Ostional is on the Nicoya Peninsula in the Guanacaste province in Costa Rica. It is most famous for the Ostional Wildlife Refuge which is bordered in the north by Punta India, and in the south by Playa Guiones and Playa Nosara. The reserve occupies 9 miles (15km) of coastline and protects 613 acres (248 ha) worth of precious sea and land habitat. This refuge also extends three miles out to sea and includes the tiny village of Ostional.

The Ostional Wildlife Refuge protects the Olive Ridley sea turtles as well as the Leatherback and the Pacific Green sea turtles that come ashore in huge numbers every year to nest and lay their eggs during the months between July and December. This phenomenon, known as ‘arribadas’, takes place around 4 to 10 times during this period, lasting roughly between 3 to 10 days each.It is usually occurs during the nights that precede a full moon. Some days or weeks before the mass nesting, the "flotilla", an increasing number of turtles, congregates close offshore.

Leatherbacks and Pacific green turtles can also be sighted from October to January. The Ridley can be sighted making its way inland at all times of the year-though far less frequently after the typical mating season.

Used to a life in the ocean, the turtles struggle to drag their heavy bodies over the beach until they get over the high tide line. There, they dig a nest with their flippers to deposit around 80 - 100 soft-shelled, white eggs, the size of ping pong balls.

It is thought that a significant portion of the world’s Pacific Olive Ridley sea turtles lay their eggs in the Ostional Wildlife Refuge. To date, the largest arribada recorded at the refuge occurred in November 1995, when an estimated 500,000 female sea turtles came on shore to nest.

Officially created in 1984, this refuge is also the only place in the world that allows people to harvest turtle eggs legally. This was done in order to prevent turtle egg poaching and to help the people of the Ostional village community. Under this project, the locals are allowed to collect and then sell a certain percent of turtle eggs from the initial three days of every arribada since many of those eggs are damaged anyway by the later arriving turtles.

The baby turtles hatch within 45-54 days depending on incubation temperatures, which will also determine if they will become male or female. In general the baby turtles hatch at night, but they can hatch anytime.

As soon as the hatchlings have struggled out of the sand, they start heading to the ocean because the small turtles smell the breeze and instantly know the right direction.

Women and children from the community of Ostional accompany the hatchlings as they go toward the sea, protecting them from dogs and vultures.

If you want to help the small turtles, you should not carry them all the way to the beach as they need the run to develop their lungs. You can carry them a part of way over the hottest stretch of sand and let them run the rest, while keeping the vultures away.

Most hatchlings don't reach the age of maturity which takes 10 - 15 years, but those who make it will remember their home beach. Some turtles may paddle across the Pacific Ocean as far as India but their impressive natural navigation system steers them back to their place of birth in Ostional where they will lay their eggs again into the black sanded beach, like their mother once did.

Not only does this refuge protect the millions of turtles that nest here every year, but it also looks after and protects the marine wildlife and birds in the area as well. Aside from the turtles, many other animal species make the national refuge home including iguanas, monkeys, coatis, crabs, and many birds. The south end of the refuge near the Nosara River is home to many estuaries and mangroves rich in neo-tropical fauna.

The refuge can be accessed by road from either Nosara or from San Juanillo, however you can fly in from San Jose and then catch a local flight to Nosara airport. From here, you can rent a four-wheel drive to the refuge.

Ostional the town is very small and extremely remote, which means that it generally appeals to those who want to get away from it all. There are not very many options for lodging, but there are some high-end and luxurious options, however most people stay in nearby Nosara, San Juanillo or Samara.

The small Ostional village is a great example of an easy-paced life and a place with no routine, no stress and no negativity. One can experience great nature and wildlife and then enjoy the laid back lifestyle.