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On the Rio Matapalo estuary between Conchal and Tamarindo, PARQUE NACIONAL MARINO LAS BAULAS (8am-4pm, though open until late at night for guided tours in season; US$6, including tour) is less a national park than a reserve, created in 1995 to protect the nesting grounds of the critically endangered leatherback turtles , which come ashore here to nest from October to February. Leatherbacks have laid their eggs at Playa Grande for quite possibly millions of years, and it's now one of the few remaining such nesting sites in the world. The beach itself offers a beautiful sweep of light-coloured sand, and outside laying season you can surf and splash around in the waves, though swimming is rough, and plagued by crashing waves and rip tides. Despite its proximity to an officially protected area, someone seems to have given developers carte blanche to build at Playa Grande. What effect this will have on the millennia-old nesting ground of the turtles remains to be seen. Around 200m from the park entrance, the impressive and educational El Mundo de la Tortuga exhibition (early Oct to mid-March daily 4pm to late; US$5) includes an audioguided tour in English and some stunning photographs of the turtles. You'll gain some insight into the leatherback's habitats and reproductive cycles, along with the threats they face and current conservation efforts. There's also a souvenir shop and a small cafe where groups on turtle tours are often asked to wait while a nesting turtle is located. It's open late at night - often past midnight - depending on demand and nesting times. There are two official entrances to Playa Grande, though tickets can only be bought at the southern entrance, where the road enters the park near the Villa Baulas . There are no bus services to the park. To drive to Las Baulas , take the road from Huacas to Matapalo, and turn left at the soccer field (a 4WD is recommended for this stretch during the wet season). Most people, however, visit the park by boat from Tamarindo, entering at the southern end rather than from the Matapalo road.
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