Tortuguero
Arguably one of Costa Rica’s most diverse and exuberant beauties, Tortuguero National Park incorporates dense rainforest, lagoons, swamps and a network of meandering rivers and canals fed from the eastern slopes of the Central Highlands. Accessible only by air or water, this popular eco-tourism retreat is home to more than half of Costa Rica’s bird and reptile species. It’s most popular attraction though is the green sea turtle, drawing many visitors eager to glimpse these intriguing creatures, including loggerhead, hawksbill and leatherback turtles emerging from the Atlantic surf to breed at one of world's most major nesting sites. Tortuguero’s boat tours also provide ample opportunity to spot a vast array of wildlife including toucans, herons, parrots, monkeys, sloth and caiman along its canals.
The nearby village of Cahuita marks the birth place of Costa Rica’s Afro-Caribbean culture, where reggae provides the steady pace of life and days are filled with surfing, fishing, snorkelling in the offshore reef and sampling the delectable flavours of Creole cuisine.