Ostional National Wildlife Refuge

Location: Guanacaste Province, a 656 foot stretch of beach between Punta India and the mouth of the Nosara River, north of Nosara

See North Pacific Tourism Region

Size: 180 acres

Date of Creation: October 1997

Part of: Tempisque Conservation Area

About :

The North Pacific Coast of Guanacaste is home to a pair of significant nesting sites for the Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). In huge waves known locally as arribadas, tens of thousands of Olive Ridleys return to the beaches of Ostional National Wildlife Refuge to lay their eggs. It is one of the largest nesting sites for the Olive Ridley and leatherback turtles in Costa Rica.  The best months to see Olive Ridley sea turtles in Ostional National Wildlife Refuge are between June and December.

The refuge is also an important nesting site for a wide variety of seabirds and other water fowl. Travelers should note that swimming is not recommended here due to rough waters and the occasional presence of sharks and crocodiles.

Activities: 

Turtle tours and hiking are popular. A bike ride from Nosara beach to the Ostional Refuge makes for a pleasant outing during the dry season, from December-April.

Facilities:

There is a ranger station and a biological field station at Playa Ostional.  Bilingual guides are available for turtle tours.

Flora & Fauna:

Flora: coconut and royal palms, tea mangrove

Fauna: The Olive Ridley turtle nests on the beaches here every month of the year and in arribadas(large groups) at least once every month.  The months of the largest arribadas are between July and December.  “Large” means hundreds of thousands of nesting turtles as opposed to small arribadas which only include tens of thousands of turtles.  The egg-laying episodes usually begin with the start of the last quarter moon (as a general rule).  The largest arribadas on record are from November 1995 when 500,000 females came ashore.

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Fees and Schedule:

The ranger station is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily. 

Getting there:

By Bus: Public buses depart San Jose for Santa Cruz at 7 a.m., arriving at noon; from here, take the 12:30 p.m. bus to Ostional (three hours, returning at 5 a.m.). Note that the bus may not run during the rainy season (May through November). Alternately, an Alfaro bus departs San Jose for Nosara at 6 a.m., arriving around noon. You can take a taxi (about $8) or walk to Ostional.

By Car: The gravel road between Ostional and Nosara requires drivers to ford the Mountain River (Rio La Montaña) which is about three miles south of Ostional. It can be impassable during wet season. Two miles further the road divides; the left fords the Nosara river just before entering the village of Nosara and is passable in only the most favorable conditions (the bridge has washed out); the right crosses the Nosara river via a bridge and the town of Santa Marta.

Nearby Parks:

Camaronal National Wildlife Refuge

Contact info:

Tempisque Conservation Area: 2659-9194

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