Tours Costa Rica: Tamarindo: Nicoya Peninsula: Hotels Costa Rica: Samara: Montezuma: Flamingo: Playa del Coco: Tours Tamarindo & Surrounding areas

Watching Nesting Sea Turtles Tamarindo, Costa Rica

On nearby Playa Grande, leatherback sea turtles nest between early October and mid-February. The turtles come ashore to lay their eggs only at night. During the nesting season, you'll be inundated with opportunities to sign up for nightly tours, which usually cost $35 to $50 (£18-£25) per person. No flash photography or flashlights are allowed because any sort of light can confuse the turtles and prevent them from laying their eggs; guides must use red-tinted flashlights.

Note: Turtle nesting is a natural, unpredictable, and increasingly rare event. Moreover, things have gotten worse in recent years. The number of nesting turtles was down severely in 2007. All indications are that excessive building and lighting close to the beach are the culprits. Even during heavy nesting years you sometimes have to wait your turn for hours, hike quite a ways, and even accept the possibility that no nesting mothers will be spotted that evening.

If your Costa Rica hotel can't set it up for you, you'll see signs all over town offering tours. Make sure you go with someone licensed and reputable. Do-it-yourselfers can drive over to Playa Grande and book a tour directly with the National Parks Service (tel. 2653-0470; $13/£6.50).

The Parks Service operates out of a small shack just before the beach, across from the hotel Las Tortugas. It opens each evening at around 6pm to begin taking reservations. They sometimes answer their phone during the day, and it's best to make a reservation in advance because only a limited number of people are allowed on the beach at one time. Spots fill up fast, and if you don't have a reservation, you may have to wait until really late, or you may not be able to go out onto the beach.