Your first turtle-nesting tour: what actually happens on the beach

Every July through October, the beach in front of Mawamba Lodge becomes one of the most important sea turtle nesting sites on the Caribbean coast. Female Green Sea Turtles — some weighing over 150 kilos — return to the same stretch of sand where they themselves were born, dig a hole the length of a person’s arm, and lay around a hundred eggs in the dark. It’s been happening here, on this exact coastline, for longer than the village has existed.

If you’ve never seen it, you should.

How a tour gets organised

You don’t book a turtle tour the way you book a kayak. The Tortuguero National Park controls every aspect of how visitors can be on the beach at night during nesting season — and they do it for the turtles, not for tourists’ convenience.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• Two time slots are drawn at random: 8:00–10:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. You don’t pick. The park assigns it the morning of the tour.
• Five observation sectors divide the beach. One sits directly in front of our lodge; you might walk to your sector, or take a short transfer.
• A maximum of 200 visitors per night per departure, in small groups, each led by a certified guide. No solo beach access during nesting season, ever.

To skip the line at the park station, just sign up at reception before 2 p.m. on the day of your tour. We handle the rest.

What you’ll actually experience

The adventure begins at the observation base, where your guide gathers the group. This is where the magic of Tortuguero’s turtle season truly starts — not on the beach, but in the anticipation.

Out on the dark sand, an experienced tracker is already at work, walking the shoreline in silence, watching for signs of life emerging from the surf. The tracker’s role is crucial: they wait patiently until a female turtle has fully committed to her nesting — the moment she enters her laying trance and begins depositing eggs. Only then is it safe to approach, because once she begins, nothing in the world will stop her.

When that moment arrives, the tracker tells your guide, and the group makes its way quietly to the beach. Red-filtered lights only — bright beams disorient the turtles and can send them back to the sea before their work is done.

What you’ll witness is one of nature’s most unhurried and powerful rituals. From a respectful distance, you’ll watch her excavate the nest with her rear flippers, deposit around a hundred soft, round eggs, carefully cover and camouflage the nest, and then make her slow, determined journey back to the ocean. The entire process takes close to an hour — and every minute of it is breathtaking.

Some nights, the tracker finds no turtle ready to be observed, as this is a natural process and not a guarantee of spotting. That’s not a disappointment — that’s Tortuguero keeping its promise to the sea.

What to wear (and why every rule matters)

• Dark clothes — black is best. Light colours reflect even the smallest ambient light and disturb the turtles.
• Your rain jacket or poncho counts too. Nights here are often wet — but a white jacket over black clothes defeats the point. Make the outer layer dark as well.
• No flash photography. No phones with screens on. A camera flash can make a nesting female return to the sea without laying.
• Unscented insect repellent, if you must — strong scents carry on the night air. Apply it before you leave the lodge, not on the beach.
• Closed shoes for the walk; the beach is soft sand and there are crabs.

Bringing young children

This is a slow, quiet vigil of up to two hours on a dark beach. It’s not well suited to very young children, who tend to tire and find it hard to stay calm and still. The tour is not available for children under 3. For children ages 4 and up, we leave the decision entirely to parents’ judgment — you know your child best. Pricing is the same for adults and children.

When to come

Nesting season runs July through October. August and September are the peak. From late September onwards you might also catch the magical reverse moment: tiny hatchlings emerging from a previous nest and racing for the surf. The hatchling window stretches into November.

Outside those months you can still walk the beach during the day, watch frigatebirds drift over the surf, and visit the National Park sector at the canals. But for the turtles themselves, plan a July–October stay.

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Reserve a tour at reception when you arrive, or message us in advance via WhatsApp. We’ll handle the park ticket, the slot, and the meeting time. All you need is dark clothes and quiet feet.

Staying only one night? Reserve ahead. The turtle-tour desk closes at 2 p.m. If you haven’t booked in advance and don’t reach reception before then, there’s no tour that night — so for a single-night stay, message us before you arrive.