Driving Directions
From San José, Costa Rica, take the Guapiles highway toward the
city of Limon. Near Limon, at the Bay of Moin, is the beginning of a navigable
canal which leads northward through the Cariari National Wetlands and into
the wilderness area of Tortuguero National Park. Boats are available in Moin,
schedule early morning departures only.
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Park Attractions
Tortuguero is one of Costa Rica's most popular National Parks. It is a
wilderness area with great biological variety. The wildlife is rich and diverse,
with eleven different defined habitats. These include high rainforest, littoral
woodland, slope forest, swamp forest, holillo forest, herbaceous swamp and
herbaceous lagoon. Mammals, birds and fish are numerous.
The habitats for which Tortuguero
National Park is most famous are the coastal and marine areas. Strong Caribbean
currents have provided a long, straight 22 mile expanse of beach which is
a favored nesting ground for sea turtles. Hawksbill, loggerheads, and Pacific Green turtles
nest from July through October. The Leatherback , the largest sea turtle
species in the world, nests from February to July.
Water
is an abundant natural resource with up to 240 inches of rainfall per year. An infinite number of interconnected channels,
waterways, lagoons and lakes are fed by rivers that carry their inland sediment
load to the coast. Occasionally, the sediment filled plain is interrupted
by forested rolling hills, composed of ancient volcanic cinder cones, such
as Tortuguero Hill and the Lomas de Sierpe, which looms over 1,000 feet.
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Park Facilities and Hours
There are three park
stations within Tortuguero National Park, open for visitor attention from 8am to 4pm.
Cuatro Esquinas Headquarters has camping available. It is at the north
end of the park, in the town of Tortuguero. You must pass through here to
get access to the beach area. Three trails are in this area: The El
Gavilan Trail leads southward through the forest about a mile and ends
on the beach. A short walk north along the beach brings you back to the station.
La Ceiba and La Bomba trail take you up Tortuguero hill, to a tower
which provides a scenic vista of the region.
The Sector Jalova Station is on the south end of the park, near Jalova
Lagoon, north of the town of Parismina. The El Tucan Nature Trail begins
at the station and parallels the Cano Negro waterway. Two other trails
provide short nature hikes, Tragon and La Ranita Roja.
The Aguas Frias Station is on the western border of the park. You
can reach it by turning north off the highway at Guapiles, and driving through
the town of Cariari, Pococi. The Los Raudales Nature Trail leads to the scenic
lookout point (1,000') at Lomas del Sierpe.
Nestled between these two large parks, at the mouth of the Tortuguero River,
you will find the town of Tortuguero, as well as the Dr. Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge, which operates a biological station and turtle tagging program run by the Caribbean Conservation Corporation.
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