We ventured 30 minutes south of San Juan Del Sur to Playa La Flor. It is a natural wildlife reserve where Olive Ridley sea turtles come to lay eggs between July and January every year. It is a beautiful white sand beach that is not marred by hotels and restaurants.
The area is protected by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. There are guards there 24 hours/day. It cost C$600 (USD 18) for our family of four to enter the beach.
The turtles are not laying eggs yet, but a guide took us out to the beach with a laundry basket full of baby Olive Ridley sea turtles. We got to place the turtles in the sand and watch them make their journey to the ocean.
Lucas and Henry are worried about the turtles. Many of them would get close to the ocean and then a wave would carry them back to where they started. Also, we learned that very few turtles survive to adulthood. These turtles have a lot of predators in and out of the water.
We arrived at 5:00 and stayed until it got dark at 7:00. We brought dinner with us and ate on the beach after we released the turtles. We also played frisbee on the large, pristine beach.
Getting There
There are often tours that go to Playa La Flor. We have a car, so we drove. It is an easy 40-minute drive from San Juan Del Sur to Playa La Flor. The entrance to Playa La Flor is just after you pass Playa Del Coco. It is well marked.
Driving home at night is challenging. The road is winding and dark. On our way home we encountered dogs, horses, cats, people walking and riding bikes. Driving slowly is a must because these obstacles come at you seemingly out of nowhere.
If we are still here in September, we will go back and see the turtles laying eggs.
