The Northern Caribbean stretches from the San Juan River to the city of Limón. The city of Limón is the tourist center of this corridor, serving simultaneously as a leisure and excursion center.

The main attractions are the green turtle nesting on the beaches of Tortuguero National Park and the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge, a prime spot for sport fishing for snook, tarpon, and other species. This is complemented by the river canal system that connects the Port of Moín with Barra del Colorado, which is a unique attraction and simultaneously the only means of transportation.

Nature-based products are favored, particularly wildlife viewing, as it is a world-renowned site for turtle and bird watching.

Area Attractions

Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge, created in 1985, is located in the far north of the Caribbean region, on the border with Nicaragua. It covers 78,977 hectares, home to canals, lagoons, rivers, swamps, forests, and hills; some islands, both continental and fluvial, are found at altitudes of less than 250 meters. Precipitation in this region is approximately 5,500 to 6,000 millimeters per year, so there is no proper dry season.

There is a rich biodiversity of plants and animals, some species are endemic, meaning they are found only in this protected area. The flora consists of three types of vegetation: flooded forest, yolillal, and gamalotal. As for wildlife, you’ll find crocodiles, alligators, manatees, tapirs, jaguars, howler and white-faced monkeys, three-toed sloths, and the gaspar fish, considered a living fossil.

Due to its abundance of fish, it is considered a paradise for sport fishing, which can be practiced with a license. There are several fishing grounds, and some world records have been achieved in these waters. To reach Colorado, you can travel by boat from Moín, Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo, Sarapiquí, and other locations, or by plane from San José.

TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK

Tortuguero National Park, established in 1975, is one of the most biologically diverse wilderness areas in Costa Rica and offers one of the most lush landscapes in the country. It covers an area of ​​26,156 hectares and was created with the primary purpose of protecting the nesting area of ​​the most important green sea turtle in the western Caribbean. Tortuguero has a very humid tropical forest, due to the fact that it receives between 5,000 and 6,000 millimeters of rainfall per year. These climatic conditions favor the existence of just over 400 species of trees and around 2,200 species of other plants, as well as more than 400 species of birds, 60 species of amphibians, 30 species of freshwater fish, and various endangered mammals: tapirs, monkeys, ocelots, jaguars, manatees, sloths, and others. Tortuguero is characterized by its canals, lagoons, and rivers of great scenic beauty, which can be explored by boats, canoes, and kayaks to enjoy its wonderful landscape. In addition to the green turtle, three other species of turtles lay their eggs on the park’s beaches, which offers an exhibition hall, information, drinking water, restrooms, trails, and other services.