Best time of the year to witness this is August through December when the rainy season is heaviest in that region.   The Arribada occurs at the start of the last quarter moon during the months of August through December.  One could notice hundreds of turtles gathering close to shore several days before they begin to rush upon the sandy shores to lay their eggs.  They come out of the water all at once,  onto the sandy beach,  sometimes running over one another.  They begin in the very late afternoon and  continue coming  all night, until day light.  “Quite a sight to see”!  There they dig into the sand and lay their eggs.

road map for Ostional wildlife refuge located on Pacific side Costa Rica

Where is Ostional Wildlife Refuge located and how do I get there?   It is located on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. See map.  It can be reached by 4×4 vehicle from Nosara or from San Juanillo.   This is the province of Guanacaste, in the northwestern pacific coast of Costa Rica.   Drive from Liberia International airport in northern Costa Rica  around 1 hour and a half.  Drive from San Jose around four hours.

However in a very very heavy rainfall, the beach area may not be accessible.

If you are planning a vacation to Costa Rica and want to see first hand many of the most beautiful beaches,  rain forests, and wildlife refuges to help better plan your vacation then go to the home page of costaricalearn.com   At top of page click on buy our  costa rica travel video. You can view  the 2 min trailer of the full length  58 minute video  “Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular” filmed by my husband Ken Creed whose travel adventure film credits include “Alaska” which was chosen by the National Geographic Society to be shown at  its travel adventure film series at Constitutional Hall in Washington DC.

Giant Fern Tree Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Monteverde Costa Rica is filled with tourist from all over the world from January through March which is the time it rains less.  It is located high in the cloudy rain forest, atop the continental divide and about 110 miles from San Jose, the capital city.  The only access is by road and the road (from the Interamerican highway (highway 1) is about 26  miles (43 km) of dirt, rocks and gravel taking  over one hour to navigate.   How to get to Monteverde?  Take the Interamerican Highway north.  22 miles past the Puntarenas turnoff–on the Interamerican Highway are signs which are not easy to see so go slow and look carefully.  If you get to the Lagarto River you have gone too far.   It will be a right turn onto a dirt and gravel road  going for 26 miles winding up into the Cordillera de Tiliran mountain range until you arrive to the small town of Santa Elena (Monteverde)  Allow 4 hours drive from San Jose and do not do the drive at night.

A group of Quakers from Alabama came to settle here in the 1950s as a place free from militarism.  They supported themselves by making cheese from the milk cows they raised.  Today this cheese is famous all over Costa Rica and can be purchased in most of the local grocery stores.

The infrastructure in and around Monteverde is basic.  Many of the roads remain unpaved.  You feel very peaceful here because it does have feel over developed by large hotel chains.  The accommodations are small and many of them are locally run.  The more upscale is the Hotel Sapo Dorado, Pension Heliconia,  and Hotel Belmar.  Also you will find many smaller pension type accommodations run by the locals.

What are the big attractions here?  1.  The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve- This reserve is home to the Resplendent Quetzal, the most spectacular bird in the tropics.  It is a large bird with  long iridescent  green tail feathers.  The Mayan people of Guatemala believed the Quetzal to be the “Bird of Life” and symbolized supreme freedom.   These birds are not easy to spot and one should hire a local guide if you want to see one.

2. And of course you will find tourist attractions  such as zip line tours (Canopy Tours)  and walks over swinging bridges, butterfly farms, hummingbird gallery, snake exhibits, orchid gardens, horseback riding,  and the Quaker cheese factory tour.   You should stay a minimum of three nights to experience this place.

The weather is very cool and humid since it is in a cloud forest so you need a rain jacket and warm clothes plus very comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots.

Many restaurants are scattered around town.  And most hotels include a full breakfast in their room price.  Unique is the homemade granola made fresh daily from 100%  locally grown  ingredients. If you are there on the weekend be sure to go to the Santa Elena local farmers market where  you will find all the home grown vegetables and fruits.  Many of them are organically grown, plus you can interact with the locals.

Monteverde has some very nice art galleries, feathering beautiful work  by local artisans.    Just ask at your hotel.  This is a small community and the galleries are easy to locate.

Monteverde is also famous for the “Golden Toads” which are now believed to be extinct.  Scientist do not know why but speculate that a fungus killed them.

If you are traveling to Costa Rica and are looking for a laid back destination to experience the rain forest and unspoiled natural beauty then put Monteverde on your itinerary.  Tips: 1. Rains a lot here especially August, Sept, Oct.  Best to visit January through April when it rains less.  Also more tourist come in these months and there is more activity-restaurants etc.   2. You need a 4×4 if you are renting a vehicle to drive there.    3.  public bus goes daily to Monteverde from San Jose  and back to San Jose.

I would spend the money and hire a local guide who knows where all the birds and wildlife can be located.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Ostional Costa Rica

“The Phases of the Moon, Rainfall, and Black Volcanic Sand of the Beaches at Ostional”  “Arribada” Costa Rica

Traveling to Costa Rica and want to see the nesting rituals of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle?  Then come in the months of August through December when there is more rainfall on the central Pacific Nicoya Peninsula at a place called Ostional Beach.  It is located near the town of Nosara.

A phenomenon called “arribada” occurs.  This is a Spanish word meaning arrival.  Hundreds or even thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive  upon these dark sandy beaches to nest and lay their eggs.

The largest arribada recorded was in 1995 when 500,000 turtles came onto this fifteen km stretch of beach and laid up to ten million eggs.

The Costa Rican gov has established a protected area for these sea turtles called The Ostional Wildlife Refuge.

After 45-55 days the eggs hatch and the small turtles race to the ocean.  After approx 15 years these same turtles return to this place of their birth and lay their eggs into the black volcanic sands of Ostional.

If you would like to read more of costaricalearn.com interesting and educational articles about Costa Rica and Costa Rica Travel go to the home page and take a look at the CATEGORIES  You may find something there that will be of interest to you.

adult sloth at Puerto Viejo on Southern Caribbean coastline

If you are thinking of traveling to Costa Rica to the Southern Caribbean Coast then you need to read all the valuable information about  this web site that I am going to tell you about.

It’s called greencoast.com and was designed and managed by a network of small hotels and locally owned tour companies of this area.  From Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo. This web site includes only community owned businesses that adhere to responsible and green minded ecotourism policies.

It’s all about:  1.  The southern Caribbean’s palm fringed beaches   2. It’s  rain forest  filled with sloths, toucans, and howler monkeys.  3. The Indigenous community of the people of Talamanca. 4. Locally owned and operated small hotels  5.  Locally owned and operated tour operators with knowledgeable local guides.

costaricalearn.com  organizes it’s information into categories which you can find on page one.  Please take a look at these categories to help you find valuable information on many topics related to Costa Rica tourism and also All About Living and Retiring in Costa Rica.

If you want to learn more about Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast  go to  www.greencoast.com

Map Las Baulas National Marine Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

SPEAK FOR THESE CREATURES WHICH CAN NOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

The leatherback sea turtle is the world’s largest sea turtle and is in danger of becoming extinct. In Costa Rica, it nests on the beaches of Tortuguero National Park during  the months of March through May.  One can go with a park ranger at night to see these turtles nesting but you may not take photos  because the light disturbs the turtles.    These turtles have survived for over one hundred million years but now are considered endangered and are under protection because their numbers are decreasing around the world.  The Leatherback sea turtle can be found in every ocean in the world except the Arctic Ocean and and Antarctic  Ocean.

If you are vacationing in Costa Rica during the months of February through May you have a great chance to see Leatherback sea turtle  nesting in the southern Caribbean coastlines of Costa Rica.  Especially in a protected area called Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Reserve on the very southern tip of Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coastline.

Also the Leatherback sea turtle  nests on the Northwestern Pacific beaches of Costa Rica in large number in Las Baulas National Park during the months of November through April.
This area is especially popular with tourists because  it is near by the popular tourist town of Tamarindo where tourist from all over world come to enjoy the sunshine and the warm Pacific Ocean.

There are many reasons that the Leatherback sea turtle is endangered.  1.  Eggs are stolen from the nesting sites for consumption by the locals.  They claim the eggs are  aphrodisiacs.
Killed in fishing lines and struck by boats.  3. Coastal developments damage and destroy nesting sites.  Examples of this is homes and condos being built along the beach, bringing  large numbers of people who interfere with the turtles nesting rituals.
4. Global Warming which warms the temperatures of the oceans is affecting the food supply of the leatherback.  Also,  large amounts of plastics are  being dumped into  the oceans by boats and the leatherback sea turtle  thinks it is good to eat, but it is very harmful to the turtles digestive system.

It is estimated that only one in one thousand hatchlings survive to adulthood.

How can We  help Protect the Leatherback Sea Turtle? By joining the efforts of The World Wildlife Fund  which works with fisheries around the world to decrease the numbers being caught.  Also local communities ban together and protect critical nesting sites.  We see this in Tortuguero, Costa Rica on the Northwest Caribbean Coast and  also in the Northwestern Beaches of Guanacaste where the Costa Rica government has established the Las Baulas National Park to work with the locals to protect these turtles and also to give tourist an opportunity to learn about the world’s largest marine turtle.

Tourism to Costa Rica has brought a large number of dollars into the country and  part of this money  has been used wisely by the Costa Rican government to help develop these National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.    Costa Rica Learn strives to provide those of you thinking of a vacation in Costa Rica with on going helpful travel tips and other valuable information on travel to Costa Rica.  Our information  is categorized on page one of our web page.  so please check out these categories to find information on your  topic of interest.

It is difficult to realize just how large the leatherback sea turtle is by looking at the photo below.  They can grow to a shell length  of 1.7 meters and weight up to 900 kg (approx 2,000 lb). Indeed the largest sea turtle on earth!

Learn more about Las Baulas National Marine Park at  www.costarica-nationalparks.com/lasbaulasnational marinepark.html

Endangered Leatherback Sea Turtle, Costa Rica

Quetzal Monteverde Costa Rica

On your travels to Costa Rica are you planning to go to Monteverde?  If so you may be lucky and see the most beautiful bird in the rain forest, the resplendent Quetzal. Yes, Quetzals can be found deep in the Monteverde Cloud Forest reserve.  They make their nests in holes in the trees.  The female lays two light blue eggs. Then both she and the male take turns sitting on the eggs to incubate them.

The quetzal is found in the highland cloud forest from Mexico all the way down through Central America.   To the Mayas and the Aztecs, the quetzal was sacred.  They used the tail feathers from the male in their headdresses.  Guatemala’s  monetary unit is called the quetzal.

In was in the month of August that I was very lucky and spotted a Quetzal  not long after I started my hike into the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.  What a sight!  It was a male with his long tail feathers, seeming about two feet long.  Our guide said we were extremely lucky because this bird is reclusive and very hard to spot.

bungalow for tourist at Rancho margot

Rancho Margot located near the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica is home to one of the most exciting development projects in the country.  It is the brainchild of Juan Sostheim who came to Costa Rica from Chile to retire, but instead created Rancho Margot,  a self sustainable, self sufficient working ranch.  Juan has opened it to tourist to come and see how all this is done and  enjoy the peace and tranquility of the rain forest setting.  There are fourteen bungalows where you sleep and enjoy the gorgeous views from your own front porch.  Then you get a guided tour of the ranch, take a guided hike into the rain forest,   or take a horseback tour to the highest peak to see the mighty Arenal Volcano  erupting .  The lovely open air restaurant serves typical Costa Rica food which is fresh and delicious, most of it grown organically right there on the ranch.

At Rancho Margot electricity is produced by water driven turbines.  There is a very swift river running right down the middle of the property surrounded by thick jungle rain forests filled with monkeys and colorful tropical birds.  Dairy cows are raised for cheese and milk.  Orchards and organic gardens are sown for the fruits and vegetables.   Chickens are raised  for their eggs.  Biodigestors convert animal waste into energy.   Cell phone and internet service is all there because  Juan installed several satellites around the ranch in order to get the service.

Juan is very active in the local community.  He has reforested hillsides, purchased shuttle buses, hired English teachers for the local school children.   He built an animal rescue center on the ranch with a veterinary clinic.

Rancho Margot welcomes researchers, horticulturists, students, volunteers, backpackers and high-end tourists as well.

Also there is a yoga center built built on stilts overlooking the beautiful river.

Transportation is provided from La Fortuna.

Mimi, the tiny spider monkey (shown in the above photo) was brought into Juan’s rescue center after having been injured.  He was treated by the vet and now after two weeks is doing well.

You can learn all about Rancho Margot at www.ranchomargot.org

We at costaricalearn strive to inform you of unique tourist destinations in Costa Rica which are very reasonably priced and offer high quality service.  We welcome you comments.  At the end of this post simply click  on comments or go to the top of this page and click on contact us.

Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge covers about 400 hectaries (a very large area)  was created to protect the vast Mangrove swamps in the area, at the request of the locals who saw the large high rise developments going up near Tamarindo and were afraid that this would continue on up to the Grande Beach and other beautiful and serene beaches to the north of Tamarindo.

There are several species of mangrove that flourish on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  The black mangrove, the white mangrove,  the tea mangrove, and the buttonwood mangrove.  Many birds made their home in these mangroves.  The most commonly seen are the great egret, white ibis, great blue heron, and the Muscovy duck.

Las Baulas National Park comprises three beaches, Grande Beach, Ventana Beach, and Langosta Beach.  Grande Beach which is part of the Tamarindo wildlife refuge, is one of the most important nesting sites for the leather back turtle, and the park was created in part to protect these turtles.   The turtles come here  to nest from November through April.

The leather back turtle is the largest of all sea turtles growing up to two meters long and weighing up to 700 kg. It’s the only turtle that has a very thick skin cover, very much like leather.  As many as 200 of these turtles may lay their eggs in one night.

Playa Grande (Beach)  is popular with tourists because of it’s long span of unspoiled beach with light brown sand.  The waters are calm enough for swimming and sometimes the waves are large enough for surfing.  You can see animals that live in the beach sand such as hermit crabs, ghost crabs, and mouth less crabs.

Where is Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge and Las Baulas National Park  located?  In the NW Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Nicoya Peninsula.  It is just north of the  beach town of Tamarindo.

Many people come here for bird watching.  There are so many birds such as sandpipers, brown pelicans, frigate birds,  and the roseate spoonbill, plus several different kinds of seagulls.  Early morning is the best time to see the most birds.

Howler monkeys also make their home in the park.

Best time of year to visit.  Well if you want to see the turtles nesting then November through April.

Year round the weather is nice here, but on the hot side.  Around 80 degrees F.   This area of Costa Rica gets less rainfall than the other parts of the country so you generally see sunny mornings.  May through November you will get late afternoon thunderstorms.

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Created in 1985 the refuge  has a unique feather in that it allows local communities to continue to live within the park.

South of Puerto Viejo we come to the Cocles River.  Here is where Refuge National de Vida Silvestre Gandoca Manzanillo  begins and continues south to the Sixola River, at the Panamanian border.

What is the main attraction?  Well, there are many but the most famous is the park’s coastline lined with fine, beige-white sand beaches and aquamarine waters, where you will see swimmers as well as surfers.  However, beware of the riptides  (undertows)   Ask the locals before entering the water or ask where the calm waters for swimming are located.

What if I want to go snorkeling or scuba diving?  Yes, there is spectacular beauty under the water, located only about 200 meters off shore!   Especially February through April when there is less river silt run off.  There are so many different species of coral and sponges, algae, and mollusk.  Plus sea cucumbers and  Venus sea fans.  Most popular area for snorkeling is Punta Mona but you need to hire a boat ,  the distance is too far to walk.  If you decide to snorkel on you own be very careful of the riptides! To get a diving excursion check with the Coral Reef information center  (Aquamor Talamanca Adventures)   2 759 0612  www.greencoast.com/aquamor.htm

The Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge  was formed to protect many living things. 1. lowland  rain forest, home to the many species of birds and animals  found here.  In the months of November and December you can see millions of migratory birds flying over head.  2. quiet swamps and  988 acres of marshlands  are home to  Costa Rica’s  sajo tree and the holio palm. (no other place in Costa Rica do you find these trees).  3.  the red mangroves,  found only in this spot in Costa Rica. They provide protection to a natural oyster bed, and is the only intact mangrove swamp on the Atlantic.  4. on the south side of the refuge, the Gandoca River Estuary is home to spawning Atlantic  tarpon and West Indian manatees, as well as crocodiles.

The green sea turtle and the leatherback sea turtle nest here during the months of March to July with a peak in April and May.

Inland , rolling farmland blends into dense lowland rain forest. We can see white face monkeys. howler monkeys, two and three toed sloths,  and iguanas.

Highly recommended to see the most variety of plants and animals as well as marine life in Costa Rica!  Hire a naturalist guide to get the best experience.

How to Get There? Go east from San Jose to the city of Limon.  Before entering the city you will turn south to Cahuita, then Puerto Vieja, then Manzanillo.  The park is located 7 miles (12 km) south of Puerto Viejo.  And it is not very accessible.  Many of the roads that lead to the park are dirt and gravel.  The sign are not very good so just stop and ask if you feel lost.

The  refuge encompasses three small villages Punt Uva,  Punta Mona, Home Creek, and Manzanillo.

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Weather in southern Caribbean coast Hot and humid.  Rains a lot here.  Driest months are September, October, and March.  But it is hard to predict the rain.

If you rent a car to get to Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Reserve,  it should be a 4×4.

You can take a public bus direct, from the San Jose public bus station Caribe or  Caribbean.   Taxi drivers in San Jose will know how to drive you there. Takes around 4 hours.

white face monkey

red mangroves

wood stork

Let’s travel to Costa Rica to Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge.  It’s the middle  of December and the weather is gorgeous with lots of sunshine. We leave early in the morning from San Jose  and travel north on the Inter American Highway (Highway 1)  We will drive first to the Arenal Volcano Areas where we will spend the night and this drive will take us around 3.5 hours.  We take the quick route which is the San Ramon exit.  At the end of this article I will give the detailed directions on this route.

In La Fortuna we stop at Sunset Tours  www.sunsettourcr.com on the square and book our early morning  day tour to Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge, because December is one of the best  months to see the hundreds of migratory birds that stop here to feed.    December, January, and February is when these migratory birds, flying from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere  stop over in these lagoons to eat the plants and small fish.  In La Fortuna we  choose Volcano Lodge to sleep   www.volcanolodge.com because it is located only 5 miles from La Fortuna on the main road so it’s easy for Sunset Tours to pick us up.  Plus the price is right for our budget,  approx. $100 for a double with breakfast included and what gorgeous gardens they have and the rooms are very very comfortable.  A great value in a small hotel and view to the Arenal is spectacular!

Next morning we are picked up at 7:30 a.m.  for our 1.5 hour journey to Cano Negro and what a beautiful drive this is!  Lush green papaya farms, bananas, and pineapple plantations.  A feast for the eyes.   Upon arrival we board a 20 passenger boat with a canopy overhead to protect us from the strong tropical sun.  And down the Rio Frio River we go.

What is the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge? It is a  shallow marshy wetland, the third largest wetland in the world,  abundant with plants and small fish, and other wildlife.  It is formed  from the overflow of two rivers, the Rio Frio River and its tributary the smaller Monica River.   This overflow happens at the end of Costa Rica’s heavy rainy season.  ( which lasts from May through November)   There is a lot of water in the marshlands  until around end of Feb. (this is dry season)  when the wet marshes begin to dry up. And stay dry until the rainy season begins again in May.

Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is the heart of a new UNESCO biosphere reserve named “Water And Peace.” A biosphere reserve is an area of great natural wealth.  Here conservation of natural resources  and the rational use of these ecosystems is promoted by the local communities.  It covers a hugh area of 916,000 hectares  among navigatable rivers, wetlands,  and tropical humid forest.

Why do Tourist want to visit Cano Negro National Wildlife Reserve? The main reason is the see the hundreds of migratory birds that make it their feeding ground.  These birds migrate from the northern regions of North America all the way south to South America and they stop here to rest and feed.  These birds are here from around  first week of December   through around middle  of March.  But the best time of year to visit is mid December through mid February to get to see the most birds.

Among the many  birds we see are ibis, cormorants,  several species of storks,  herons,  roseate spoonbills,  American wigeon, blue winged teal,  tree ducks,  snail kite,  and the Nicaraguan grackle.  This is a bird watcher’s paradise!

Also has  abundant wildlife.  We see monkeys- the spider monkey and the howler.  Crocodiles, black river turtles, green iguanas, and Jesus Christ lizards.

Summary. If you want to see the most birds you come here mid December thru around end of February.  If you come any other month of the year you will see the wildlife-monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, but the number of birds you will see will be much  fewer.

Best way to see Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge is to take a day tour from La Fortuna, Arenal areas with Sunset tours.  They are on the web  click here:  www.sunsettours.com

What if I want to come on my own to visit the refuge. You can do that too but there are no public facilities there, no hotels etc.  You can go to Los Chiles by car and ask the locals directions to the boat dock  (no far away) on the Rio Frio River and  get on one of the tour boats and pay there.

What clothing should I wear? It’s hot here so you need cool clothes and I recommend you wear tennis shoes.  Sun Screen, sunglasses, sun hat, mosquitoe repellent, camera, and bottled water.  The day tour will include lunch.  The boat is covered so if it rains you are safe.

What is the weather like at Cano Negro National Wildlife Reserve, Costa Rica? The weather is hot year round.  Around 80 plus degrees.  There is a dry season and a rainy season here.  Rainy season May through November and dry season December through April.  Usually we get sunny mornings and the rains starts  around 1 p.m. and lasts for a few hours.   Average rainfall is 98″ per year, a lot less than other areas of  Costa Rica.

What is the quickest and easiest route from San Jose to Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna? Go north on the Interamerican highway (highway 1)  Take the San Ramon Exit  (around 20 miles fron San Jose) go straight thru San Ramon and look for sign to Arenal Volcano.  You will travel mountainous winding roads with gorgeous scenery. You will pass thru  little towns but if you feel confused just stop and inquire  “how do I get to Arenal”  The locals are friendly and helpful.  From San Ramon the drive is around 2.5 hours to Arenal-La Fortuna  The entire drive from the San Jose areas is about 3.5 hours.  Don’t drive at night because of the winding mountain roads and fog.

Can I fly from San Jose to La Fortuna? Yes     click here    wwwflysansa.com

www.natureair.com