Turtle Watching in Costa Rica

By Linda Tancs

Located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, Tortuguero (meaning “turtle catcher”) National Park is a must-see destination for turtle watching. It provides nesting beaches for four species of turtles: leatherback, loggerhead, green sea and hawksbill. You may see individual turtles at any time of the year, but the prime nesting season for green sea, loggerhead and endangered hawksbill turtles is July through October. Leatherbacks, the world’s largest turtle, nest from March to May. The park is also a prime nesting site for the endangered and elusive green macaw.