The small village of Tortuguero ("Region of Turtles") is located on the northeastern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, approximately 50 miles north of the Port of Limon, Costa Rica’s main port. Tortuguero National Park is an important nesting beach for four species of marine turtles. Each year hundreds of Green Turtles nest along the beaches of Tortuguero from July to October. The Green Turtle has existed for more than 200 million years and can weigh more than 400 pounds.. Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles are also viewed laying their eggs between March and October .The region surrounding Tortuguero is called the Tortuguero Plain, which is a vast area of little topographic relief, still covered by a large expanse of tropical rainforest. The park now includes over 19,000 hectares (46,900 acres) and protects 22 miles of nesting beach from the mouth of the Tortuguero River south to Parisimina. The park, and the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge to the north, comprise the largest remaining adjoining tract of lowland wet tropical forest on Costa Rica's Atlantic Coast.
Tortuguero is warm and humid. Daily temperatures average 26 degrees C (79 F) and annual average rainfall is over 5,000 mm (200+ inches). Most of the park is low alluvial floodplain (sea level to 20m) which extends far inland, and is occasionally interrupted by isolated hills of 100-300 m. An complex network of black water canals and creeks divide palm swamps and mixed rainforest throughout the region. The natural vegetation of the area progresses from the poorly-drained swamp forests in the lowlands near the coast to tropical wet and pre-montane forests further inland at higher elevations. Forest species composition gradually shifts from coastal scrub to huge expanses of Raphia palm swamp and mixed species along waterway margins, to tall multi-layered evergreen forests. Canopy trees may exceed 60 m in height with girths of 1-2 m, some with massive buttressing. Species diversity of both plants and animals is very high here -- among the highest in Costa Rica. Abundant wildlife inhabits Tortuguero, including 60 species of mammals 57 species of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles. More than 300 species of birds live in Tortuguero for all or part of the year. You can commonly see keel-billed toucans, slaty tailed trogons, Montezuma oropendulas and a variety of parrots. Birds common along the canals include green and great blue herons, egrets, belted kingfishers, anhingas, jacanas, sun grebes and several species of hawks and kites. Other animals commonly seen are fishing bats, three-toed sloths, iguanas, basilisk lizards, poison dart frogs, and howler, white-faced and spider monkeys. Caiman are commonly observed in the waterways, which also are home to gar-fish, manatees, crocodiles, crustaceans, Jaguars, ocelots, and kinkajous .
Only one of every 5,000 baby turtles survives to grow to adulthood. Costa Rica is one of only a handful of countries that protect turtle nesting sites, so don’t miss this great location.