The rivers meander through this region carrying silt, which the coastal tides shift in parallel strips, giving rise to long, straight beaches.  These shores of dark sands, pounded by the wild surf, are the ideal place for sea turtles to lay their eggs.  Tortuguero is used by the hawksbill, Pacific green, a species which measures 1 metre long and weighs up to 200 kilos, and the leaterback, the largest sea turtle in the world.

The Pacific green turtle forms large spawning groups in areas that are from its feeding grounds.  This is the case with Tortuguero, which has been converted into the most important hatchery in the entire western half of the Caribbean.

The hawksbill turtle nests from July to October, the leatherbacks from February to July, with greater frequency during the months of April and May, and the green turtles from July to October, with greater activity in August. Another hatchery for these species is the neighboring Barra de Matina south of the park.

The wildlife is rich and diverse.  Monkeys, anurans (of which 60 species have been observed), birds (of which 309 species have been identified) and fish are specially numerous.  Tortuguero is one of the wilderness areas with the greatest biological variety in the country.  The total number of habitats identified in the park is 11, including littoral woodland, high rainforest, slope forest, swamp forest, holillo forest, herbaceous swamp and herbaceous lagoon communities. Some of the most common species of trees in the region are the crabwood, banak, wild tamarind, bully tree, Santa María and dove wood.  An abundant natural resource is water and infinite number of channels, waterways, lagoons and small lagoons are fed by rivers that flow from the rainy Central Mountain Range and by the torrential rains that fall in the area, between 4,500-6,000 mm. a year.  In September and October alone, the rain is equivalent to the entire annual rainfall in the city of Cartago, Santa Rosa National Park, or the city of Bagaces.  The rain can last for several days at a time, but it subsides in the month of March, and excellent time to visit the region.  The climate is very humid and stifling.

This wilderness area is accessible via a channel that originates in Moín, near Limón Harbor, 72 kms, away.  Transport is also available by sea and by air.