Four species nest on Costa Rica's beaches, each on its own coast and in its own months. Here's where to go, month by month, and the licensed local guides who take you there at night, compared and ranked.
By Lior, wildlife photographer and guide from Guanacaste
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Green turtles July to October, leatherbacks March to June. The country's best nesting beach.
Leatherbacks at Gandoca, 30 minutes south, March to June.
Snorkel the reef for green and hawksbill turtles. Nesting is rare here.
Playa Grande is next door: leatherbacks October to February, now rare.
Ostional is 15 minutes away: olive ridley arribadas most months.
Camaronal refuge nearby for olive ridleys.
Small olive ridley nestings. Ostional is the big one.
Olive ridleys nest in Marino Ballena National Park.
Hatcheries on Playa Piro, snorkel with turtles at Caño Island.
Nesting is rare. Snorkel trips sometimes meet green turtles.
No coast. Tortuguero is a two-day trip from here.
Tortuguero is the closest nesting beach, about 3 to 4 hours away.
Species expert program
Lyferr certifies guides one species at a time. A Sea Turtle Expert has the strongest proven record on Lyferr for finding and photographing sea turtles, which makes them your best odds for a good sighting and a good shot.
At launch, we award Founding Expert badges to guides with several years of premium tours focused on this species. Each one is confirmed or removed once the guide has logged 20 trips on Lyferr. After that, the badge is earned with logged trips and score.
No guide can promise a sighting. The badge shows the strongest track record for this species, not a guarantee.
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When to go
It depends on the species and the coast. On the Caribbean, leatherbacks nest from March to June and green turtles from July to October, peaking in August. On the Pacific, olive ridleys nest all year, with the biggest arribadas in the rainy season. Hatchlings emerge about two months after nesting, usually at night or dawn.
Why a guide matters
Protected nesting beaches only open at night with a licensed guide. A good one also makes the night work:
Not sure where to go? Send us your dates and where you're staying, and we'll suggest the right guide.
Ask Lyferr a questionShoot hatchling releases at dawn and arribadas in early morning light. Keep your flash off on any beach.
Ethical wildlife watching
Not at night on protected beaches. Tortuguero, Playa Grande and the other nesting beaches only allow night visits with a licensed guide, in small groups, with lights off. It protects the turtles and gives you a much better chance of seeing one.
Daytime arribadas at Ostional can be visited with guides from the local community, who manage the beach.
No. Let hatchlings walk to the sea on their own: the walk builds their strength and helps them find their way. Never pick them up, light their path or carry them to the water.
Hatcheries release them at set times with trained staff. If you see hatchlings heading inland toward lights, tell a guide or ranger instead of handling them.
See nesting turtles with a licensed guide, lights off
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One printable page: the month-by-month calendar, the 10 beaches, the night tour rules and what to bring. Sent to your inbox.
Who wrote this
Wildlife photographer and guide, and a finalist in the Sony World Photography Awards and Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Lior grew up in Guanacaste, a short drive from the nesting beaches at Ostional and Playa Grande. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.
FAQ
All year, depending on species and coast. Leatherbacks nest on the Caribbean from March to June, green turtles in Tortuguero from July to October, and olive ridleys on the Pacific all year, with the biggest arribadas from August to November.
Tortuguero on the Caribbean, and Ostional, Playa Grande and Camaronal on the Pacific.
A mass nesting, when thousands of olive ridley turtles come ashore over a few nights. Ostional has them most months.
About two months after nesting. In Tortuguero that means roughly September to December for green turtles.
Not at night on protected beaches. Night visits need a licensed guide, in small groups, with lights off.
Yes, on snorkel trips to Caño Island and the Cahuita reef. Keep your distance and never touch them.
No. Let them walk on their own. Tell a guide or ranger if they head toward lights.
Yes. Conservation stations like Pacuare take volunteers for night patrols, mostly from March to October.
Tortugas marinas. The leatherback is the baula, the olive ridley the lora, the hawksbill the carey and the green turtle the tortuga verde.
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