Playa el Coco

Playa el Coco, located just south of San Juan del Sur and surrounded by dense vegetation, boasts some of Nicaragua's most kid-friendly surf and environment. There is also wildlife to consider. Your morning alarm will be howler monkeys, and urracas may take your meal.

Playa el Coco lies about a mile (2 kilometers) from Playa La Flor, one of the country's most important turtle sanctuaries. It is rather usual to go there late at night in the hopes of spotting turtles breeding. The date is determined by lunar phases; the crescent moon is when the turtles like to emerge. La Flor is one of only seven beaches worldwide where you may witness a large turtle nesting. Three thousand or more turtles show up there at the same time. Turtle aficionados forego luck and camp at La Flor for weeks in order to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event. When watching turtles, keep in mind that the area is protected, so you must follow all of the rangers' instructions. No flash photography is permitted, and flashlights must be used with the red paper given.

Location: San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua