Before becoming one of Costa Rica’s most renowned natural destinations, Tortuguero was a small community shaped by the exploitation of its natural resources. Its history changed with the arrival of scientific research and the creation of one of the country’s most important national parks.

For centuries, turtles were part of life for the people who inhabited this region. Pre-Columbian peoples, explorers and early settlers used their meat and eggs as food. Their shells were also used to make different products.

Antes de llamarse Tortuguero, el poblado era conocido como Turtle Bogue o Boca Tortuga. A principios del siglo XX, especialmente durante la década de 1920, comenzaron a establecerse familias afrocaribeñas procedentes de Limón y Parismina, junto con migrantes de Barra del Colorado y Nicaragua.

Before becoming known as Tortuguero, the settlement was called Turtle Bogue or Boca Tortuga. In the early 20th century, particularly during the 1920s, Afro-Caribbean families from Limón and Parismina began settling in the area, along with migrants from Barra del Colorado and Nicaragua. Logging was one of the main reasons people came to the region. The extensive forests contained valuable tree species, including cativo and almendro, while the canals made it easier to transport logs. Agricultural activities also developed, mainly through crops such as coconuts and mangoes. The small settlement consisted of a few families and a sawmill where part of the timber extracted from the forests was processed.

Change Began with the Turtles

Tortuguero’s history took a new direction during the 1950s, when American zoologist Archie Carr of the University of Florida arrived in the region to study sea turtles.

Carr became particularly interested in the green turtles that came to nest on Tortuguero’s beaches. His research helped demonstrate the area’s international importance as a nesting site. In 1959, the Caribbean Conservation Corporation was established, promoting sea turtle research and conservation in Tortuguero. Today, the organization is known as the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

These studies also helped reveal the region’s natural wealth. Tortuguero was important not only because of its turtles, but also because of its forests, wetlands, rivers, canals and numerous species of flora and fauna.

Tortuguero National Park
The Creation of Tortuguero National Park

Growing interest in conservation led to the creation of Tortuguero National Park on September 24, 1970, through Executive Decree No. 1235-A. Its boundaries were later modified in 1980, 1995 and 1998 to incorporate additional territory. Today, the park covers 76,937 hectares, including 50,284 hectares of marine area and 26,653 hectares of land.

The creation of the park gradually transformed the community’s relationship with its surroundings. Natural resource extraction gave way to conservation, research and tourism. By the mid-1980s, the first travelers began arriving, drawn by the canals, forests and sea turtles. Today, Tortuguero is one of Costa Rica’s leading ecotourism destinations.

A Refuge of Great Ecological Importance

Located in northeastern Costa Rica, Tortuguero National Park protects nesting beaches for four species of sea turtles: the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).

The park also protects the habitat of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), the jaguar and numerous threatened species. In addition, it conserves the yolillal, a characteristic ecosystem of the Caribbean lowlands dominated by the yolillo palm (Raphia taedigera).

Tortuguero’s biodiversity includes at least:

  • 734 plant species
  • 442 bird species
  • 138 mammal species
  • 118 reptile species
  • 58 amphibian species
  • 460 arthropod species

Among the species that can be observed are the great green macaw, spectacled caiman, black river turtle, wattled jacana, anhinga, strawberry poison dart frog, spider monkey and white-faced capuchin.

A Landscape Shaped by Water and Forest

Tortuguero is characterized by its extensive network of rivers and canals. Its ecosystems include tropical forests, wetlands, lagoons, marshes and Caribbean beaches. The region receives heavy rainfall throughout the year. Annual precipitation can reach 6,000 millimeters, while average temperatures range from 25 °C to 30 °C.

One of the area’s natural attractions is Tortuguero Hill, a formation approximately 119 meters above sea level. Its origins date back around 1.8 million years, and it represents one of the highest elevations in the region. From this point, visitors can appreciate part of the wetlands, forests and landscapes that characterize Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean region.

From Turtle Bogue to a Global Conservation Landmark

Tortuguero’s history reflects an important transformation. What began as a small settlement associated with the exploitation of turtles, timber and agricultural products became one of Costa Rica’s most important conservation areas.

Today, the turtles that were used as a source of food for centuries have become one of the region’s main symbols. Scientific research, the creation of the national park and the development of ecotourism changed the future of Tortuguero.

Sensorial Sunsets