Page 68 - SOUTH GUANACASTE TOURIST GUIDE

Protected Zones • Ostional
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Photo: Sergio Pucci
The refuge protects the world’s main nesting and reproduction site for olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea). Thousands of turtles lay their eggs all at once at various points throughout the year along this 7 km beach, in waves known as arribadas. Arribadas occur throughout the year, with 15,000 to 200,000 females arriving once or twice per month.
This natural spectacle only occurs on nine beaches worldwide, and Ostional is the second-most important beach globally, after Playa Escobilla in Mexico (Spotila, 2004).
Turtle egg management is part of sustainable development, because the community itself protects and maintains the turtle habitat.
Recommended activities:
• Night/day tour to observe turtle nesting. • Day tour through the Tamarindo estuary.
Since the refuge has no lodging facilities, visitors generally stay in the area (Ostional, Nosara, San Juanillo or Sámara and other nearby places, where
National Wildlife Refuge Ostional
The arribada of the olive ridley turtle is a spectacle you must see at least once in your life!
How to get there
1. From San José, go to Limonal directly via Route 1 or else on Route 27, followed by Highway 23 and Route 1 to Limonal. In Limonal, take the road over the Puente de la Amistad until you reach Nicoya. In Nicoya, take the road to Sámara and Nosara. When you reach Sámara, turn left towards Nosara for about 26 km, passing through Barco Quebrado, Garza, Guiones and Pelada until you reach Playa Ostional, Costa
Rica. This route requires a total of 6 hours from San José.
2. From Liberia or Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR), drive south to Santa Cruz, and from there turn off to Nosara, passing through 27 de Abril, Playa Lagarto, Frijolar, Pitahaya, Azul and San Juanillo until you reach Ostional beach.
It is recommended that the vehicle be a 4×4.
By bus: The San José - Nosara route takes 5 to 6 hours, from Nosara, take a cab or drive to Playa Ostional, approximately 10 minutes (Alfaro company,
+506 2222-2666 / +506 2682-0297). It is recommended to purchase your ticket at least one day in advance to secure your space.
You can also take a bus on the San José-Santa Cruz route, which
there are also restaurants and sodas).
Services
Restaurante Restrooms Information Lodging
$
Drinking water
takes 5 to 6 hours. (Tralapa, +506 2221-7202 / +506 2680-0392), and take another bus on the Santa Cruz - Ostional route, which takes about 3 hours (however, this bus cannot make trips in heavy rain).
More Information
Palo Verde NP: 2200-0125
RNVS Ostional Offices: 2682-0400
Regional AC Tempisque: 2686-4968 / 2686-4970
Address: The refuge is located on the 200 m strip of beach between Punta India and the mouth of the Río Nosara and includes the town of Ostional. It belongs to the canton of Santa Cruz, in the province of Guanacaste.
S$ince the refuge has no lodging facilities, visitors generally stay in the area (Ostional, Nosara, San Juanillo or Sámara and other nearby places, where there are also restaurants and sodas).
To ePanthtser the beacLhookdoutring the Chaafetecriha ing seasoPanrk,inagn accredMiticerodscogpeuside must be present. If you are travelling by vehicle, you must leave it on the public road.
What to bring
Information
Bird watching
Keep within trails
Credit cards accepted
No pets
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If you go at night, do not wear reflective clothing. If you are carrying a flashlight, ask a guide how and when to use it to cause the least impact on the environment, since light can influence the behavior of the animals. It can scare the turtles and they may even abort the nesting process, leaving the eggs uncovered and at the mercy of a predator.
More information here:
Protected Areas: Ostional RNVS Ostional
Video Ostional Vamos a Turistear
Pic-nic Area
Camping Area
Hours
Credit cards accepted
Showers
Cap and
Fresh clothes
Walking
Hydration
Repellent
sunglasses
Shoes