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Turtle Nesting Tour: An Unforgettable Experience on Hidden Beaches
4.6
142 Ratings
Tamarindo
Spend a truly unforgettable evening observing turtles nesting!
- Venture off the beaten track to beautiful, hidden beaches
- Look for turtle tracks in the sand that will lead you to their nesting sites
- Observe sea turtles making their nests on the beach above the high tide mark and laying their eggs, before returning to the ocean
Spend a truly unforgettable evening observing turtles nesting!
- Venture off the beaten track to beautiful, hidden beaches
- Look for turtle tracks in the sand that will lead you to their nesting sites
- Observe sea turtles making their nests on the beach above the high tide mark and laying their eggs, before returning to the ocean
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Playa Mina - We’ll pick you up from your location in Tamarindo before driving approximately 17 miles / 25km or 40 minutes through scenic tracks to a hidden beach, close to the beautiful Playa Minas. Once parked, the turtle nesting beach is only accessible via a 10-15 minute walk. As the beach is inaccessible by car it remains dark and undisturbed…
- Playa Mina - We’ll pick you up from your location in Tamarindo before driving approximately 17 miles / 25km or 40 minutes through scenic tracks to a hidden beach, close to the beautiful Playa Minas. Once parked, the turtle nesting beach is only accessible via a 10-15 minute walk. As the beach is inaccessible by car it remains dark and undisturbed for nesting sea turtles. This is why they choose to nest on this beach.
On reaching the beach we’ll walk looking for turtle tracks, which will lead us to where the turtles are making their nests. We’ll then sit facing the back of the turtle. observe them deposit their eggs and return to the water; a truly unforgettable experience!
It is possible to see more than one kind of turtle; including the green, black, olive ridley and if we’re lucky the leatherbacks too.
We respect the turtles at all times by closely following rules laid out by the government conservation authorities so as not to be noticed by the turtles while observing them very closely.
We’ll spend approximately an hour on the beach before returning to drop you off at your location in Tamarindo.
Minimum 2 bookings are needed for the tour to operate.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Flashlight
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Flashlight
What's Not Included
- Gratuity
- Long sleeve top and trousers, must be dark clothing as not to distract the turtles
- Comfortable shoes for walking
- Mosquito Repellent
- Gratuity
- Long sleeve top and trousers, must be dark clothing as not to distract the turtles
- Comfortable shoes for walking
- Mosquito Repellent
Location
Pangas Beach Club
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(142 Ratings)
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Stephanied1984
Jan 12, 2026
Turtle laying eggs! - This was something I was looking forward to, our tour guide. Luis was very easy to make arrangements with and we were able to follow him to the beach once arriving. We watched the sunset and then waited for the turtles. He was able to talk with other tour guides and move us to a beach where there was a lot more action. We saw a total of four turtles and one even lay her eggs. Loved every minute. It does take a long time for the trouble to dig and lay. This is not recommended for children and you must have patience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N9862ulmikes
Jan 10, 2026
Turtle Utopia - One of the most unique and beautiful experiences of our lives. The habitat, beach, sunset, stars, waves and nesting were simultaneously awe-inspiring and peaceful. Our guide Luis is a great communicator and shared a wealth of knowledge about turtles. Some advice if you want to see turtles nesting. BOOK THIS TOUR and expect to not be on a crowded beach with hundreds of other tourists. We had so much time watching the nesting and it was not crowded. Be patient and quiet and listen to Luis…I am confident you will leave with memories you will never be able to find elsewhere.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daniel
Jan 4, 2026
Interesting experience - The guide Luis is very competent and professional and also patient to answer all questions of the Group. Good experience, I recommend it
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oksana_t
Jan 2, 2026
Great tour and unique experience - We had a great experience with Luis! We had seen 2 turtles on that night, one of them up close, which was nesting. Luis has provided a lot of info about the turtles, had offered a pick up in Tamarindo (our car could not go off road to the destination) and was overall fun with good vibes. I definitely recommend booking this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Kailee
Dec 26, 2025
Epic Way to Make Memories in Costa Rica - Our family traveled from Ohio, USA to Costa Rica for Christmas. We booked the sea turtle tour, and we highly recommend it! Luis was fun and knowledgeable. Aside from the actual sea turtles, the whole experience was so fun. Luis knows SO MUCH about turtles, and the crew is very respectful of mother nature. They're going to make sure the sea turtles remain undisturbed while the group still gets to experience them. I recommend this tour! My only regret is that my 6 year old got tired and cranky early, so we had to have Luis walk us back early. Definitely rest up before the tour and take bug spray. Thank you, again, Luis, for being so wonderful!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_d
Dec 25, 2025
Amazing experience - First of all Luis was super communicative and prompt. We learned a lot about turtles on our short and very comfortable trip to the secluded beach. Mostly in a vehicle then a short walk. When we got to the beach we saw the end of the sunset, then as the moonlight illuminated the area we saw at least 6 large turtles come on shore and nest. And, for the grand finale were able to observe very close up the whole egg laying process. AMAZING! This was a highlight of our trip, and Luis was really great from pick up to drop off. Would absolutely recommend for anyone looking for something amazing and real!
Review provided by Viator
Jande06
Dec 24, 2025
Amazing Tour with Luis - The tour with Luis was amazing! Our family of 3 enjoyed every moment! We saw a nesting turtle laying eggs, another turtle returning to the ocean, as well as another turtle coming in from the ocean to prepare a nest. Luis provided interesting facts and answered all questions. Would definitely recommend this experience to family and friends.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amy
Dec 20, 2025
Great tour! - Great tour! We got to see two turtles, one of which was in the nesting process. The guide gave us lots of information on the turtles and made sure we had the best experience possible.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John
Dec 19, 2025
Pacific Turtles in December - All went well. Luis improvised when no turtles appeared at the beach. Good trip. We got value for the trip. Luis explained the natural history of Pacific green turtles was very careful about protecting them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicholasmn1642zb
Dec 16, 2025
Great location, knowledgeable guide, a bit disrespectful to the turtles - Guide was very knowledgeable if a little pushy to take part in other activities he offers.
Learned a good deal about the turtles, and the beach he took us to was a great setting, but also felt that we were too close to the nesting animals and were disturbing these creatures at, presumably, the most stressful time of their lives.
Would be improved by just asking the group to stand further back and observe from a distance; instead we were asked to follow the turtles more closely than some of us were comfortable with.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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