Tortuguero National Park Guide: Best Canoe Tours, Hiking & Turtle Nesting

Tortuguero National Park is a maze of Caribbean waterways on Costa Rica’s northern coast. It is famous for canoe and kayak tours where you’ll spot monkeys, caimans, sloths, and (if you time it right) nesting sea turtles. It’s one of the only places in Costa Rica you can’t reach by car, which is what keeps it so wild.

We’re Sarah and Thomas, and we’ve been living in Costa Rica since 2016. We’ve paddled these waterways more times than we can count, done the early morning canoe tour multiple times, and watched sea turtles nest on the beach here, so we know exactly what’s worth your time and money and what isn’t.

In this guide, we’ll cover the best canoe and kayak tours, when to visit for turtle nesting season, what the park costs, what to pack, and everything else you need to plan your visit from start to finish.

A Bit Of Background

Up until the 1950s, Tortuguero’s whole economy ran on turtle hunting. People ate the meat and eggs and turned the shells into goods to sell.

Then a zoologist named Dr. Archie Carr showed up from the University of Florida to study the green sea turtles, and he convinced the community that protecting the turtles and building tours around them would make them more money long term than hunting ever did.

He was right.

The park was officially founded in 1970 and has grown three times since.

If you want the full story, stop by the Sea Turtle Conservancy Center while you’re in town. It’s a small museum, but it’s one of the better fifteen minutes you’ll spend in Tortuguero.

What’s Protected Here

• Over 400 tree species and 2,000 plant species
• Four species of nesting sea turtles (green, leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead), one of Costa Rica’s largest jaguar populations, and manatees, which are one of the most threatened animals in Costa Rica.
• Of the park’s roughly 77,000 acres, only about 1% is open to visitors. The rest stays fully protected.

The National Park Waterway Tour

This tour is the reason people come to Tortuguero. A guide leads you by canoe or kayak through narrow jungle waterways at sunrise, when the wildlife is most active and the light is unbeatable for photos.

Tours usually launch at 6:00 am and run about two hours. Yes, that’s early. But the birds will have you up by 5:30 anyway, and the animals are far more active before the heat sets in.

Your guide will know exactly where the monkeys hang out (literally hanging), and you can expect to see river turtles, caimans, otters, egrets, and a long list of birds along the way.

Canoe or kayak?

We go canoe when we want to focus on photos, and kayak when we’re more interested in the paddle itself. Either way you’ll get close to the wildlife and see parts of the park you can’t reach on foot.

Tortuguero rarely gets fully booked, so you can usually arrange a tour last minute through your hotel. If you’d rather have it locked in ahead of time, here are our picks….

Our Favorite Tortuguero Tours

Canoe Tour: Departs at 6 am from the park boat launch, max 8 people per boat. We’ve done this one twice and both times the guides were sharp and easy to follow, even for a group with mixed ages. Book the canoe tour

Kayak Tour: Same early start, but you’re paddling solo in your own kayak, which gets you into a few narrower channels the canoes can’t reach. More active, still just as scenic. Book the kayak tour

2-in-1 Canoe & Hiking Tour: This pairs the morning canoe ride with a guided walk through the park’s land trail at 11 am. We haven’t done this one ourselves yet, but the trail is honestly a lot more interesting with a guide who knows where to look. It’s on our list for next time. Book the 2-in-1 tour

Heads up: none of these tours include park admission. You’ll pay that separately at the entrance the morning of your tour, but it’s valid all day, so you can hike the land trail that afternoon at no extra cost.

Hiking The Park

If you do a morning canoe tour, do the hike the same day. You’ve already paid for park admission, so you may as well use it.

The trail is flat and manageable for most fitness levels. It’s technically a loop but the second half has been closed due to mud almost every time we’ve visited. The first stretch runs from the entrance toward the beach and can get seriously muddy, so rent rubber boots near the entrance if it’s rained recently or you’re concerned about your shoes. The second stretch runs parallel to the beach with a few paths cutting down to the sand.

Since this is a turtle nesting beach, watch your step. You might spot baby turtles making their first dash to the water. Plan for about three hours total if the full loop is open.

Evening Turtle Tour (Turtle Nesting Season)

If you visit between July and late September, book an evening turtle tour. Your guide walks you along the beach after dark, shares the history of turtle conservation in Tortuguero, and with any luck you’ll watch a mother turtle come ashore to lay her eggs. It is, no joke, one of the absolute coolest things we have done in this country.

A few rules: no photos, no getting close, and only red flashlights are allowed since white light disturbs the turtles. Wear shoes you can walk in comfortably in the dark.

These tours can book out during peak season, so reserve ahead if you can. Book an evening turtle tour

Practical Info

• Park Hours: 6:00 am to 4:00 pm, daily
• Cost: Foreign adults: $15 Foreign children: $5 Costa Rica nationals and residents (adults): ₡1,000 Costa Rica nationals and residents (children): ₡500

What to Pack

For the canoe or kayak ride: water, your phone or camera, a waterproof case just in case, and a long sleeve layer, sunblock. Mornings are cool but the sun gets strong fast once it’s up, so layers are important

For the hike: water, a snack, sunscreen, bug spray, a camera, and pocket binoculars if you want a better shot at spotting wildlife. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy or wet (we like Keen’s), sports shorts, and a hat. Bring your swimsuit if you’re planning to cool off in the ocean after.

How to Get There

Tortuguero is only reachable by boat from La Pavona or by small plane, which is part of what makes it feel so far removed from everywhere else.

Read our complete Tortuguero transportation guide for the full breakdown on getting there.

Once you’re in the village, walk to the southern end of the main road and you’ll hit the park entrance.

Save 10% on your Costa Rica rental car to get yourself to the boat launch in La Pavona.

Best Time of Year to Visit

July through late September is prime time.

That’s peak dry season here on the Caribbean side, and it overlaps with green sea turtle nesting, so you get good weather and the best shot at seeing turtles in the same trip.

Tips Before You Go

• The beach is off limits between 6 pm and 6 am without a guide, since that’s prime turtle nesting time.
• Check out our full Tortuguero Destination Guide for hotels, restaurants, and transport info.
• Skip swimming in the river. Locals do it, but there are caimans in there, and we’d rather not find out the hard way.
• This is a protected beach. Watch where you step and don’t leave trash behind. We always bring a small bag and pick up anything we find along the way.
• Want to get more involved? The Sea Turtle Conservancy runs internships and research programs if you’re interested in turtle conservation beyond a single visit.

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