Tortuguero: “region of turtles”

Exuberant, paradisiacal, mystical a natural network of scenic and navigable waterways. One of the most exotic and beautiful region of Costa Rica, rich in flora and fauna.

Tortuguero is the most important nesting area for the green turtles (Chelonia mydas) which come every year to lay their eggs along this coast.

Tortuguero is one of Costa Rica’s best known parks, and not without reason. It provides the visitor a chance to view a diverse array of wildlife while traveling by boat on a series of waterways, including a section of the famous Limón to the Nicaragua border canal. The canal was constructed in the 1930s to provide a more economical and safe way of transporting timber than the old method, which was to tie logs together and tow them to Limón via the ocean. The park protects examples of a surprisingly diverse array of plant associations, including swamp forests, lowland rain forests, and beaches. It’s also one of the best places in the country to witness sea turtles nesting, the beaches here being one of the most important sites for the green sea turtle in the Caribbean.

Most of the park is low alluvial floodplain (sea level to 20m) which extends far inland, and is occasionally interrupted by isolated volcanic hills of 100, 300 m. An intricate network of black water canals and creeks dissect palm swamps and mixed rainforest throughout the region. The natural vegetation of the area progresses from the poorly drained swamp forests in the lowlands near the coast to tropical wet and pre montane forests further inland at higher elevations. Forest species composition gradually shifts from coastal scrub to huge expanses of Raphia palm swamp and mixed species along waterway margins, to tall multi layered evergreen forests. Canopy trees may exceed 60m in height with girths of 1, 2m, some with massive buttressing. Species diversity of both plants and animals is very high here among the highest in Costa Rica.

Abundant wildlife inhabits Tortuguero, including 57 species of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles, and 60 species of mammals. More than 300 species of birds live in Tortuguero for all or part of the year. Birdwatchers commonly see keel billed toucans, slaty tailed trogons, Montezuma oropendulas and a variety of parrots. Birds common along the canals include green and great blue herons, egrets, belted kingfishers, anhingas, jacanas, sun grebes and several species of hawks and kites. Other animals commonly seen are fishing bats, three toed sloths, iguanas, basilisk lizards, poison dart frogs, and howler, white faced and spider monkeys. The tracks of river otters, collared peccaries, and Baird’s tapirs are often seen on the banks of rivers and canals. Caiman are commonly observed in the waterways, which also are home to gar fish, manatees, crocodiles, crustaceans, and an occasional bullshark, Jaguars, ocelots, and kinkajou.

Other interesting species could be found here include the endangered manatee, jaguar, and at least 309 species of birds. Bird life on the canal is varied, so say the least. Many species that are difficult to see in the forest are much easier to observe. During the fall and spring migration periods, spectacular numbers of North American species pass through the area en route to South America. These include orioles, warbles, and large numbers of Swainson’s hawks. Permanent residents include several species of kingfishers, herons, and rails. Less commonly seen species include the great green macaw, which replaces the scarlet macaw of the Pacific side of the country. Both species are endangered, and Tortuguero is one of the great green’s last strongholds. They can sometimes be seen crossing the canal, particularly in the evening and early morning as they move from feeding to roosting sites in raucous flocks of up to fifteen individuals.