 Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge got the status of the
wildlife refuge owing to its importance as a nesting site and the
threat it faced due to the development of tourist complexes around
the area.
Location
The Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge is about half an hour drive
from the International airport. The refuge is situated in the
coastal region of northern Guanacaste. There are three beaches that
form this park- Grande Beach, Ventana Beach and Langosta Beach. The
Grande Beach is one of the most important nesting sites for the
turtles. The Playa Langosta is a beautiful estuary. The beach here
has beautiful sands.
Flora
There are five species of mangroves that flourish here. There is
the black, white, tea, buttonwood and the red mangrove, which is
the most abundant of all. It is also a breeding site for many
marine creatures. The Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge has a hot
climate year round and the dry season lasts from mid-November to
mid- May
Fauna
The Grande Beach is famous for the turtles coming to nest here.
There are estimates of about 200 of them laying eggs in one night.
The species of turtles nesting here are: Leatherback Turtle,
Pacific green turtles, Olive-ridley turtles, and Hawksbill
turtles.
The leatherback turtle can measure upto 2 metres and weigh 700
kgs. The animals that are found in the park are howler monkey,
raccoon, cayman, snapper, ctenosaur, white-nosed coati,
roosterfish, mullet, crevalle, crocodiles, snook and stingray. The
birds that one can commonly spot here are white ibis, muscovy duck,
great blue heron, sandpipers, brown pelican, frigate bird, laughing
gull, Franklin's gull, and roseate spoonbill. There are about 57 of
the species found in the park.
An adventure lover's paradise
The Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge is a delight for all the
water sports lovers with its beautiful beaches and blue waters. You
could go for scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing and kayaking. The
beach gear, surfing boards, boogie boards and all types of
equipment are available from speciality stores. You can also go for
sport fishing. There are several operators offering charter boat
services between Playa del Coco and Tamarindo. There's action year
long on the coast and the favourite sporting targets are Blue
Marlin, Black Marlin, Pacific Sailfish, Dorado, Wahoo and
Roosterfish.
 Nature lover's delight
You have a plethora of activities to choose from: a hiking trail
through Santa Rosa National Park, Palo Verde and Ostional National
Wildlife Refuges and have a close brush with all these exotic
animals in their natural habitat. You could also take a guided tour
through Playa Grande and Playa Langosta, the major nesting areas
for turtles. These creatures come for nesting from November till
February. You can also go for bicycling or horse riding in the
mountainside. Just 30 minutes away from the Tamarindo National
Wildlife Refuge are two world- class golf courses- Hacienda Pinilla
and Hotel Melià Conchal Golf Course.
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