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Costa Rica: Turtle Watching Night Tour with Naturalist Guide

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration3h–4h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Night walks on Costa Rica’s wild coast with turtles nesting nearby

You’ll walk Costa Rica’s wild beaches at night with an expert naturalist guide searching for nesting turtles—maybe leatherbacks or Olive Ridleys—while learning their secrets by moonlight. Includes pickup from Tamarindo, bottled water, and flashlights so you can focus on quiet moments you’ll remember long after you leave.

3h–4h

Step-by-step itinerary

Meet naturalist guide at 5:45pm
Travel 40 minutes north of Tamarindo
Learn about turtle behavior and nesting
Observe up to three turtle species
Follow guide's instructions during turtle activity
Take photos without flash
Do not touch turtles

The Experience

I didn’t expect to feel nervous just walking onto the sand, but something about arriving at that empty stretch north of Tamarindo after sunset — you know, when everything smells like salt and wet earth — made me quiet. Our guide, Carlos, handed out little red flashlights (no white light allowed) and grinned as he told us we might see leatherbacks or maybe Olive Ridleys. He said it depends on the mood of the sea. I liked that.

The drive from Tamarindo was about 40 minutes, long enough for Carlos to tell us about turtle nesting habits and why some beaches get chosen over others. There was this moment when he stopped mid-sentence to point out a tiny movement in the sand — not a turtle yet, just a crab scuttling sideways, but it made us all laugh. It’s strange how you start noticing every sound: waves thumping softly, distant frogs, someone’s shoes crunching shells.

We waited in near darkness while Carlos scanned the beach. When he finally motioned us over (quietly — he kept whispering “despacio”), I saw the curve of a shell in the moonlight. I’d never seen a leatherback up close before; her back looked almost prehistoric. No touching, obviously — Carlos was strict about that — but being so close felt weirdly intimate anyway. I tried to take a photo without flash and ended up with a blurry shadow, but honestly I don’t mind. Sometimes you just have to remember things instead of collecting proof.

I still think about that silent walk back to the van, everyone whispering like we’d just left a church or something. The air smelled like warm grass and salt again. I guess what surprised me most was how small I felt next to those old creatures doing their thing under the stars — and how much I wanted them to keep coming back.

What’s included

Your evening includes hotel pickup in Tamarindo by air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water for comfort during your wait on the sand, and red-filtered flashlights so you can safely spot turtles without disturbing them before returning after midnight.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Discover Tamarindo