dusk (5 a.m. to 6 p.m.) from March-October. Strong currents, bull sharks and stingrays make the ocean unsafe for swimming.

National Parks and Refuges:

Tortuguero National Park
Host to more than 100,000 visitors each year, Tortuguero National Park is the third-most visited national park in Costa Rica. Created in 1975, the 77,000-acre park teems with both aquatic and land-based wildlife, including the elusive jaguar and many species of waterfowl. It is also an important nesting site for the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and, to a lesser degree, the leatherback, loggerhead and hawksbill turtle.

The park has a network of both natural and man-made canals that connect with a series of rivers and lagoons. These lush waterways, which offer the best opportunity for wildlife watching, can be toured by flat-bottomed boat or in a kayak or canoe.

Discover Tortuguero National Park on our travel blog

Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge
An hour by boat from Tortuguero, the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge is the largest wildlife refuge in Costa Rica. It includes over 31 miles of canals, rivers, lagoons and marshlands that connect with Nicaragua to the north and Tortuguero to the south.

Its protected wetlands are rich in biodiversity but extremely isolated and navigable only by boat. The landscape is comprised of hot and humid tropical forest, fluvial islands, channels and swamplands. The refuge is also a sport fishing hot spot. Anglers from around the globe travel here to fish for colossal tarpon and snook, which are abundant at the mouth of the Rio Colorado.

Travel to Barra del Colorado on our travel blog

Conservation Organizations:

Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC)
A five-minute walk from Tortuguero village, the CCC focuses its energy and resources on marine turtle conservation. Field biologist Dr. Archie Carr founded the CCC in 1959 in response to falling populations and wide-scale turtle poaching. Thanks to CCC volunteers and community efforts, it is illegal to kill turtles and poach their eggs. Ongoing efforts, including police patrols and community watch, ensure that the turtles remain protected. Additionally, the CCC now tags and carefully monitors turtles as they come ashore to nest.

The Caribbean Conservation Corporation offers a variety of biology classes and accepts volunteers from March through April to assist in turtle research. The visitor center has educational displays as well as a short video presentation on turtle conservation.

Admission: $2
Phone: 2709-8125

COTERC (Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Research)
COTERC (Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Research) COTERC’s biological station in Cano Palma is nestled within the lowland rainforest of the Barra Del Colorado Wildlife Refuge, five miles north of Tortuguero. The station hosts student interns, researchers and other organizations that are carrying out migrant bird studies or other lowland forest ecology-based projects.

The organization studies native ethnobotany and is monitoring migrant and local bird species in conjunction with Global Vision International. Cano Palma is unique in that it provides easy access to swamp forest, freshwater and saltwater systems.

COTERC has three trails ideal for short afternoon walks. Plants and trees are labeled for curious hikers. During the rainier months (call ahead to check weather), these trails are often flooded and unsuitable for hiking. The biological station is always looking for volunteers to assist with various research projects.