Tortuguero National Park is located on the northern tip of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, close to the border with Nicaragua. This name of this park translates in English to “turtle catcher”, and the name is something of a giveaway as to what has given this incredible swathe of terrain its name: turtles. The park gets its name from the region’s earliest settlers, who were responsible for almost entirely depleting the coast’s population of green, hawksbill, loggerhead, and giant leatherback turtles until the Caribbean Conservation Corps turtle research centre was founded in the 1970’s. Tortuguero National Park is one of the most isolated regions in all of Costa Rica as it is only accessible by plane or boat. However, despite the challenge of reaching this amazing network of wetlands, waterways, lagoons and rainforest, it is the third most visited destination in the entire country.
Tortuguero
Travel Guide
