Tortuguero travel guide
Tortuguero, Costa Rica: where to stay, eat and play
A tiny, car-free village on the northern Caribbean coast, reachable only by boat or plane, with jungle canals, a wildlife-packed national park and nesting sea turtles.
By Sarah & Thomas, calling Costa Rica home since 2016
Best Time
Jul to Oct
From San José
About 3.5 hours
Best Airport
SJO
Getting around
On foot (no cars)
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Our take
Who Tortuguero is for
Tortuguero is one of our favorite spots in Costa Rica, with a relaxed feel, extremely nice people, a cool national park and, best of all, turtles! It’s perfect for nature and wildlife lovers who don’t mind a little adventure getting there.
One thing to keep in mind: There are no cars and no ATMs. You arrive by boat (or a small plane), get around on foot, and need to bring cash in colones.
How long to stay: Two nights is enough. It’s an amazing place, but there isn’t that much to do, and two full days gives you time for a canoe tour, a park hike, the village and a turtle tour.
Turtles
Turtle nesting season
From July through November, sea turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs, including massive leatherbacks. August and September are the best months. Green and hawksbill turtles can be seen too.
Tour rules
After 6 pm you can only be on the beach with a guided tour. No photos, no getting close and only red flashlights. Wear comfortable shoes and dark clothes.
Good to know
A reader paid about $30 per person for a turtle tour and called it “the coolest thing ever.” Bring binoculars and long pants.
Getting there
How to get to Tortuguero
Drive and boat from San José
It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from San José to La Pavona, where the boats leave. The last 30 minutes are unpaved, but you don’t need a 4×4. Park in the secure, 24-hour guarded lot for about $10 a day.
Public boats leave La Pavona around 7:30 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 4:30 pm (or when full) and cost a few dollars. The ride takes about 45 minutes. Buy tickets at the parking lot.
For more info:
Rental car
Adobe gives our readers 10% off and a free second driver. Since there are no cars in Tortuguero, you’ll leave your car parked at La Pavona.
Flights and shuttles
Sansa flies from San José to Tortuguero in about 25 minutes, the fastest option but pricey. Some lodges include transportation from San José. For shared shuttles, use Bookaway with code SARAHMC5 for 5% off.
Where it is
Tortuguero is on the northern Caribbean coast near the Nicaragua border, on a strip of land between the canals and the sea that you can only reach by boat or plane.
Good to know: There are no ATMs in Tortuguero, so bring cash in colones. Dollars are accepted, but usually at a poor exchange rate.
Weather
Tortuguero weather and best time to visit
Temperature and rain by month
Swipe to see all months →
Average daytime highs and rainfall in Tortuguero. Bars show relative rainfall. Sunrise and sunset are for the 15th of each month.
Driest months
The Caribbean has its own weather pattern, and it’s often nice when it’s raining on the Pacific side. When it rains here, it’s usually at night.
Rainy months
Rain can come any time of year, and mid-December through July tends to be wetter. We visited in January and had both amazing days and washouts.
Best time
Late Jul to mid-Oct
Sunrise / Sunset
about 5:30 AM / about 5:30 PM
Turtle season
Jul to Nov
Our tip
Our tip: Go in August or September to see turtles nesting. It stays warm even when it rains, so pack a light rain jacket.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Tortuguero
Tortuga Lodge & Garden
High-end · Riverside · Pool
A riverside lodge with a pool and a Caribbean restaurant. Like other high-end lodges, it has boat service to the village.
Casa Turtle Bogue
Mid-range · Beachfront · Helpful staff
A beachfront hotel with simple (but nice) rooms. The staff are happy to help arrange any tours.
Also worth considering: Mawamba Lodge (pool, trails and butterfly gardens; some packages include transport from San José), Tortuguero Natural (simple, nice rooms on the ocean side and the sweetest staff), Aracari Garden Hostel (dorms and private rooms with a shared kitchen) and Hotel Icaco (as basic as it gets, but perfect on a budget).
For more options, we suggest VRBO. Browse Tortuguero rentals on VRBO →
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Things to do
Things to do in Tortuguero
National park
Canoe tour of the canals
The best way to see Tortuguero National Park is an early morning guided boat tour. We’ve done the canoe tour twice and loved it. The guides are really well informed, and people of all ages will enjoy it.
Make it a 2-in-1
Your boat tour includes park admission, and the ticket is valid for afternoon hiking too. Or book a 2-in-1 tour with a morning canoe ride and an 11 am guided walk.
Readers’ tip
Spot wildlife
Readers have seen sloths, spider and howler monkeys, blue crabs and frogs on the canoe tour. After rain, rent rubber boots for a couple of dollars for the muddy trails.
Kayak instead
Prefer to paddle yourself? Book a guided kayak tour, or rent kayaks in the village to explore the little freshwater streams.
Walk the beach
You can walk for miles and miles. It’s not great for swimming, but sunrise here is beautiful. The beach is a wildlife refuge, so don’t disturb the turtles.
Turtle museum
A small museum on the north side of town. It costs a few dollars, goes toward conservation and takes about 45 minutes.
Hike the park trails
Use your park ticket for an afternoon walk on the trails. Rubber boots help when it’s muddy.
Night turtle tour
In nesting season (July to November), guided night tours are the only way to watch turtles lay their eggs.
Explore the village
A tiny, colorful car-free village with friendly locals, a few cafés and souvenir shops.
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Where to eat
Where to eat in Tortuguero
Budda Café
Our favorite · Food & drinks
Our favorite hangout, with great food, great drinks and a perfect atmosphere.
Tutti’s
Pizza · Italian
Quality pizza and Italian food. The staff is super nice and the prices are decent.
Mi Niño
Costa Rican · Huge portions · $
Delicious typical Costa Rican food with huge portion sizes.
Karonga
Floating restaurant · Experience
A floating dining experience of about 2 hours, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We haven’t been yet, but it’s high on our list.
Readers also loved Donde Richard, which has vegetarian options.
Practical stuff
Good to know before you go
Good to know
Packing for Tortuguero
Clothes
Super relaxed. You’ll live in flip flops, except maybe in the national park. Bring long pants and dark clothes for the turtle tour.
Bug spray
A must, along with sun protection.
Luggage
Bring a backpack instead of a suitcase, since you’ll be getting on and off boats.
Travel insurance
Always a good idea. It’s not just for injury, but for theft, trip interruptions, and lost luggage. We use Heymondo.
Good to know
Safety
Tortuguero is a small, friendly village. The main things to watch out for are in the water.
Good to know
Practical basics
ATMs and banks
There’s no ATM in Tortuguero. Bring cash, ideally colones. Most places take US dollars, but you’ll get a better rate with colones.
Getting around
Getting around Tortuguero
By foot! There are no cars in Tortuguero, and everything in the village is walkable.
Boats
The high-end hotels across the river have boat service to the village. Private local boats can also take you around.
Walking
The village is tiny, and you can walk everywhere, including the beach and the park entrance.
FAQ
Tortuguero FAQ: your questions
How many days in Tortuguero is enough?
Two full days is the perfect amount of time, enough for a canoe ride, hiking in the national park, exploring the town and an evening turtle tour.
Is Tortuguero worth visiting?
Yes, it’s worth visiting all year round, but the best time is August or September, when you can see turtles nesting.
How do I get to Tortuguero?
Drive or take a shuttle to La Pavona (about 2.5 hours from San José), then take a 45-minute boat. You can also take a short domestic flight from San José.
Can you drive to Tortuguero?
No. There are no roads into Tortuguero. You drive to La Pavona, park in the guarded lot (about $10 a day) and take a boat.
When is turtle season in Tortuguero?
Nesting season runs from July through November, with August and September the best months. Green and hawksbill turtles can be seen too.
Can you swim in Tortuguero?
Don’t swim in the rivers, since there are caimans. The ocean beach isn’t good for swimming either.
Is there an ATM in Tortuguero?
No. Bring cash in colones. Dollars are accepted but usually at a poor exchange rate.
Every guide
All our Tortuguero guides
Keep exploring
More towns in Caribbean Coast
Planning more of the region? See our full Caribbean Coast guide.
Here’s the complete post –
Hi Sarah, Thomas – Tortuguero was our favorite part of our recent Costa Rica trip. Thanks for all your tips. Here’s some information based on our experience –
1. Allow for additional drive time to/from San Jose for traffic jams and possible tunnel closure (on our way out, the tunnel was operating one way only and our side had to wait it out for 40 minutes).
2. Parking at La Pavona cost us $10/day. The private boat ride cost 4000 colones per person. On the way back, we were able to bargain and paid 3000 colones per person. The last ferry/private boats leave Tortuguero for La Pavona at 3 pm.
3. We explored the National park with our Canoe tour guide – we made arrangements with him directly so it was cheaper – we saw a sloth, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, blue crab, blue frog, all kinds of spiders and even though we didn’t see any Toucans, it was absolutely worth it. Bug spray is a must. It had rained quite a bit so we rented boots for $3 from a store near the entrance to the park. There is another smaller store closer to the entrance that rents boots for $2.
4. The Turtle hatching tour cost us $30/person and you are right, it was the coolest thing ever ! It was recommended that we wear long pants and dark colored clothes for the tour. Photography was prohibited. Binoculars are useful to have with you.
5. Our stay at the Tortuguero Natural cost $58 for 2 with breakfast included (breakfast was at a restaurant on the main strip)
6. Tutti’s was closed so we went to the nearby Donde Richard instead – the food was amazing (my vegetarian husband loved his bowl)
7. Major lesson learned – although dollars were accepted at Tortuguero, the conversion rate were terrible. There are no ATMs so carry colones.
Thanks so much Reetoo for all that info! We haven’t been to Tortuguero in about a year so it’s definitely helpful to get an update and it will surely help other travelers as well. It sounds like you enjoyed your trip and that’s awesome that you got to see turtles!! 🙂