Costa
Rican beaches don't come more beautiful than Playa Grande,
a seemingly endless curve of coral-white sand with water
as blue as the summer sky. Alas, no palms or shade trees
grow down by the beach itself. A beach trail to the
north leads along the cape through dry forest--good
for birdlife--and deposits you at Playa Ventanas, a
pristine scalloped swath of white sand you will want
to claim as your own. You'll see a few tide pools for
snorkeling and bathing. Superb surf pumps ashore at
high tide--year-round. Playa Grande is renowned among
surfers for its consistency and good mix of lefts and
rights. Surfing expert Mark Kelly rates it as "maybe
the best overall spot in the country."
The
entire shoreline is protected within the 445-hectare
Playa Grande Marine Turtle National Park (Parque Nacional
Marino Las Baulas), which protects the prime nesting
site of the leatherback turtle on the Pacific coast,
including 22,000 hectares out to sea. The beach was
incorporated into the national park system in May
1990 after a 15-year battle between developers and
conservationists. At issue is the fate of the leatherback
turtle--and the amazing fact that humankind stands
on the brink of terminating forever a miracle that
has played itself out annually at Playa Grande for
the past several million years.
The
park is the result of efforts of Louis Wilson and
Marianel Pastor, owners of Hotel Las Tortugas. In
the 1970s, a cookie company was harvesting the turtles'
eggs. The beach was subdivided among 30 or so egg
poachers, who sold Louis and Marianel "rights"
to take tourists on to their sections of sand. Once
the tourists left, the hueveros would steal the eggs.
In the 1980s, Asian fleets began harvesting eggs here.
The government agreed to support the couple's conservation
efforts only if they could show that the site was
economically viable as a tourist destination. Much
of the land backing the beach was owned by developers,
who had until recently been prevented from constructing
homes and hotels. Things have come full circle. The
locals have taken over all guiding (each guide is
certified through an accredited course), and Las Baulas
is now a model for similar experiments worldwide.
However, in a typically Costa Rican compromise, developers
won their battle, too. The Rancho Las Colinas Golf
and Country Club project was launched to include 220
residential sites plus an 18-hole golf course designed
by internationally renowned golf course architect
Ron Garl. Locals were soon complaining that their
water pressure had dropped because of all the irrigation
for the course. The area has water woes in dry season
and the course's $1 million irrigation system taps
the aquifer that supplies the local area, but still
hasn't been able to quench the huge thirst of its
7,000-hectare greens. Although the course was completed,
as were some of the condos, the project was a flop.
It is now under new management (see Tours and Activities,
below).
Playa
Grande is backed by dry forest. The beach sweeps south
to the mouth of the Río Matapalo, which forms
a 400-hectare mangrove estuary behind the beach. The
ecosystem is protected within Tamarindo National Wildlife
Refuge (Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Tamarindo)
and features crocodiles, anteaters, and monkeys. Large
flocks of waterbirds (and raptors) gather, especially
in the midst of dry season. And with hunting by locals
a thing of the past, the wildlife population is increasing;
deer and even ocelots and other cats are seen with
greater frequency.
Hiking
is allowed on the north side of the estuary and along
the beach. Trails are not marked.
The
hamlet of Comunidad Playa Grande is on the main approach
road, 600 meters inland from the beach. Visiting the
Turtles of Playa Grande
Turtles call at Playa Grande year-round. The nesting
season for the giant leatherback is October-March,
when females come ashore every night at high tide.
Sometimes as many as 100 turtles might be seen in
a single night. (Olive ridley turtles can sometimes
also be seen here, as may the more rarely seen, smaller
Pacific green turtles, May-August.) Mid-October through
mid-November is best for avoiding hordes of tourists.
A
visit here is a humbling, reverential experience.
One turtle, having patiently withstood the intrusive
gawking eyes through her labor, halted and turned
to face me as I walked by her side down to the sea.
Who knows what sentiment she may have tried to express?
Watching her lumbering exertions as the mother-to-be
hauled herself back to sea was like saying a final,
tearful farewell to a loved one. The experience was
so sublime, so profound, that tears welled in my eyes
as I typed in my notes the next day.
Each
female leatherback will nest as many as 12 times a
season, every 10 days or so (usually at night to avoid
dehydration). Most turtles prefer the center of the
beach, just above the high-tide mark.
The
beach is open to visitors at night (6 p.m.-6 a.m.)
October 15 through February 15, and off-limits the
rest of the year (there are no restrictions on daytime
visits); it is open at night February 15 through March
15 solely for environmental education. Guides from
the local community roam the beach and lead groups
to nesting turtles, guided by other guides who spot
for turtles and call in the location via walkie-talkies.
Visitors are no longer allowed to walk the beach after
dusk unescorted; guides--$7--are mandatory. Groups
cannot exceed 15 people, and only 60 people are allowed
onto the beach at night at each entry point (four
groups per gate; eight groups maximum nightly).
There
are two entrance gates to the beach: one where the
road meets the beach by the Hotel Las Tortugas; and
the second at the southern end, by Villas Baulas.
You buy your tickets ($6) at either gate. Reservations
are mandatory, although entry without a reservation
is possible if there's space in a group (don't count
on it, as demand usually exceeds supply). You can
make reservations up to eight days in advance, or
between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. for a same-day visit. At certain
times the waiting time can be two hours before you
are permitted onto the beach.
Resist
the temptation to follow the example of the many thoughtless
visitors who get too close to the turtles, try to
touch them, ride their backs, or otherwise display
a lack of common sense and respect. Flashlights and
camera flashes are not permitted (professional photographers
can apply in advance for permission to use a flash;
contact the ranger station--see below--or SINAC in
San José, tel. 283-7343, fax 283-7118). And
watch your step. Newborn turtles are difficult to
see at night as they scurry down to the sea. Many
are inadvertently crushed by tourists' feet.
Information
The park headquarters (Centro Operaciones Parque Nacional
Marina las Baulas), tel./fax 653-0470, is 100 meters
east of Hotel Las Tortugas (the owner, Louis Wilson,
is still the best source of information on the area).
The office, which was under construction at last visit,
will be open 24 hours. It will feature an auditorium
showing pertinent information on turtle ecology and
what is expected of visitors: viewing the film will
be obligatory for all people intending to witness
the turtles nesting.
Warning:
Car burglaries are a problem at the informal parking
lot at the entrance gates. There are now police hereabouts,
but still you need to ensure that you don't leave
any valuables in your car. Consider buying a meal
at the Hotel Las Tortugas and using their parking
lot. @4:El Mundo de la Tortuga @$:The World of the
Turtle museum, tel. 653-0471, fax 653-0491, is 200
meters from the main entrance gate and a must-visit
before watching the turtles. Self-guided audio tours
(20 minutes) are offered in four languages. The displays
are splendid and highly educational. Did you know
that the brain of a 1,000-pound leatherback weighs
only one-quarter ounce? Or that the turtles eat mostly
jellyfish? Or that they're found in all of the world's
oceans as far north as the Arctic? The museum is open
by night and you can sit in the outside patio and
await your turn to visit the turtles (the park wardens
radio in when the action begins). It has a splendid
gift shop. Fantastic! Free educational programs are
given to locals. It's open October-February, when
the turtles are present. Hours: 4 p.m.-6 a.m. Entrance
costs $5; a guided tour costs $18.
