Tortuguero National Park

Think all forests are the same? Then you need to pack up your Avanti Car Rental Costa Rica vehicle and head to the Tortuguero National Park, located inside the Tortuguero Conservation Area. The reserve, which is included in the Humedal Caribe Noreste, a wetland area of international importance, is home to an amazing variety of plants and animals, many of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Located in the Limon Province of northeastern Costa Rica, Tortuguero National Park is the third-most visited park in the nation, despite the fact that it can only be accessed by boat or plane.

Getting to the park

The Tortuguero National Park is located on the Caribbean coast, about 52 miles northwest of Limon and about 160 miles from San Jose. There are no roads to Tortuguero; access is restricted to boat or by small plane. To begin your journey, Avanti Car Rental Costa Rica recommends stopping in the village of Tortuguero and contracting a tour guide. Even if you are seasoned independent travelers, it's best to hire a professional when visiting this remote park, due to the difficulties associated with making your own arrangements and the limits on the total number of night-time beach visitors. Admission to the park is $7 at the gate; a discounted four day pass is also available.

Slow and steady wins the race

The main attraction at the Tortuguero National Park are the turtles. In fact, "Tortuguero" translates as "turtle catcher" in English. Avanti Car Rental Costa Rica travelers will find thousands of turtles on the island, including the green sea turtle, leatherbacks, and hawksbills. These majestic creatures flock to the beaches of the park in order to nest. It's possible to see stragglers laying their eggs during the day, but if you want to enjoy the full effect, the staff at Avanti Costa Rica Car Rental highly recommends staking out the beach at night. Mass arrivals occur under the waning moon, at which time, thousands of turtles will leave the ocean and begin burying their eggs. Tours are offered during the nesting season; interested travelers are encouraged to visit the kiosk in the middle of Tortuguero village for more details. Missed the nesting season? Don't worry, you'll likely enjoy and even better sight - the migration of the new hatchlings. The turtles seem to appear almost magically from the sand, at which time they make the long, dark scuttle from the nest, across the beach, and into the surf. The nesting season for the green sea and hawksbill turtles are between July and October, with the peak happening in August. Leatherback turtle nest between February and April. It is possible to see individual turtles all year long inside the park.

Don't forget to investigate the canals

While the park is home to an impressive hiking trail (it's over 1.2 miles long) the best way to see the area is by boat. The extensive network of freshwater creeks and lagoons behind the beaches of Tortuguero are one of the park's main features. Here, car rental Costa Rica travelers will discover tons of curious creatures, including more than 50 different kinds of fish. Spider, howler and capuchin monkeys can also be seen along the edge of the rivers, while beneath the surface, the endangered West Indian manatee can sometimes be seen rummaging for food.

Welcome to paradise

The number of car rental Costa Rica tourists to visit Tortuguero back when it opened in 1963 was just 226. Today, more than 100,000 tourists flock to the park in order to bask in the sheer beauty of the landscape. And while camping isn't permitted in the park, car rental Costa Rica travelers can pitch a tent at the administration headquarters, located at the northern end of Tortuguero village.