The Best Day Trip From Samara – Turtle Tour
Samara, the cutest surf town found in Costa Rica, has so much to do. However, this day trip from Samara really stood out to us – a turtle watching tour! During this day trip, you’ll actually go out during the night hours to try and spot some turtles taking their opportunity to come to shore to lay their eggs – but this experience has the possibility to be so much more than this.
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About Samara
Samara was our first vacation spot that really sparked our interest in exploring as many new places as possible and seeing the world. This surf town found on the coast of Costa Rica will always hold a spot in our hearts.
About The Tour
This day trip from Samara (click here for the tour) will take you from the downtown area to a nearby beach that is protected for the purpose of the turtles! You’ll go at night which will increase your chances of seeing turtles come to shore to nest their eggs and learn all about the process. The beach you’ll be visiting is called Playa Camaronal (however, they mat change beaches to one of the other local spots known for turtles to visit if there are better chances to spot them, or if there is an arribada (when thousands of turtles come to shore once a month usually in line with the moon cycles)). If you want to have the best chances of seeing turtles during your stay and it can be predicted with the arribada, contact the tour operator to see if this will line up. In general, the tour company states the best months for seeing turtles are between September and October. But we went in December and still managed to get a sighting in (read about our experience below).
You’ll start the tour by walking up and down the beach in the dark where the local guide will inform you about the different species and so much information you likely didn’t know about turtles. Once you spot a turtle, you will get to watch them come to shore to lay their eggs, and head back to shore. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see some turtle eggs hatch or watch the turtles be let into the ocean during the night (to increase their chances of making it!). The beach the tour visits is a protected area with conservation efforts made to boost the turtle population.
This tour includes transportation from Samara, so all you have to worry about is yourself to really focus in on this experience.
Our Experience
This was one of our favourite day trips from Samara for many reasons. Not only is this beach itself (Playa Camaronal) a really cool beach (we visited it earlier during the day and it was so quiet and relaxing), but the conservation efforts and mini hikes around here during the day time are pretty cool – it’s a worth a visit if you’re in the area.
When we visited, it was pitch black outside and the area around the Playa Camaronal beach is completely dark which made the stars look INSANE – since this day we have never seen a better nighttime sky. We walked along the beach and our tour guide told us some facts about turtles until the exciting stuff happened – we finally saw a turtle come to shore to lay her eggs. We were lucky enough to watch the entire process from a distance to not disturb the turtle and once it was done, watch her wander back to the ocean.
We were lucky enough on this day that they were releasing a bunch of baby turtles back into the ocean! They let them go on the beach and we got to watch them find their way to the sea. To not disturb the turtles or attract predators they use red light, so you don’t get a super clear look of them however it was still amazing!
This tour lasted for a few hours in total and was by far our favourite tour in Costa Rica. The stars illuminating the night sky, the sound of the ocean waves at night, the sight of momma and baby turtles throughout the evening all made this such a special experience.
Visit Samara!
If you are planning to visit Samara or Costa Rica in general, you should check out our other resources on Costa Rica to inspire your trip. We have a full seven day itinerary over on our thatch profile which includes this tour and many others (plus so much more information). If you’re visiting Costa Rica, Samara really is the hidden gem that no one really talks about. It’s a great place to have quieter and more private experiences such as this one.