Marino Las Baulas National Park


The Marino Las Baulas National Park is a national park and nature reserve on the western coast of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste Region. Marino Las Baulas National Park was established as a national park of Costa Rica in 1991 and is just over 54000 acres large. Most of the park consists of protected water but swimming and scuba diving are still allowed in certain locations.

The closest Costa Rican town to the Marino Las Baulas National Park is the city of Tamarindo. Tamarindo is a small city with a population of just over 3500 people. Most of the land portions of the Marino Las Baulas National Park are located in Tamarindo, including Playa Grande. Since Tamarindo is located so close to Marino Las Baulas National Park, you can get to the park by car or walking. Tamarindo is a remote location in Costa Rica, so it usually requires a bus trip from San Jose to reach the city. The long bus trip is well worth being able to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Tamarindo and the Marino Las Baulas National Park.

Playa Grande Marino Las Baulas National Park, Costa RicaWhile there are several attractions to see at Marino Las Baulas National Park, the main attraction are the leatherback turtles. Leatherback turtles are an extremely endangered species, and Marino Las Baulas National Park is one of the few places in the world where you can find the turtles. The leatherback turtles come on the beach each year to store all of their eggs in the sand. They then return when the eggs are ready to be hatched. Marino Las Baulas National Park is also a nature reserve to help protect the leatherback turtles from extinction. Many people in the area try to steal the turtle eggs and eat them as a delicacy.


There is also a small museum located near the entrance of Marino Las Baulas National Park. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of the local leatherback turtles. The museums displays the history of the leatherback turtle, and has audio tours for a more in depth look at the history of the turtles.

Just outside of the Marino Las Baulas National Park are swamps and estuaries that should be seen by everyone visiting the park. In this area, you can take a kayak on the water or hike on one of the trails. This is a great way to see some of the local ocelots, monkeys, anteaters, pelicans and other birds.

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