Green turtle nesting night walk

Tortuguero's beach is the second-largest green turtle nesting ground in the world, and from July to October thousands come ashore at night to dig nests and lay about a hundred eggs each. The peak, when sightings are close to certain, runs from late July to mid-September. Leatherbacks nest here earlier in the year.

You cannot walk the beach after dark on your own. Only certified guides take groups out, and the park hands each guide an entry time between about 7 and 9 pm, so you learn yours that evening. Spotters patrol the sand while groups wait at the edge of the vegetation, and when one finds a turtle the guides lead small groups up quietly to watch her lay. The only light used is the guide's infrared torch. The walk lasts about two hours, there is no refund if no turtle shows, and some guides do not take children under four.

The village has no cars, so you reach the start on foot or by water taxi. The beach is not safe for swimming.