Our small, ecotouristic beachfront hotel is located on one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. Since prehistoric times, Playa Grande has been one of the world's principle nesting beaches for the Giant Leatherback Sea Turtle. Louis Wilson, the founder of Hotel Las Tortugas, was instrumental in preserving Playa Grande as one of the last functioning, healthy nesting areas in the world for this now highly-endangered species. Join us and witness this spectacle of nature which occurs at our doorstep every October through
February. The nightly turtle tours run from October 15 to Feb. 15th through the park service. After Feb. 15th, you can walk our beach in the early morning hours in hopes of seeing the baby hatclings making their way to the sea in the half-light of the early dawn.

Hotel Las Tortugas is perfectly positioned in the center of Playa Grande, just steps from the main peak which is one of Costa Rica's most consistent surf breaks. Our guests revel in the luxury of staying at the only beachfront hotel in the area with our pool, jacuzzi, garden with hammocks, and open-air restaurant and bar all just steps from the water's edge. Wilson, who owns and operates both the Las Tortugas Hotel and our Tortugas Lighthouse Apartments, is a surf-pioneer with 30 years experience living & surfing in northwest Costa Rica. Louis was one of the original surfers of Witch's Rock and is more than happy to assist you with surf forecasts and his unique knowledge of the area. We rent surfboards and boogie boards.


There is plenty to do at Las Tortugas in addition to sufing, beach-combing and relaxing. Hotel Las Tortugas is itself nested in an area that is part of the Costa Rica National Park system. Enjoy exploring miles of deserted, pristine whitesand beaches, stretching for miles to our north and south. The beach trail to the north along the cape offers tidepools for snorkeling and secluded blacksand coves of volcanic rock for luxuriating and sunbathing in complete privacy. Behind the beach lies a natural saltwater estuary, Estero Tamarindo, a national wildlife refuge. The area around the estuary is teeming with wildlife and contain small patches of intact lowland dry forest, the most endangered type of forest on the planet. Predatory birds abound.

We offer canoes for rent with which to paddle up the estuary, with or without a guide. Wilson was instrumental in securing the Tamarindo Estuary's 1500+ acres status as a national wildlife refuge in 1987. Over 180 recorded species of birds are found in and around this unique jungle. Glide noiselessly through this audio-visual spectacle in the chosen craft of the Indians and experience a world lost in time. If you're lucky you'll catch a glimps of a shy American saltwater crocodile sunning itself on the banks framed by mangroves.

You can fish the shoreline for snook, jack, rooster, snapper, etc.; use a small spoon, lure, or white bucktail with stout hooks. Our local staff can offer helpful hints, as it's one of their favorite past times. Or, if you prefer open ocean fishing, you can charter a boat out of nearby Tamarindo or Flamingo for world-renowned big-game fishing.

We invite you to come witness the unique natural beauty of Playa Grande, the nesting and birth of the turtles, the surf, and the true meaning of "Pura Vida".  

We are strictly ecotouristic and while our emphasis is not on luxury, we like to think that we provide local charm and warmth as we employ only local people from the surrounding villages in order to encourage sustainable development and support the local economy. Having come from families that at one time eked out a living from gathering turtle eggs, now our staff are watchdogs for the wildlife area, realizing that safeguarding this unique environment is the smartest way to maintain a strong economy through tourism, as well as to ensure a better future for all.

The vacationing Ryder brothers with our local staff
       members Shirley and Sandra.          

PURA VIDA!