Night tour. Sea turtle nesting
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
- 2 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
What's Included
- flash light
- Entrance.A$7.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
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End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Tortuguero
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- not recommended for wheelchair travelers
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Martin_V
Really cool experience git to see a turtle hatching eggs and another one leaving to the sea, would recommend to everyone, guide was very friendly
Reviews
4.8
based on 54 reviews
Amy_T, Aug 2026
Dino was an excellent guide, he had a good system in making sure everyone could see when we got to the site. He got us there before other groups. He provided good information.
Just be aware, when they say torches provided it’s just the guide’s personal torch. If you have a red light torch I’d recommend bringing it, because you won’t get a personal one.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you very much for sharing your experience and for your kind words about Dino. We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that he made sure everyone had a good view of the turtles. 🐢❤️
Regarding the flashlight, we would just like to clarify that this is a regulation established by Tortuguero National Park. Tourists are not allowed to enter the beach with their own flashlights, including red-light flashlights. Only certified guides are authorized to carry and use the appropriate red light during the turtle observation.
This rule is in place to protect the turtles and minimize any disturbance during the nesting process. We really appreciate your feedback, and we will make sure to explain this regulation more clearly to our guests beforehand.
Thank you again for choosing us and for helping us protect these incredible animals! 🐢🌿
Pierre_N, Aug 2026
We had a friendly guide and were lucky enough to see a sea turtle nesting, which was a very special experience. However, the atmosphere felt far less magical than we had expected. There seemed to be around 50 people on the beach, all waiting in line for their turn to watch.
Of course, we understand that many people want to experience this, and we were part of that crowd ourselves. Still, the large number of visitors made the moment feel less intimate and personal, and gave the whole experience a slightly strange, almost staged atmosphere.
In total, we probably spent only about five to seven minutes watching the turtle, split into very short viewing periods of one or two minutes. After each turn, we had to go back to the end of the queue, which made the experience feel rather fragmented.
Before we were taken to see the turtle, we had to wait for quite a long time in the dark, surrounded by many other people, without knowing exactly when the experience would begin. Of course, we understand that nature follows its own schedule and that the turtles do not appear on demand. Still, visitors should be made more aware beforehand that a considerable amount of waiting may be involved.
This waiting time could perhaps have been used better. It would have been a good opportunity to share more interesting information about the turtles, the conservation work or the nesting process, or to find another thoughtful way of making the wait feel more meaningful.
In the end, visitors should be aware that seeing the turtle for only a few minutes can take up an entire evening and continue well into the night. For us, the amount of time involved, together with the price, felt somewhat disproportionate to the actual viewing time.
At the same time, it was encouraging to see how seriously turtle conservation is taken in Tortuguero. The safety regulations were followed very strictly, and it was clear that protecting the animals was the top priority. We genuinely appreciated that.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. We are happy to hear that you were able to witness a sea turtle nesting and that you appreciated our guide and the conservation efforts in Tortuguero.
We understand that waiting and sharing the beach with other visitors can feel different from what some people imagine. However, this experience takes place in Tortuguero National Park, a protected natural area, where our priority is always the safety and protection of the turtles. The nesting process cannot be controlled or scheduled, as we are observing wildlife in its natural habitat.
Our guides do their best to make the waiting time informative by sharing knowledge about sea turtles, the nesting process, and conservation. The short viewing time is also regulated to reduce stress on the turtles and ensure that this incredible experience can continue for future generations.
We truly appreciate your respect for the conservation rules and your recognition that protecting these animals is the most important part of the experience. Thank you for joining us and for helping us share the reality of responsible wildlife tourism.
Curtis_P, Jul 2026
Carla was great! We got to see parts of each stage of the nesting process. Be aware that what you see will depend on the turtles which the guides have no control over.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
> Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for choosing to book with us! We are thrilled to hear that you had a great experience and got to witness the nesting process. You are completely right—nature is beautifully unpredictable, and we truly appreciate your understanding of that. It was a pleasure hosting you, and we hope to welcome you back in the future!
adam_b, Jun 2026
This was a bit of a waste of time. I know that animal spotting tours can be tough since they don’t always appear when you want them to. However, our guide barely spoke to us. We just walked slong at a quick pace while he tacitly shined a red light a few times. I know you can’t be loud or it will scare the turtles, but jeez…find a way to make it interesting. We are in good shape, but he asked twice if we were tired….which seemed like it was the only point. Maybe they try to tire guests out so they want to be dione. As a former tour guide myself, i know you hsve to make it interesting and talk to your guests or provide some sort of adventure. Otherwise, whats the point? No offense, but this should not happen in the early turtle season, or the guides should make it more than a random walk in the dark.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I sincerely apologize that your experience during our sea turtle nesting tour did not meet your expectations, especially coming from a fellow former tour guide. We deeply value the insights of professionals in our industry.
Please be assured that this does not reflect our usual standards of service. I was personally out of town during your visit and had to delegate the tour to an external guide. However, your feedback regarding the lack of engagement, the rushed pace, and the overall narrative is completely unacceptable to us. A wildlife observation tour should always be educational and engaging, even when respecting the silence required for the animals.
I will be addressing this directly with the guide involved to ensure it does not happen again. We would love the opportunity to make this right. Please contact us directly so we can discuss a proper resolution.
Best regards,
Tortuguero Chelonia Tours
Martin_V, Jul 2025
Really cool experience git to see a turtle hatching eggs and another one leaving to the sea, would recommend to everyone, guide was very friendly
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us.
Pura vida!🐢🐢🐢
Ellyn_J, Jul 2025
Arranging the time to meet was a bit confusing until we understood that it depended on the nature preserve rangers spotting a turtle. We learned about how the turtle lays the eggs. When we were notified, we moved quickly along the path to the beach and turtle location. Absolutely beautiful and amazing, seeing the giant turtle lay her eggs and begin the process of camouflaging them. A beautiful sight!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us.
Pura vida!🐢🐢🐢
esperanza_s, Sep 2026
Es muy interesante, tanto por ver a las tortugas desovar, como por la labor tan importante que hacen tanto lxs rastreadorxs,como voluntarios,como guias.
Es genial que alguien hace muchos años creyera en este proyecto y cambiará la forma de conservar este lugar y salvar esta especie animal, frente al capitalismo,es decir hay capitalismo también en todo esto,pero en lugar de matar a los animales y al medio...se paga por conservar
Eva_J, Aug 2026
Carla was a very good guide. She explained everything in detail and focused on ensuring we saw the entire spawning process.
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Response from Host, Aug 2026
¡Muchísimas gracias por compartir su experiencia y por sus bonitas palabras! 🐢❤️ Me alegra muchísimo saber que disfrutaron del tour y que pude acompañarlos durante todo el proceso de desove.
Para mí es muy importante que cada visitante pueda aprender sobre las tortugas y, al mismo tiempo, disfrutar de la experiencia respetando siempre su espacio y siguiendo las normas del Parque Nacional.
Fue un verdadero placer compartir esta experiencia con ustedes. ¡Muchas gracias por confiar en mí y por su recomendación! Espero volver a recibirlos algún día en Tortuguero. 🌿🐢❤️
Javier_C, Oct 2025
An inescapable appointment in the visit to Tortuguero. A beautiful to observe the spawning of turtles at night with our guide Karla, a great passion of turtles who explained in detail the biology of the species that arrive to Tortuguero, all of them threatened with extinction. We were able to observe 2 turtles weighing about 150 kg at different stages of the process: one in the middle of spawning and subsequent camouflage, and a second turtle on its way back to the sea.
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Response from Host, Oct 2025
¡Hola!
Muchísimas gracias por tomarte el tiempo de dejar una reseña.
Tus palabras significan mucho para mí y ayudan a que más personas confíen en nuestro trabajo.
Me alegra saber que disfrutaste la experiencia.
¡Siempre serán bienvenidos en Cheloniatours! 🐢💚
From $27.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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