A couple of years ago I went to TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. to watch the sea turtle lay their eggs.  Tortuguero beach is the most important nesting site of the endangered green turtle in the Western Hemisphere. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here. 

You can only get to the village of Tortuguero by boat or there is an airport for small planes (no roads for cars).  We stayed at the Laguna Lodge.  Rooms where very basic, but the resort was very nice and the food pretty good.  The Caribbean Conservation Corporation is very active in saving the Green turtle eggs.

Abundant wildlife inhabits Tortuguero, including 57 species of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles, and 60 species of mammals. More than 300 species of birds live in Tortuguero for all or part of the year. Birdwatchers commonly see keel-billed toucans, salty 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. The tracks of river otters, collared peccaries, and Baird’s tapirs are often seen on the banks of rivers and canals. Caiman are commonly observed in the waterways, which also are home to garfish, manatees, crocodiles, crustaceans, and an occasional bullshark. Jaguars, ocelots, and kinkajous inhabit the park, but are rarely seen.

Most tourists are visiting the main attractions of Costa Rica.  Tortuguero National Park is still off the beaten path and is a hidden treasure off the Caribbean coast. The photo opportunities are fantastic.  When you visit Costa Rica don’t forget to make a stop at Tortuguero.