Sea turtle nesting from July through January on a long, near-empty stretch of sand.
Turtle nesting
Playa Tortuga is a wide, largely undeveloped beach near Ojochal named for the sea turtles that nest here roughly July through January. The sand runs for a long, mostly empty stretch backed by dense jungle, making it a good beach for long walks and beachcombing rather than swimming or surfing. Ojochal's restaurant scene is a short drive inland.
From the Costanera Sur, take the Ojochal entrance and follow signs toward the coast; the beach is a short drive from the village center.
Species: Olive ridley
Nesting season: July to December, peak September-October
A resident conservation project runs a hatchery here and has protected over 140 nests in a season.
Ojochal
Local mangrove boat tour company based about one kilometer south of the Ojochal entrance, running wildlife tours through the Terraba river mangrove system. The company is reachable by phone and email and maintains active Facebook and Instagram pages for booking and updates.
Ojochal
Osa Jet Ski runs guided jet ski tours out of Ojochal, with an ocean route past sea caves and the islets of Isla Ballena and Las Tres Hermanas, and a calmer mangrove route suited to first-time riders. Both tours are guided and include stops for wildlife such as sea turtles, rays, and seasonal whales on the ocean route.
Ojochal
Non-profit research and education center founded in 2009 that protects the olive ridley nesting beach at Playa Tortuga, moving threatened nests into a guarded hatchery and releasing hatchlings. On weekend mornings the reserve runs a public guided walk of its trails and hatchery led by biologist Oscar Brenes, and it also runs a longer-running volunteer program covering night beach patrols during the July-to-December nesting season.