Green Turtle Nesting Night — Tortuguero Costa Rica

About this spectacle

On Tortuguero's dark Caribbean beach, the sea heaves and a massive Atlantic green turtle hauls herself ashore — 150 kilograms of prehistoric determination moving in slow, deliberate lunges toward the treeline. Guided groups, no more than eight people, follow in near-silence behind a ranger carrying only a dim red torch. You watch her dig a body pit, then a precision egg chamber, her rear flippers working with surprising delicacy. For thirty minutes the beach is utterly still except for the rhythmic thud of eggs falling into sand and the turtle's labored breathing. After covering the nest with sweeping flipper strokes, she pivots and pulls herself back to the waterline, disappearing into black surf. In August and September, hatchlings erupt around your feet — dozens of golf-ball-sized turtles scrambling toward the ocean's faint shimmer. The scale is staggering: on a peak July or August night, dozens of females nest simultaneously up and down the 35-kilometre shore.

When to go

Jul — Oct

Getting there

Nearest city: Limón.

Booking options

Goyova doesn't process bookings directly. When you tap "Plan this trip" in the app, you'll see options from our partner providers — accommodation, tours, transport — with affiliate links where applicable. See our affiliate disclosure for details.