Tortuguero National Park and other Costa Rica Things to Do Tips

Tortuguero (which is translated to “Turtle Region”) is a small, traditional even though ‘touristy’ village on the north east side of Costa Rica, right on the Carribean coast. Tortuguero is surrounded by a large expanse of tropical rainforest - Tortuguero National Park. This park is quite different from the normal park/or reserve we are accustomed to. It has to be explored from the slow moving water of canals. There are no cars whatsoever in this region! In fact the only ways to reach Tortuguero is by boat or by plane.

The Tortuguero National park covers an area of over 19,000 hectares (46,900 acres) and protects 22 miles of beach, as it is a very important nesting site for sea turtles.

As with the rest of Costa Rica, ecotourism is heavily promoted, and after a lot of work from the parts of the authorities and other environmental organisations the villagers of Tortuguero have turned from turtle hunters to turtle lovers who realise that the income from ecotourism is far more profitable. So now the villagers train to become guides for the tourists, and even the village in itself has changed over time to accommodate the needs of the increasing number of tourists that visit Tortuguero each year.

Tourtuguero is not only famous for its turtles though, there is plenty of other wildlife to keep the ecotourist entertained for days! Birdwatchers can feast their eyes on keel-billed toucans, slaty tailed trogons, Montezuma oropendulas and a variety of parrots. Birds common along the canals include green and great blue herons, egrets, belted kingfishers, anhingas, jacanas, sun grebes and several species of hawks and kites. Other animals can be seen including fishing bats, three-toed sloths, iguanas, basilisk lizards, poison dart frogs, and howler, white-faced and spider monkeys. Spectacled Caimans can be observed in the waterways. There is also a small rainforest trail so as to observe more closely the rainforest and the wildlife within.

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Website: http://www.costarica.com/travel/parks/caribbean/tortugueronp.html

You have to pass through here to get to Tortuguero by land and boat. We spent some time in Puerto Limon for breakfast, eating it with the locals and observing their way of life. Then we went to Moin to get the boat to Tortuguero - nice enough place.

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If you can, try to at least make one leg of the journey by boat - most preferably to arrive there in the first place. When travelling to Tortuguero by boat, you will pass through calm canals bordered by wild jungle and rainforest. Already you can admire the prolific wildlife with good chances of seeing birds and crocs! It is like a scenic ride ... Don't miss it!

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The really must do activity in Tortuguero is wildlife watching through the canals in a boat - preferably with an experienced guide who knows where to find the wildlife and can explain in detail about them.

The best time for this activity is early morning - when the birds are at their most active and the crocodiles are basking in the sun to get enough heat to start their activities. There are also monkeys to be seen - a great fav with the tourists.

The lush scenery you will see is also really worthwhile, as is the tranquil atmosphere.

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In Tortuguero there is a small nature trail passing through the forest. Apart from seeing something different it is great since the trees offer some shade from the sun. This is a great opportunity to view small lizards, butterfies and insects - especially the leaf cutter ants. There is also an enormous buttress tree.

The trail ends on the beach, so it is ideal to walk the trail a some time before dusk, so that once you arrive on the beach you can enjoy a magnificent sunset.

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Corcovado National Park is located at the Peninsula de Osa. The weather is hot and humid so expect thunderstorms and lots of rain in the area. This area is the wildest and most isolated in Costa Rica and it is quite unspoilt due to the difficult access to the area. You will not find most of the basic services and few people except in the hotels or tours speak English. The nearest air strips are in Golfito, Puerto Jimenez and Drake Bay. Corcovado is the last Pacific lowland rainforest of sustainable size in Central America and it has been called "The most biologically intense place on earth".

Wildlife can be easily spotted in this area due to lack of development. There are a variety of things to do: tours, hiking, snorkeling, diving, horse riding, fishing, getting a suntan on the glorious beaches or you can visit and explore Cano Island Biological Reserve where you can visit a pre-Columbian cemetery, get lost in the island trails where it will take you to some Costa Rican misterious round stones spheres, or go diving in a renowned diving spot.

Birdwatchers can observe the trademark Scarlet Macaws in the wild (which I can assure you are quite a sight!) and various other types of parrots and toucans. On the shore one can also see the agile Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Pelicans, Tropical Cormorants as well as Brown Boobies. Other animals to look for are monkeys, peccaries, Jesus Christ Lizards, other lizards and spectacular geckos. The marine life is incredible; dolphins are most easily seen and if you go snorkelling or diving it is like swimming in a tropical aquarium with parrotfish, angelfish, puff fish, barracudas, rays as well as the occasional sea turtle or shark! Whales can also be seen during their breeding season.

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Corcovado is the place for the true rainforest experience, which is rendered even more special by the presence of a long stunningly beautiful beach.

There are several trails you can try out, and many guided tours can be organised to do so. In case you are staying at Marenco, the lodges have their own trails which are quite interesting.

There is plenty of wildlife to be seen along these trails, especially if you keep quiet, sharpen your hearing and keep your eyes peeled. Typical wildlife to be encountered includes birds, lizards, geckos, leaf cutter ants, monkeys, butterflies, insects and peccaries (though you really don't want to get close to these ones). If you are extremely lucky, this is one of the best places to see a jaguar - but it is very very difficult to see one!

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Corcovado is one of the places in Costa Rica which almost guarantees you to see one of the most beautiful birds in the world - the rare Scarlet Macaw. You will more often hear them screeching loudly before actually seeing them. They usually stay in pairs (as they mate for life) and if you see three of them, the third bird is surely the young offspring of the couple.

I had a wonderful experience with these birds. In the morning, when staying in our lodge near Corcovado, they used to wake us by screeching and dropping fruits on the roof of the hut. After a while the capuchin monkeys would tease them and the macaws would start getting really angry! Once I swear that they were on the verge of a fight, but then the monkeys retreated - probably afraid of the birds' massive beaks ...

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Cano Island is a small island 10 km off the Osa Peninsula Coast. It is quite famous with divers, though snorkelling there is probably is just as enjoyable! The island itself is quite a sight with the rainforest spilling onto beautiful cliffs and beaches.

Cano Island is a protected area as apart from ecological reasons, it holds some pre-Columbian burial sites. Strange rock spheres from this era can be found along the island’s trails in the middle of the rainforest.

A tour to this island is a must to spend a day snorkelling or diving, soaking up the sun on the picturesque beach and explore the rainforest. On the way to the island, and on the ocean surrounding the island one can see dolphins as well as some seabirds like Brown Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds. While snorkelling expect to see a multitude of colourful tropical fish, barracudas, rays as well as the occasional sea turtle or white tipped shark!

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There is more to Cano island than snorkelling, swimming and lazing on the beach. There is in fact a hike through the forest that ends at the Mirador lookout - with a view of the Pacific meeting the cliffs on the other side of the small island.

Of interest during the trail are the usual birds, insects and lizards - as well as some strange spherical stones suggesting previous inhabitants on the island.

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