Turtle nesting

What it is

A night on the protected beach to witness a green sea turtle lay her eggs. We only offer the green-turtle nesting tour. The other sea turtles that reach Tortuguero are endangered and protected by the National Park — sightings are rare, the season isn’t officially opened for them, and we’d rather not set expectations we can’t meet.

It isn’t a walk. The park’s trackers and spotters patrol the beach; your group waits with the guide in the designated beach shelters. Only once a tracker confirms a female has committed to nesting — she’s begun laying — does the group quietly go out to see her. The whole experience runs up to 2 hours, depending entirely on the night; if the ranger decides the process has been seen, he may ask the group to leave the beach earlier.

This tour is led by local community guides, not naturalist guides — by design, so the experience also gives back to the community.

The rules exist for the turtle

Protection comes first; the chance to see her comes second, and it’s never guaranteed — this is a wild, natural event.

• Dark clothes only — and that includes your raincoat or poncho (a white jacket is as disruptive as a white shirt).
• No lights and no phones. The guide carries the only light, a dim red one.
• Silence, low voices, no strong scents, no smoking or drinking on the beach.
• Closed shoes.

Who it’s for

This tour is not available for children under 3. For children ages 4 and up, we leave the decision entirely to parents’ judgment — knowing that the experience takes place late at night, in complete darkness, on a beach, and requires patience, stillness, and quiet. We want every family to have a wonderful time, and we trust you know your child best.

Pricing is the same for adults and children.

Booking & the park’s refund rule

The park assigns each group a slot — 8:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. — by a kind of lottery; neither you nor we choose the time. Reserve by 2:00 p.m. on the day of the tour (after that we can’t secure your spot). Staying only one night, or want your arrival night? Pre-book via WhatsApp and plan to reach Tortuguero by 5:00 p.m.

The National Park issues no refunds — for any reason. Not illness, not a change of mind, not rain. Once the spot is paid, it can’t be refunded. Arranging it all might look like a hassle from outside; in practice, Mawamba handles every piece. Just say yes; we take it from there.