Marino Las Baulas National Park

The mangroves protected by this National Park are included in the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands, which are of great importance as habitat for aquatic birds and breeding areas for different marine and forest species. Its importance from a conservation point of view and its main tourist attraction lies in the leatherback turtles nesting on the beaches of this protected area. The leatherback is the largest turtle species in the world and according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) is in danger of extinction.

It is located in the province of Guanacaste, canton of Santa Cruz, in the districts of Cabo Velas and 27 de Abril, 8 km from the community of Matapalo and 20 km from Tamarindo by land and 5 km via estuary. It includes among other geographical areas the Morro and El Hermoso hills; the Carbon, Ventanas, Grande and Langosta beaches; the San Francisco, Tamarindo and Ventanas mangroves.