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How to get to Las Baulas National Marine Park, Costa Rica.
Las Baulas National Marine Park is located on the Pacific coast of the Guanacaste province, Costa Rica. It is said that once upon a time, thousands of leatherback sea turtles sailed here to leave offspring, but the massive use of turtle eggs and meat for food led to the fact that the turtles almost completely disappeared in these places. And only over time, after the National Park was created here in 1991, the turtles began to gradually return to these lands. The egg-laying period for turtles lasts from November to April.
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| Las Baulas National Marine Park Costa Rica |
The territory of the park covers 379 hectares of land and 22 two thousand hectares of coastal waters. The park occupies a coastal area consisting of four beaches: Playa Carbon, Playa Ventanas, Playa Grande and Playa Langosta. It also includes the Tamarindo estuary and the mangroves at the Matapaglia and San Francisco estuaries.
How can I get to:
Exit Liberia off the Pan American Highway towards the Pacific. At Belém, turn right and continue on the paved road for 22 kilometers until you reach Huacas. Then follow the dirt road for about 8 kilometers through Matapaglia towards Solinas. There you will see the entrance to the Las Baulas National Marine Park,.
The entrance to the Playa Grande area is open from 8 am to 4 pm with a guide. To avoid negative impacts on turtles, visits are limited.
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| Las Baulas National Marine Park Costa Rica |
Las Baulas National Marine Park is located on the azure Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Despite the fact that its territory is very large (220 sq. Km), land occupies only 10% of the land. The coastal area is made up of four magnificent white sand beaches: Playa Carbon, Playa Ventanas, Playa Grande and Playa Langosta. Let's tell you more about the park.
What to do and what to see?
If you have already purchased a luxurious Costa Rican tan in local resorts and have swam to your heart in the clear waters of the ocean, and your soul asks for new experiences, then in Las Baulas National Marine Park, you will find something to do not only during the day, but also at night.
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| Las Baulas National Marine Park - Costa Rica |
- Nesting of leatherback sea turtles. People come here just to see how sea turtles lay their eggs and then return to the ocean. The nesting period is from October to April. At this time, groups of 15 people are allowed on the beaches only with a guide. No more than 60 visitors can enter the park per day. All excursions are conducted at night.
- Surfing. During the daytime, visitors can surf, swim in the ocean and sunbathe on one of the park's beaches.
- Diving. If you are a fan of scuba diving, then we advise you to go to Playa Carbon Beach - one of the best diving spots in Costa Rica.
- Mangrove swamps. You can go on a mangrove tour at any time of the year. Such a trip provides an opportunity not only to admire the swampy forests, but also to observe crocodiles, monkeys and other local inhabitants.
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| Las Baulas National Marine Park Costa Rica |
- Museum of Natural History. Check out the small museum at the park entrance. Audio tours are available in several languages.
- Boat tours. If you want to go kayaking on the river or ocean, go for a boat trip.
If you are planning to spend the night in Las Baulas, then you can stay at one of the hotels in the park: Rip Jack Inn and Las Tortugas in Playa Grande, Luna Llena and El Milagro. For lunch or dinner, visit one of the reserve's restaurants, which serves local cuisine.
Tourist notes
- Book your night tour in advance. Group membership is reduced during the peak season in December and January.
- Not the entire territory of the reserve is carefully guarded, so if you happen to be on the beach without a guide, do not use unshielded flashlights, take pictures without a flash, do not walk on the sand above the tide line (turtles lay eggs there and you can damage them), do not make loud sounds and do not get too close to reptiles.
- Do not leave trash and especially plastic bags. Turtles mistake them for jellyfish, eat them and die.
- In Las Baulas National Marine Park,, egg collection and animal capture is strictly prohibited and only poachers supply such products.
- If you fall in love with Las Baulas and do not want to part with it, there is an opportunity for you to stay to work as a volunteer. All information can be obtained from the MINAE (Ministry of Environment and Energy) office in Playa Grande.
How to get there?
To get to Las Baulas, you need to take a bus that goes from San Jose to Huacas. The bus stop is located in San Jose, 300 m north and 25 m west of the children's hospital. Another bus departs from the San Jose station, located 300m north of the main entrance of San Juan de Dios Hospital.
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Las Baulas National Marine Park Costa Rica |
If you want to travel directly to Tamarindo, take the bus that departs from San Juan de Dios Hospital. Can be reached by bus from Santa Cruz to Playa Grande. Two flights at 6:00 and 13:00 go to the park. The bus leaves at 7:15 am and 3:15 pm.