When is the best time to see an Arribada in Costa Rica in 2023?

Posted on January 18, 2023January 31, 2023 by James Armstrong

It is that time of year again, our yearly Arribada update! So when is the best time to see an Arribada in Costa Rica in 2023? Before we get deeper into that, let’s talk about this amazing show of nature. For those who have not heard an arribada, also known as a mass nesting event, is a phenomenon that occurs in some species of sea turtles, in which large numbers of females come ashore to lay their eggs in a single location. This typically occurs at night and can involve thousands or even tens of thousands of turtles nesting over a several day period.

In Costa Rica, arribadas are most commonly associated with the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, which is one of the most abundant sea turtle species in the world. Costa Rica is home to several important nesting sites for the Olive Ridley, including Playa Nancite in the Santa Rosa National Park, and Playa Ostional in the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge.

Visitors to Costa Rica may have the opportunity to witness an Arribada if they visit one of these nesting sites during the appropriate season. However, it is important to note that sea turtle nesting is a protected activity in Costa Rica, and visitors should only observe the turtles with the guidance of a trained and authorized guide. Let your C.R. Referrals Travel Planner know you want to try and see an Arribada on your Costa Rica adventure!

Seeing an Arribada in Costa Rica – What are the best months in 2022?

Posted on January 26, 2022January 26, 2022 by James Armstrong

An arribada (arrival), is a mass nesting event of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. Sea turtles will travel thousands of miles to nest on the same beaches they were born on. This incredible sense of direction is done through expert navigation on the turtle’s part using the Earth’s magnetic field to guide them. When you think about it, this is simply incredible, but there are other complexities & mysteries in the life of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle.

The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle and the phenomenon known as an Arribada, as mentioned, is a mass nesting event. Now when we say, “mass nesting”, we mean MASS NESTING! Tens of thousands of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles will visit over the course of a few nights to lay their precious eggs into the warm sands they themselves were born on.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle 2022 Costa Rica

There are several theories on what might trigger an arribada including, lunar cycles, offshore winds, and the release of pheromones by females. Scientists have yet to conclusively determine why exactly arribadas occur, likely a combination of the above. Lucky for us Costa Rica is host to not 1 beach, but 2 beaches that see regular Arribada’s throughout the green season. Ostional and Rosa Blanca are the beaches that see regular Arribadas throughout the year.

The most accessible area of Costa Rica to witness this spectacular display of nature is Ostional. Here during the darkest nights of the rainy season, you have a very good chance to see something few on Earth get to see. The miracle of life, on the grand stage, in a most dramatic fashion!

We are looking for the darkest nights in each month. The New Moon offers the right conditions, the nights on or around the new moon is the target date range each month. With the exception of March and April, the new moon tends to fall on the latter half of each month in 2022. See the moon phase graph below to get an idea of when to travel.

Moon Phases 2022

Visiting a Nesting Beach: Visiting during sea turtle nesting times it is VERY important to wear dark clothing so as not to distract the turtles. Traditional flashlights are also not allowed, this would disturb the turtles as they fulfill their task, bright lights will do exactly that. Keep your distance from the turtles as they nest, respect their space and never interfere with natures work.

Arribada Costa Rica 2022a Costa Rica Turtle Nesting 2022a

The best dates in 2022 to see an Arribada are: Jan 31^st – March 2^nd – April 1^st – May 30^th – June 28^th – July 28^th – Aug 27^th – Sep 25^th – Oct 25^th – Nov 23^rd – Dec 23^rd. The days in and around a new moon is the time to come to witness this. The Samara & Nosara areas of Costa Rica offer a good solid jumping off point to see this wonder of nature. Having an expert naturalist guide with you will enhance your experience and we have access to some of the best guides in Costa Rica.

Ask your travel planner about including our “Epic Add On – The Arribada” to your customized Costa Rica trip. You can use our online Costa Rica trip builder to start building your trip!

Covid-19 Costa Rica Travel Update

Posted on August 16, 2020November 5, 2020 by Catalina Cuervo

It is true that the face of travel in the short term and likely the mid term have changed, but that is not to say the age of travel has come to an end! The traveler in me will always find a way to experience new places and see things for the first time and I am not alone. There will be a new normal, as travel starts to reopen for Costa Rica and around the world, but it has started.

The entire tourism sector has made changes in booking and sanitation procedures, including hotels, airlines, and tour companies. There are also things we can do as your travel planner that can create a safer environment for you. For our part, because our trips are all completely customized, that allows us to think outside the box and go even further to protect our clients. If you are concerned about traveling with the virus on the loose, we simply make your trip private to limit your exposure to other travelers. This means:

Private Transfers – This limits exposure to other travelers while you are on your Costa Rica vacation, it is much safer than shared transfers.
Private Tours – This again limits exposure to other travelers, it will be you and your private guide on the tour. This is also a much better tour experience, having the guide all to yourself as opposed to sharing his time.
Focus on Nature – We focus the trips away from cities and larger population areas. Costa Rica is all about nature so we focus on that to limit general exposure.

With careful planning you can experience Costa Rica with little worry of catching the virus while you are here. Costa Rica is all about nature and that is where the focus will be. You still get our handpicked guides and drivers, our 24-hour trip support, and one of the best customized travel experiences of our life.

It has been surreal to see what this has done to modern life, this world we have created with all its conveniences is indeed fragile and we have all been reminded of that. I hope that everyone stays safe, we are working hard on new travel ideas and look forward to the day when travel starts to come back to normal in the world. Sending our love from Costa Rica.
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