Playa Grande

Outside of turtle season this is a magnificent surf break and a very good sunset beach. The black sand and the scale of the Pacific make it genuinely dramatic. No facilities to speak of, which I appreciated — a small sodas row near the entry and nothing else. The absence of resort development is the point. Know this before you go.

The night turtle tour was the most moving natural experience of the trip. The leatherback we saw was enormous and completely absorbed in what she was doing — she allowed us to stand within two metres of her during egg-laying. I have seen wildlife in many places. This was different. The scale of the animal and the weight of what you are witnessing is hard to describe.

We went in November specifically for the leatherback tour. Our guide found a nesting female within 25 minutes of starting — an animal that weighed maybe 350 kilograms, digging a nest by hand in the dark, completely undisturbed by our presence once she was in the digging phase. Nothing in Costa Rica or anywhere else has come close to that hour for sheer weight of natural fact. The group was eight people. The silence was enforced. It was correct.

Came in March expecting a beach day. The beach is real and the sunset is real but there is nothing to do here except watch the waves, which are not swimmable. The closest restaurant was twenty minutes away. I understand the conservation purpose but as a casual visitor in non-turtle season it was a long drive for a beautiful but very spare experience. Expectations should be set correctly.