Tortuguero

Costa Rica, Costa Rica

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Tortuguero is a small village on the northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, in Limón Province, that sits on a narrow sand‑bar island between the Caribbean Sea and the Tortuguero River.

It is almost entirely accessible only by boat or small plane and is known as a quiet, rainforest‑lined destination where eco‑tourism is the main economic activity. The village is surrounded by Tortuguero National Park, which protects one of the most important sea‑turtle nesting areas in the Western Hemisphere, especially for green turtles, leatherbacks, and hawksbills, with black‑sand beaches used for nesting from March to October.

The area is famous for its network of canals and rivers that cut through rainforest and wetlands, often called “Central America’s Amazon” because of the rich wildlife and the way locals use the waterways like a freshwater highway for travel and exploration.