The 7 Best Places to See Sea Turtles in Costa Rica

Would you like to see sea turtles in Costa Rica during your travels?

Costa Rica is a prime spot for seeing turtles. This is possible on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts at different times throughout the year. However, first, you need to know the right beaches to go to.

As a couple who has lived in Costa Rica for several years now, I can tell you that seeing sea turtles in the wild is one of the coolest things you can experience in this country. Every time we have witnessed female turtles laying eggs or baby turtles hatching and making their way into the water for the first time, it has been one of those out-of-this-world experiences.

We created this guide to give you info on the 7 best places to see turtles, great tour options, turtle volunteer info, must-know info, and more!

The Types of Turtles You Can See in Costa Rica

All of the sea turtles that you can find in Costa Rica are on the endangered species list. In total there are five types of sea turtles you might be lucky enough to see here. These types are the leatherback turtles, the olive ridley turtle, the hawksbill turtle, the loggerhead turtle, and the green turtle.

• Leatherback turtles are the largest turtles in the world. They can weight up to 2,000 pounds. How insane is that? During nesting season they lay between 50 and 100 eggs.
• Olive Ridley Turtles are the smallest sea turtles you will find in Costa Rica and by small I mean still relatively large. They typically weigh up to 88 pounds. The olive ridley turtles gather in large groups.
• Hawksbill Turtles can grow up to 180 pounds. Before things were regulated in Costa Rica they were killed for their shell. This was then turned into various decorative items.
• The Loggerhead Turtle can weigh up to 440 pounds. You won’t see many loggerheads in Costa Rica, but they do come in small numbers.
• Green Turtles can weigh up to 440 pounds. You can see these turtles in Tortuguero.

Info on Turtles in Costa Rica

Incubation

After a turtle lays its eggs there is an incubation period somewhere between 50 and 70 days.

Unfortunately, many turtles don’t make it until hatching time because the eggs are a popular snack among various animals.

Even if the turtle does reach the water, most do not survive until they are adults due to various predators.

Poaching

Turtle poaching is declining and Costa Rica is working hard to prevent poaching from happening. We didn’t realize poaching was still a thing here until we were at a farmers market recently and saw a stand selling turtle eggs to eat.

In Ostional poaching is allowed, in a sense. In fact, it is apparently the only beach in the world where poaching is legal. The reason for this is that massive amounts of sea turtles come to Ostional over a period of days (we’ll get more into that later).

Apparently, the rate of survival for the eggs that are laid on the first few nights is really low. This is due to other turtles coming later to lay their eggs and stomping over previously laid eggs.

Because it is known that these eggs won’t survive until hatching time, locals are allowed to come and collect a percentage of these doomed eggs for consumption and sale. This is designed to help gain support from the local community and to prevent poaching during the rest of the nights of egg laying.

Unfortunately, this has opened the door for other poachers because they can easily sell their turtle eggs by saying they are from Ostional, even if they really are not.

Conservation

On the other side, the conservation of sea turtles has become very important in Costa Rica. There are a lot of sanctuaries set up throughout the country that do a great job of helping sea turtles.

Read until the end of this post for some of our favorite volunteer opportunities for working with turtles.

Alright, now let’s talk about the best places to see sea turtles in Costa Rica!

But first, here is a map of all the places on this list so you can easily situate which place makes the most sense to visit during your vacation.

1. Playa Tortuguero

Tortuguero is a relaxed beach town on the Caribbean Coast that is only accessible by boat. It is remote and amazing.

Sea turtles and Tortuguero go hand and hand. What I mean is that although Tortuguero is not nearly as touristy as other parts of Costa Rica, one of the only reasons people come to Tortuguero is to see big sea turtles and their cute babies. Not to mention “tortuga” literally means “turtle.”

In the past, the turtles here were caught and eaten. The Sea Turtle Conservancy began operating here and has worked hard to get the locals to see the benefits of turtle conservation and how this can also be turned into a money-making opportunity in the way of tourism.

It has worked really well because several locals work as guides and the turtles have dramatically increased tourism to the area, which benefits the local community.

When you visit Tortuguero, definitely check out the conservancy’s museum. It is small but has some interesting exhibits.

• Best Time to Visit: July to October (Green turtles), March to May (Leatherback turtles)
• Turtle Species: Green, Leatherback

How to See Turtles in Tortuguero

Because protection is really important here, the only way you will be allowed to see the mommas laying their eggs is by going on an evening tour with a certified. The green turtle tours occur in the evening at either 8 pm or 10 pm.

Note: We really only think it is worth doing this night tour if you are visiting from mid-July to early October and can see the Green Turtles. You won’t see much during the rest of the year.

🌊 Check Availability and Reserve Your Tortuguero Turtle Night Tour 🐢

Our Experience in Tortuguero with Turtles

The first time we did the turtle tour here was hands down one of the top five experiences we’ve had in Costa Rica. It is a “must do” if you are in Costa Rica during late summer.

We went on the tour in mid-August. There were about ten people in our group in total. After receiving strict instructions from our guide (no bright lights, no sudden movements, and no pictures) we crept onto the beach.

Our first big momma turtle started making her way up the beach before deciding she wasn’t feeling it, turned around and went back into the water. We were so disappointed! We thought, “was that our one chance and she turned around?” Little did we know, there were way more turtles to come!

The next turtle that came out of the water came all the way up to the top of the beach. They move so slow, but I guess I would too if I weighed that much and had to push myself up a beach.

Anyway, she started digging her hole and our guide explained the whole process to us. She then started laying her eggs.

Our guide had a red light which he held next to the whole so we could each take turns to look at the process. She then flicked all the dirt on top to cover up her little babies and made her way back into the water.

We got to see parts of the process with a few other turtles before returning to our hotel. It was amazing!

🌊 Check Availability and Reserve Your Tortuguero Turtle Night Tour 🐢

2. Playa Ostional

If you want to see a beach completely covered in turtles, Ostional is the place to go.

Ostional is a Pacific Coast beach located just north of Nosara.

Sometimes literally thousands of turtles will arrive at one time to lay their eggs on this beach. This unique experience is called arribada.

• Best Time to Visit: The best time is between July and December during the last quarter of the moon. The turtles will come over several days. Peak season is in October. Check this Facebook page for updates.
• Types of Turtles: Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

How to See the Turtles at Playa Ostional

When the arribada is not going on you are welcome to walk on Playa Ostional on your own for free.

However, when the sea turtles are laying their eggs, this beach becomes a protected area. In order to access the beach you will need to be with a certified guide.

You can typically just drive to the beach and easily join a tour. However, check out our guide to visiting Playa Ostional for more info and tour options.

Our Experience

It took us a few years of living in Costa Rica before we were actually able to see the arribada at Ostional. A big part of that is because it is difficult to time it out. You really need to be visiting the area in the autumn and during the last quarter of the moon. Even then, some months are just not as impressive.

When we finally managed to experience this we just drove to the beach and spontaneously booked a tour. Our tour guide gave us a bit of safety info and info about the turtles as we walked onto the beach.

We were then given about 30 minutes to just watch the turtles.

It was amazing!

The tour guide really wasn’t the best, but it didn’t matter. It was so amazing to watch the turtles make their way up the beach and lay their eggs before making the journey back into the ocean.

Plus, the beach was filled with thousands of turtles. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

3. Las Baulas National Marine Park

Las Baulas National Park is located just north of Tamarindo in the small beach village of Playa Grande. The beaches that are considered part of the national park are Playa Grande and Playa Ventanas.

During the day you are free to enjoy the beaches, but from 6:00 PM until 6:00 AM these beaches become a protected area and are only accessible with a guide.

• Best Time to Visit: October to March is leatherback season (which is the most impressive)
• Types of Turtles: Leatherback, Green sea turtles, and Olive Ridley sea turtles

How to See the Turtles at Playa Grande

Guided tours are mandatory as the beach is a protected area in the eveninfs. The tours often take place at night when the turtles come ashore to nest.

The cheapest and best way to see the turtles is to drive to the main tourism office in Playa Grande and book a tour. This costs about $25 per person. You just need to bring your passport as an I.D.

If you are staying in Tamarindo, I recommend the guided tour with transportation included from the company Discover Tamarindo.

On this tour, you’ll be guided by a knowledgeable naturalist who will share fascinating insights about turtle behavior, reproduction, and nesting processes.

Transportation from Tamarindo, expert guidance, and the opportunity to possibly observe Leatherback, Green, and Olive Ridley turtles up close are included in the tour.

However, seeing turtles can not be guaranteed. I suggest only doing this tour from October until March when you have the highest chance of seeing Leatherbacks.

🌊 Check Availability and Book Turtle Tour from Tamarindo 🐢

4. Playa Montezuma

If you’re looking for a laid-back, bohemian beach experience combined with the chance to see sea turtles, Montezuma Beach is the place to be.

Montezuma is a relaxed beach village located on the Nicoya Peninsula. It is actually our favorite beach town in all of Costa Rica.

• Best Time to See Turtles: August to November
• Types of Turtles: Olive Ridley, occasionally Green turtles

In this village there is a sea turtle conservation program called ASVO (Association for the Conservation of Montezuma).

During nesting season, volunteers monitor the beaches to locate where turtles are laying their eggs.

Once the female turtle returns to the ocean, the eggs are carefully relocated to a protected nursery area on the beach.

Here, they are reburied in the sand to ensure their safety. After 45 to 55 days, the hatchlings are either naturally emerging or gently exhumed.

They are then taken to a safer part of the beach and released, allowing them to make their first journey to the ocean.

How to See the Turtles at Montezuma

If there are baby turtles that need to be released ASVO releases them at 4pm every day. You can then watch the turtles make their way into the water for the first time.

Want to volunteer with ASVO? Get more info here!

Our Experience

We saw our first-ever baby sea turtle making its way out into the ocean while we were walking the beach in Montezuma in the month of October.

At that time, we had no idea that they were released at 4pm. We just happened to get lucky.

5. Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

The Gandoca Manzanillo Refuge is located in the village of Manzanillo on the southern Caribbean coast, just south of Puerto Viejo. This is a great place to go hiking, enjoy beautiful beaches, and maybe see turtles!

• Best Time to Visit: February to July
• Types of Turtles: Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill

How to See Turtles at the Gandoca Manzanillo Refuge

You might just get lucky and happen to see turtles while enjoying the beach here.

The best beach is Playa Gandoca, which can be accessed from the Manzanillo entrance by hiking or by driving to Sixaola (just before the Panama border) and then driving on the access road to the beach. Be aware that this is very remote.

If you prefer to visit in the evening, it is best to take a tour with a certified guide (although I do not think is strictly enforced.

We have not taken an evening tour here, and I have read a lot of very mixed reviews of the tours. See, a lot of them are pricey at over $35 per person. However, it is not guaranteed that you will see turtles. Instead, you could spend two hours sitting and waiting to see nothing.

6. Osa Peninsula Beaches

Sea turtles can be seen throughout the Osa Penisula on the Pacific Coast. This area is home to Corcovado National Park and is considered one of the most biologically diverse places on earth.

• Best Time to Visit: April to November
• Types of Turtles: Hawksbill, Green, Olive Ridley, Leatherback

How to See Sea Turtles

The very best way to experience this is with a tour from COPROT (Comunidad Protectora de Tortugas de Osa).

COPROT is a nonprofit organization focused on the protection of turtles. They protect 8 kilometers of beach next to Corcovado National Park. Find out about volunteer opportunities.

They offer a variety of tours including both morning and evening patrols on nesting beaches. During a morning tour, you will even get the chance to visit their sea turtle hatchery.

Check COPROT Tour Options

7. Caño Island

Caño Island is a remote island located off of the Osa Peninsula. The only way to visit this area is with a guided snorkel tour.

This island is often considered one of the very best snorkeling locations in the country due to its coral reefs, rock outcrops, and abundance of marine life.

In the waters around Caño Island, snorkelers can sometimes see octopuses, rays, sharks, many tropical fish, and of course TURTLES!

The most common turtle here is the Hawksbill Turtle, but other types have turtles have also been spotted in the waters here.

The best way to access the island is with a half-day tour from Drake Bay.

We suggest arranging your tour with Yemanyá Expeditions using the link below. This fun half-day adventure combines a boat trip, two snorkeling sessions, snacks, and lunch. 

🌊 Check Availability and Arrange Your Caño Island Tour 🐢

How You Can Help the Sea Turtles

• Don’t forget to help the baby turtles out as much as possible. Their chance of survival is low, so we need to do what we can. If we see a baby turtle trying to make its way to the water we always clear a path for it, don’t touch it, and stay until it makes it into the ocean.
• If you happen to come across a turtle laying her eggs, keep your distance and don’t take any pictures. They scare easily and will turn and go back in the water without finishing the process. Also, don’t shine any light on them.
• If you would like to volunteer with sea turtles, there are many opportunities in Costa Rica. Check out our guide to our favorite volunteer opportunities for more info. A few of the best options are:
  • RNVSM Romelia Sea Turtles in Montezuma
  • Pacuera Reserve
  • COPROT: Tortuga de Osa
  • Reserva Playa Tortuga

Conclusion: Sea Turtles in Costa Rica

In conclusion, there are numerous places to see sea turtles in Costa Rica throughout the year. However, the type of turtles you will be able to see is dependant on their nesting schedule.

If you have any questions about sea turtles in Costa Rica or have any helpful info to add just leave it in the comment section below. We love to hear from you all and are always happy to help you out!

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