Tortuguero Canals:
A peaceful place in the exuberant rainforest crossed by a natural network of scenic navigable lakes and channels. Tortuguero National Park is the most important breeding ground for the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) in the western half of the Caribbean. In no other part of the world green turtles arrive in such numbers, so regularly every year. There are eight species of marine turtles in the world; six nests in Costa Rica, and of those, four are in Tortuguero. This explains why the place got its name: "Tortuguero" means "the land of many turtles". The park has 19,211 - hectare coastal territory plus about 52,000 hectares of marine area. It is one of the wettest areas of the country. The average temperature is 26º C / around 79º F. Although the beaches are extensive, they are not suitable for swimming.
The surf is very rough and the currents strong. The national park offers great wildlife viewing and birding opportunities: three species of monkeys, sloth, anteaters, kinkajous, manatees, peccaries, tapirs, lizards, caimans, crocodiles, snakes, frogs, toads, 400 species of birds, 400 species of trees, and at least 2200 species of other plants have been recorded. Towns: Tortuguero.
Activities to do: Boat tours, hiking, turtle-watching, bird watching, canoeing, kayaking, and others.