Marino las Baulas National Park in Costa Rica

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The Leatherback National Marine Park of Guanacaste is another of the major sites of Costa Rica where the sea turtles nest. It is located on the south side of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica in Guanacaste province, near the tourist town of Tamarindo. This national park is considered one of the most important points in the world where the Leatherback sea turtles nest every year. It was founded in 1990 with the aim of protecting these turtles that come every year to nest on the beautiful beaches of Playa Grande.

Surrounded by 445 hectares of mangrove forests and rugged coastlines, the Leatherback National Marine Park has four beaches, Playa Grande, Playa Langosta, Playa Playa Ventanas and Carbon. The two estuaries park’s mangroves are the Tamarindo Estero and the San Francisco Estero that is considered the largest mangrove estuary in Latin America. The park extends 12 miles to the beach and also protects sea turtles from hunters and tourists.

Las Baulas National Park in Guanacaste - Costa Rica

Besides being the land of thousands of Leatherback turtles that travels every year to this national park, the Leatherback National Marine Park also protects 174 species of birds and a number of animals living in the estuaries. This place is home of white ibises, herons of the livestock, the blue wing teal and the Moscow duck. It also protects the capuchin monkey, the raccoon, the crocodiles, pacas and gray squirrels.

The world’s largest reptile, the Leatherback turtle comes here to the park every year to lay their eggs. The Leatherback turtle is the world’s largest turtle and can weigh up to 500 kilograms and is considered a delicacy in the East. Unlike other species of turtles that have a hard shell, the turtle has a black skin suede.