With their white sands, calm waters and coral reefs, the spectacular golden beaches of Costa Rica offer not only seclusion to humans from the hubbub but also make fascinating nesting sites for the endangered marine turtle species. Baby Leatherback Turtle Hatching Playa Grande, Guanacaste

Due to illegal trade and poaching, the population of marine turtles has suffered dramatically. Fortunately conservation efforts in Costa Rica have raised the awareness level and are helping to protect these creatures. Both the public and private sectors are now helping to safeguard the marine turtles and their natural habitats.

On the Pacific coast of Costa Rica the turtle nesting season generally falls from July to March while on the Caribbean coast it stands between March and July.

The nesting season of the endangered Leatherback turtles is from October to April along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and from February to July along the Caribbean coast. Beaches like the Playa Tortuguero and Playa Naranjo are ideal for observing nesting of the Leatherbacks and the Green turtles. The Las Baulas Marine National Park also protects two very significant nesting sites of the Leatherback turtles. Playa Grande and Playa Langosta find the largest population of these turtles coming to them for nesting from October to February. Visitors are required to be accompanied by a certified local guide at night.

The Playa Nancite and Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, on the south coast of Guanacaste are the prime nesting beaches of the Olive Ridley turtles from July to December. August and September mark their peak nesting season and you can find these turtles coming ashore every night and lay eggs in a synchronized mass nesting phenomenon, called \'Arribadas\'. Santa Ana and the Corcovado National Park are also some of the major nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtles.

The leatherback, green turtle, hawksbill and the loggerhead turtles also nest on the beaches of Parismina in Costa Rica, in their respective nesting seasons while the Hawksbill turtles nest here from March to October. The black sandy beach of Tortuguero draws the largest Green turtle nesting population from July to October.

A number of coastal national parks in Guanacaste protect the nesting beaches of the marine turtles. The beaches of Naranjo and Nancite are protected by the Santa Rosa National Park, but these are restricted due to the marine turtle nesting program and advance permission is required to visit these beaches.

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