Where to See Sea Turtles Nesting in Costa Rica, by Season

The best places to see sea turtle nesting in Costa Rica are Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast for green turtles from July to October, Ostional on the Nicoya Peninsula for olive ridley mass nestings (arribadas), biggest in September and October, and Playa Grande near Tamarindo for leatherbacks from October to mid-February, though leatherback sightings there are now rare. At all three, you need a certified local guide at night, and white lights and flash photography aren’t allowed. August and September are the best all-around months.

This guide is for travelers planning a turtle-watching trip. It covers where and when to go, how night tours work, the rules on the beach and how to see hatchlings.

Site	Main species	Best time
Tortuguero	Green turtles	July to October, peak August–September
Ostional	Olive ridley arribadas	July to November, biggest September–October
Playa Grande (Las Baulas)	Leatherbacks	October to mid-February; sightings rare
Camaronal	Olive ridley, leatherback, hawksbill, black turtle	Rainy season
Gandoca-Manzanillo	Leatherbacks	March to July
Osa Peninsula	Olive ridley, green, hawksbill	Mostly second half of the year

Where to go

Best Sea Turtle Nesting Sites in Costa Rica

Tortuguero National Park: green turtles

Tortuguero, on the northern Caribbean coast, is the most important green turtle nesting beach in the Western Hemisphere. Green turtles nest from about July to October, peaking in August and September, and a smaller number of leatherbacks and hawksbills nest here too.

The beach is closed at night except on guided tours with certified local guides, and tour numbers are limited, so book through your lodge or in town when you arrive. Tours last about two hours, and some operators don’t take very young children. Tortuguero has no road access, so you arrive by boat or small plane; see how to get to Tortuguero. Add a morning canal tour for sloths, caimans and birds.

Ostional Wildlife Refuge: olive ridley arribadas

Ostional, just north of Nosara on the Nicoya Peninsula, is one of the few beaches anywhere with arribadas, when thousands of olive ridleys come ashore over a few nights. The largest happen in the rainy season, July to November, with September and October the biggest, when hundreds of thousands of turtles may nest over three or four days. Dry-season arribadas are smaller.

Arribadas often start in the days before a new moon and recur roughly every 28 to 30 days, but the timing isn’t exact, so stay a few nights and check with local guides before you go. You must enter with an accredited local guide. A regulated community program lets residents collect a limited share of eggs in the first days of each arribada, in return for patrolling and cleaning the beach. See our guide to Costa Rica turtles and arribadas.

Playa Grande (Las Baulas National Marine Park): leatherbacks

Playa Grande, across the estuary from Tamarindo, is Costa Rica’s best-known nesting beach for leatherbacks, the largest sea turtles. Leatherbacks nest here from about October to mid-February, but the Eastern Pacific population is critically endangered and sightings are now rare. Night access is by guided tour only. Go for the chance, not the guarantee.

Camaronal Wildlife Refuge: a quieter Pacific option

Camaronal, about 15 km south of Sámara, sees olive ridley, leatherback, hawksbill and black (East Pacific green) turtles, mostly in the rainy season. Turtles come ashore one at a time rather than in arribadas, and the beach is much less busy than Ostional. Night visits require a certified guide.

Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge: Caribbean leatherbacks

On the southern Caribbean coast near Puerto Viejo, Playa Gandoca is the most likely place in the region to see nesting leatherbacks, from about March to July. Green turtles and hawksbills nest along this coast later in the year. Go with a local guide; Puerto Viejo is the easiest base.

Osa Peninsula: remote beaches

On the southern Pacific coast, beaches near Puerto Jiménez and along the edge of Corcovado National Park see olive ridley, green and hawksbill nesting, mostly in the second half of the year. Osa Conservation runs a sea turtle program at beaches such as Piro and Pejeperro, with volunteer options. Turtles also feed on the reefs around Caño Island, a popular snorkeling trip.

Playa Nancite: arribadas, closed to tourists

Playa Nancite in Santa Rosa National Park also has arribadas, but it’s a protected research beach and isn’t open for turtle tours.

Rules

Turtle-Watching Rules on Nesting Beaches

• Plan more than one night. Nesting depends on tides, moon and luck, and arribadas can shift by days.
• Book on arrival or through your lodge. Tour numbers are capped at the main beaches.
• Bring rain gear and insect repellent, since peak nesting falls in the rainy season.

Hatchlings

When to See Hatchlings

Eggs hatch about six weeks to two months after they’re laid, so the end of each nesting season is the best time. At Tortuguero, that means roughly September into November. Hatcheries and conservation programs sometimes hold releases, but timing is hard to predict.

Planning

Planning a Turtle-Watching Trip

• August or September: combine Tortuguero’s green turtles with an early arribada at Ostional.
• September or October: the best odds for a big arribada at Ostional, and the Caribbean coast is often at its driest.
• March to May: try for leatherbacks at Gandoca on the Caribbean side.
• November to February: a long shot for leatherbacks at Playa Grande.

See our month-by-month wildlife calendar and the best time to visit Costa Rica by region.

FAQ

Sea Turtle Nesting in Costa Rica: FAQ