• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

An arribada at the Ostional Wildlife Reserve.   (Photo: Getty Images)

You’ll spy plenty of wildlife in Nosara, including iguanas and blue land crabs, but nothing compares to seeing the hordes of sea turtles at the Ostional Wildlife Reserve. It’s a 30-minute drive or taxi ride from Playa Guiones (many hotels provide van transportation) to the marine park; once you’re there, you can watch as hundreds and sometimes thousands of sea turtles descend upon the beach to lay their eggs. The event is known as an arribada (Spanish for “arrival”) and is best witnessed between June and December.

Published on November 14, 2007 as a web exclusive.