Playa Tortuga, Costa Rica
Playa Tortuga is the nearest beach to the village of Ojochal, hence it is also known by the name Playa Ojochal. About 35 km south of Dominical, Playa Tortuga lies just outside the southern boundary of the Ballena Marine National Park, and is the southernmost beach before entering the Osa Peninsula, home to the Corcovado National Park.
The area around Playa Tortuga, known as the gateway to Osa Peninsula, is wild and unspoiled, covered by lush jungle and rainforest, teeming with birds and other small wildlife, cradled between mountains and ocean, crisscrossed by rivers and streams and dotted by waterfalls. From here it is possible to join day tours to Corcovado National Park, Ballena Marine Park, Caño Island Biological Reserve and the Rio Terraba-Sierpe mangrove forest, one of the largest mangrove swamps in Central America.
From Playa Tortuga you can hop over to Playa Ventanas, a lovely swimming beach with a famous and spectacular blow-hole, and Playa Pinuella, a small calm beach used by local fishermen to anchor their fishing boats.
Ojochal and Playa Tortuga have many vacation homes, small hotels and nice restaurants to offer. The area is easily accessed from the Palmar Sur regional airport, about 15 minutes to the south, or via Dominical if you are driving down from the Central Pacific coats or from the Central Valley.