Useful Information about Ojochal
Playa Tortuga is located just 3.5 hours from San Jose, in Ojochal de Osa on the Southern Pacific Coast Of Costa Rica. The Reserve offers an ideal environment for researchers and volunteers. It is located in the tropical rainforest and just outside of Marino Ballena National Park. This park is named after the humpback whales that migrate there from August – October and December – April. Three species of dolphins are also common visitors to the waters. Visitors can explore miles of deserted beaches, mangrove forests and coral reefs. On days off you can take a bus to visit Dominical and Uvita, local towns where you can go surfing, or arrange a full day snorkelling trip to Cano Island, go whale watching or do a mangrove tour by kayak. In addition, you can find local souvenirs and ice cream parlours, which are a favourite with the volunteers!
Climate
Turtle Season (July-December) is rainy season here in the Southern Zone. The weather changes very rapidly. Humidity is very high (they don’t call it rainforest for nothing!). However, we do get plenty of sun, it is frequently sunny until mid afternoon with rains coming in the afternoons for a few hours. Rains are often heaviest in September – and so are the turtles! By November and December we start to dry out and enter into our ‘summer’ dry season. Daytime temperatures range from the upper-70’s when overcast to low-90’s.
Life as a Volunteer in Costa Rica!
Watch a mini clip about the programme and the work that volunteers at doing within the Playa Tortuga reserve programme.
