Visit Ostional Wildlife Refuge, one of the world's most important olive ridley nesting beaches, with a local guide. See turtles come ashore to nest in the evening or hatchlings race to the sea at dawn.

Witness One of Nature's Great Spectacles

Just north of Nosara, Ostional Beach is an internationally protected wildlife refuge where thousands of olive ridley sea turtles come ashore every year to lay their eggs. On certain nights the beach hosts an arribada, a mass nesting event in which tens of thousands of turtles arrive at once, something that happens in only a handful of places on Earth.

With a local guide you'll learn how these turtles live, why Ostional matters so much to their survival, and how the community protects the nests. Depending on the date, you can watch females crawl up the sand to nest or see tiny hatchlings break out and scramble toward the waves.

Choose Your Moment

Hatchling tour (5:00 am): baby turtles usually emerge early in the morning
Nesting tour (5:00 pm): adult turtles usually come ashore to nest from late afternoon into the night

Good to Know

Season: the tour runs year-round, but sightings depend on nesting and hatching cycles. We'll confirm what you can expect for your dates after booking
Duration: 2.5–3 hours including round-trip transportation within the Nosara area
Kids: children 5–9 pay the child rate; children 4 and under join free
Follow your guide's instructions on the beach: no flash photography and keep a respectful distance from the turtles

What's included

Round-trip transportation within the Nosara area Bilingual local guide Seasonal fruit and coconut water snack

What's not included

Cancellation policy

Full refund for cancellations made at least 48 hours before the tour's start time. Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the start are non-refundable.

Ostional Turtle Tour from Nosara: Nesting & Hatchlings