LA TORTUGA VERDE AND TURTLE PROTECTION

Todd holding a baby sea turtle about to be released into the wild.

A visit to Playa El Cuco isn't complete with at least a quick stop (or for us, a few nights) at the well-known eco-lodge La Tortuga Verde. Besides cooking up some of the best food for miles, the Tortuga also does what it can to protect the turtles that have used the area's beaches for decades to lay their eggs. 

A recently-hatched baby sea turtle and its former home.

Unfortunately, turtle eggs are still a delicacy in parts of El Salvador. 

To help combat the problem, Tom, the owner of La Tortuga Verde, started buying the eggs from local tortugueros, or turtle egg collectors.

Instead of serving them in his restaurant, where the first page of the menu reads "NO COMAN JUEVOS DE TORTUGAS" (we don't eat turtle eggs), he pays a premium over market price, giving him first dibs on the eggs, and keeps them in his turtle nursery, giving the babies a chance to hatch. 

We were lucky enough to witness some newly hatched little ones the morning of our departure and were able to be a part of their release into the wild. It was a great farewell to our new favorite Central American country.