<h2>What to Expect from A Sea Turtle Tour</h2>Turtle spotters let the guides know when a turtle comes up to the nest. At that moment, the focus will remind you that camera flashes are forbidden because they affect females' nesting and the developing hatchlings. Then, they’ll take your group, in complete silence, to the area where she was spotted. You stand there, unsure of what to expect, but then it happens—the moment you see how giant the turtle is.Imagine watching a giant sea turtle pull herself up from the ocean shore, not used to carrying her 400-pound body outside of the water. She slowly makes her way up the beach, oblivious to your presence, focused entirely on her goal. She starts digging a large hole. She digs deeper and deeper. There’s soon a massive hole near your feet, and the majestic creature begins to lay between 65 and 100 eggs in it. Finally, she covers the precious eggs and heads back to the sea.&nbsp;When hundreds of turtles synchronize, mass nestings coincide with the third quarter or waning moon. Turtle nesting tours are done between dusk and midnight. On the other hand, Turtle hatching tours happen in the early morning, usually from 2:30 am to sunrise. Most babies hatch after moonless nights, bettering their chances of getting past predators. It’s a nice feeling to walk alongside them as they scurry to the ocean, keeping them safe from birds.&nbsp;<h3>Where Do I See the Turtles in Costa Rica?</h3>There are many places to see sea turtles in Costa Rica.&nbsp;Guanacaste is the go-to destination for leatherbacks, the giant sea turtle, up to six feet long and 1,500 pounds. These beauties will nest from October through March.&nbsp;There are two nesting grounds on the Nicoya Peninsula. You can spot four species from June through December, black sea turtles and leatherbacks, year-round, and hawksbill and Olive Ridleys. Every two to four weeks during those months, hundreds of Olive Ridley's storm the beach in a single night.The Osa Peninsula has a small population of nesting black sea turtles all year.&nbsp;The South Caribbean is a haven for leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles. They can be seen year-round, but April through October's peak nesting season.The North Caribbean is the most iconic sea turtle nesting site in Costa Rica. Leatherbacks start the nesting season in March, followed by loggerheads and green sea turtles. This is one of the world’s most important nesting sites for green sea turtles, which can lay up to 700 eggs per season.As you can see, there are places to go on sea turtle tours up and down both coasts of Costa Rica, from Nicaragua to Panama.&nbsp;<h2>FAQ about Sea Turtle Nesting in Costa Rica</h2><ul><li>Does Costa Rica have sea turtles? YES!</li><li>Where can you see sea turtles in Costa Rica? Some popular places to see sea turtles nesting and hatching include Tamarindo, Tortuguero, and Ostional.</li><li>When do sea turtles hatch in Costa Rica? Sixty days after the eggs are laid.</li><li>Can you see sea turtles in Costa Rica in December? Yes, and what a great holiday gift that is!</li><li>When can you see sea turtles in Costa Rica? Year-round</li><li>Can you swim with sea turtles in Costa Rica? There is a chance you’ll see a sea turtle while swimming or snorkeling, but this is not a specific tour offering as it’s not predictable.</li><li>Are sea turtles endangered in Costa Rica? In Costa Rica, as in most of the world, sea turtles are endangered because of poaching. However, there are laws and conservation efforts in Costa Rica to protect them.</li><li>Why do thousands of sea turtles arrive in Costa Rica every year? The location, temperature, and ecosystem play a role in why turtles come from so far away, swimming up to 1,500 miles, to lay their eggs in Costa Rica. Turtles may travel far away to forage and mature, but they return to the same place they were born to deposit their eggs.</li><li>What determines the sex of the baby turtles? Fun sea turtle fact: If the nest's temperature is high, all the baby turtles will be female, and if it’s low, they will all be males.</li></ul>

Sea Turtle Nesting

Nosara

Relaxing

Nature & Wildlife

National Parks

Adrenaline

Beach Fun

Beach

Tamarindo

Perfectly executed 10 days of fun! Emilie helped us coordinate the trip and the execution was flawless. The activities were perfect for our family. Our experience in Costa Rica was made amazing because of Costa Rican Vacations and Emilie!

Eloise Moodie - Emilie Witham

I would like to thank Costa Rican Vacations and Felipe Martinez, my consultant. For advising, assisting and planning my dream vacation to Costa Rica. He was patient, experienced, pleasant, warm, friendly, professional and always responded to my messages.

Savi Persad - Felipe Martinez

We just came back from a trip to Costa Rica. Shelly suggested the activities she thought we would enjoy and made all arrangements before we left for our trip. She was always available to answer our questions and was very accommodating when we revised our itinerary!

Rita A - Shelly Huff

Pinilla & Playa Avellanas

Playa Avellanas

Tortuguero

National Park

Rainforest

We traveled to three locations over 9 days. Our trip exceeded expectations and was so simple with the help of Costa Rican Vacations. We highly recommend Luke Angus to coordinate your travel.

Sharon - Luke Angus

What a seamless experience! I've never used a travel agency to plan my whole vacation, so this was a joy. It was so nice not to worry about any of the arrangements. All of the tours that Daniel chose for us were perfect.&nbsp;

Audrey C - Daniel Fonseca

Samara

 Surf and Yoga Getaway: Nosara and Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula

 Surf and Yoga Getaway

Leisure Life: San Isidro and Nosara

Leisure Life

Culture

Countryside

Costa Rica's Treasures: Remote Countryside in Upala and Nosara Beach

Costa Rica's Treasures

Surf and Wellness Retreat: Jaco and Nosara

Surf and Wellness Retreat

Waterfalls

DIsconnect to Reconnect: Bajos del Toro Cloud Forest and Nosara Beach

Disconnect to Reconnect

Cloud Forest

Surfing Nicoya: Santa Teresa and Nosara

Surfing Nicoya

Best Surf on Pacific: Playa Dominical and Nosara

Best Surf on Pacific

Relax and Unwind: Manuel Antonio and Nosara

Relax and Unwind

Road Less Traveled: Rio Perdido, Bagaces and Nosara

Road Less Traveled

Endless Summer: Nosara and Tamarindo

Endless Summer

Barefoot Luxury: Uvita and Nosara

Barefoot Luxury

Arenal Volcano and Nosara

Volcano

Destination: Self-Care: Celeste River and Nosara

Destination: Self-Care

Coast to Coast Yoga and Surf: Puerto Viejo and Nosara

Coast to Coast Yoga and Surf

Ride the Waves: Esterillos and Nosara

Ride the Waves

Unpack and Relax: Puerto Jiménez and Nosara

Unpack and Relax

Wellness Journey: Pacuare and Nosara

Wellness Journey

You Need a Break: La Paz Cloud Forest and Nosara

You Need a Break

Unique Sounds of Costa Rica: Monteverde and Nosara

Unique Sounds of Costa Rica

Beachfront Getaway: Tamarindo and Flamingo Beach

Beachfront Getaway

Uvita and Tamarindo

Some Like It 'Pura Vida'

Trail Less Traveled: Tenorio Volcano, Rio Celeste and Tamarindo

Trail Less Traveled

Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo

Adventure and Beachside Fun: Arenal Volcano & Tamarindo

Adventure and Beachside Fun

Beach Hopping Costa Rica: Punta Islita and Tamarindo

Beach Hopping Costa Rica

La Paz - Vara Blanca Cloud Forest and Tamarindo

La Paz and Tamarindo

Surfing the Pacific: Santa Teresa and Tamarindo

Surfing the Pacific

Adventure and Sunshine Bound: Puerto Jiménez and Tamarindo

Adventure and Sunshine Bound

What a Trip: Rio Perdido and Tamarindo

What a Trip!

Surf and Fishing Getaway: Tamarindo and Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula

Surf and Fishing Getaway

Monteverde and Tamarindo

Thrill and Chill: Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and Tamarindo

Thrill and Chill

Bajos del Toro and Tamarindo

Waterfall Valley and Tamarindo

Costa Rica Beach Combo: Isla Chiquita and Tamarindo

Costa Rica Beach Combo

Island

Party Time: Jaco and Tamarindo

Party Time!

Ready to Party: Puerto Viejo and Tamarindo

Ready to Party! 

Surfs Up: Esterillos Beach and Tamarindo

Surfs Up

Cross-Country Surf: Playa Dominical and Tamarindo

Cross-Country Surf

Lush and Cool Costa Rica: Monteverde and Playa Avellanas

Lush and Cool Costa Rica

Bird Nerds Classic: San Ramón Cloudforest and Tortuguero Lowlands

Bird Nerds Classic

Tarpon and Marlin Adventure: Tortuguero and Manuel Antonio

Tarpon and Marlin Adventure

Untamed Adventure: Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio & Corcovado National Park

Untamed Adventure

Birdwatchers' Dream Combo: Bajos del Toro and Tortuguero

Birdwatchers' Dream Combo

Tortuguero and San Gerardo de Dota

Wild and Tame Rivers of Costa Rica: Tortuguero and Pacuare

Wild and Tame Rivers of Costa Rica

Ultimate Fishing Trip of Costa Rica: Best of Caribbean & Pacific Coastlines

Ultimate Fishing Trip of Costa Rica

Marina

Nature and Wellness: Tortuguero and Upala

Nature and Wellness 

Tarpon and Beach Fishing Adventure: Tortuguero and Papagayo

Tarpon and Beach Fishing Adventure

Rainforest Sounds: La Paz Cloud Forest and Tortuguero

Rainforest Sounds

Marlin and Tarpon Fishing Combo: Tortuguero and Quepos

Marlin and Tarpon Fishing Combo

Scuba, Sea Turtles and Sloths: Tortuguero and Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula

Scuba, Sea Turtles and Sloths

Wild and Wonderful Costa Rica: Tortuguero, Rio Perdido & Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula