The town of Monterrico is situated on the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

coast of

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

in the department of

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

. Known for its volcanic black sand beaches and annual influx of

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerh ...

s, the town also serves as a major weekend beach resort for citizens of

Guatemala City Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...

. The town is growing more popular with foreign tourists largely because of the local sea turtle conservation efforts as well as the laid-back atmosphere of the area.

Sea turtle conservation

A few turtle conservation organizations operate in the Monterrico area because the long stretch of beach serves as a breeding ground for four species of sea turtles. Although some locals who hunt for sea turtle eggs during the August–November season do donate a percentage of their catch to the "tortugarios" (sea turtle hatcheries), the majority of eggs laid on the beach are harveste and eaten.

References

External links

* Populated places in the Santa Rosa Department, Guatemala {{Guatemala-geo-stubhttps://www.guatemala.com/guias/pasatiempos/lugares-turisticos-de-monterrico-guatemala/