YOUR COSTA RICA VACATIONTERRIFIC TORTUGUERO
For many people, their Costa Rica vacation is not complete without seeing Tortuguero National Park and, despite its remoteness, this Caribbean park is truly one of Costa Rica’s Seven Wonders. And a great Costa Rica adventure, too.
Set aside as a sanctuary in 1963 and declared a national park in 1970, it’s the largest breeding sanctuary in the Western Hemisphere for magnificent sea turtles, some of which weigh 1,300 pounds! Every year, thousands make a trip to Costa Rica to nest. Though they’ve been around since before the dinosaurs and were once very common in all the oceans except the arctic, today every species is seriously endangered. Tortuguero provides critical nesting areas over a 30 km. stretch of beach for four of the seven sea turtle species and thousands of people go there each year to witness a real spectacle of nature. Every year up to 30,000 green sea turtles lay their eggs on the seemingly endless beaches of Tortuguero between June and October (September is the best month). But, don’t worry. If your Costa Rica vacation is anytime between February and October, one or more species will be on the beaches at night. And, hawksbills lay sporadically throughout the year.     The plane trip takes about half an hour from San Jose and the boat ride takes some three hours of so, but there will be lots to see. If you want to take a boat, go to Limon, a small city on the Caribbean and head out from there. You can also drive to Limon in your car rental, take a plane or bus from San Jose, or go as part of a tour. As you drive from San Jose you might want to take a bit of time and visit
Turrialba Volcano, click.
But, the Park is much more than just sea turtles. It also provides some of the finest areas in the country for wildlife viewing. Many people on their Costa Rica vacations see flocks of parrots flying overhead, magnificent huge, brightly colored macaws, monkeys and sloths in the trees, caimans in the water, and bright red poisonous frogs.
And, if you’re a sport fisherman, you’re in luck here! This is world-class Costa Rica fishing country with incredible numbers of giant tarpon, snook, and just about every other big game fish you can think of. When I say big, it’s not an exaggeration: Costa Rica holds over 100 world records for sports fish. By the way, did I mention there are some big bugs, too? Perhaps they'll join you for cocktails on your Tortuguero Costa Rica vacation. Pura Vida!
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The park also has every species of wild cat in the country, including jaguars, pumas, and ocelots. 
