Tortuguero National Park is an isolated area on the northern part of the Caribbean coast reachable only by boat or airplane and just the right place to go, if you’re asking yourself, what more to do in Costa Rica. Pure and untouched nature, turtle watching and jungle canals await you.
Detailed Description
Tortuguero National Park is located in the Limón Province of northeastern Costa Rica. It is the third-most visited park in Costa Rica, despite the fact that it can only be reached by airplane or boat. The park has incredible biological variety, due to the existence within the reserve of eleven different habitats, including rainforest, swamps, beaches, and lagoons. It is located in a tropical climate, is very humid, and receives up to 250 inches of rain a year.
Its beaches are key nesting grounds for endangered sea turtles, such as 
Hawksbill, Loggerheads, Green and Leatherbacks. The rivers within the park are home to sensitive populations of manatees, as well as caimans, crocodiles, and Tropical Gar, which is considered a living fossil. The forests are home to jaguars, three species of monkeys (spider, howler, and white-faced Capuchin), and three-toed sloths. Basilisk lizards and poisonous frogs also inhabit the area, along with 375 species of birds including kingfishers, toucans, blue herons, peacocks, and parrots. There are more than 400 species of trees and approximately 2,200 species of plants.
This is the very best place in Costa Rica to spot wildlife. Monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, toucans, and many colorful frogs and insects are all common sights. During the July to October turtle nesting season, this is definitely one of Costa Rica’s highlights.
We have daily departures from San José, the Caribbean Coast and the Arenal Volcano, giving you the choice to start and end this tour at the place of your convenience (for the Caribbean Coast and Arenal Volcano, an extra charge applies, except if you stay at La Baula Lodge). At the end of your tour (on the evening of the 2nd day or dinner time for the 1 night tour) you are dropped off at your hotel in your choice of San José, the Caribbean Coast or the Arenal Volcano area. So this is a great trip to do on your way to or from the Caribbean Coast or Arenal!
Accomodations
Choose your lodge
We have several lodges to choose from. Each offers a different accommodation option as well as their own tours and activities which vary slightly.
| Lodge: | Pachira Lodge
| Evergreen Lodge
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| Features: | This lovely lodge has 88 comfortable rooms, all are spacious, with comfortable beds, private bathrooms, hot water, and ceiling fans. The property has a swimming pool, an excellent restaurant and bar service and offers bilingual guided tours in the area. All meals (buffet style) are included in the price of the package. | This spacious lodge has 55 comfortable rooms, all with comfortable beds, private bathrooms, hot water, and ceiling fans. The large swimming pool is the heart of the property which also has its own restaurant and a nice bar. The lodge offers bilingual guided tours in the area. The buffet style meals are included in the price of the package. |
| Lodge: | Aninga Lodge
| Laguna Lodge
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| Features: | This lodge has 32 rooms with beautiful furniture, wooden beds and colorful fabrics. Each room has a fan and private bath with hot water. Lodge facilities include a restaurant, a bar with lagoon view, swimming pool and spa. It is situated in a privileged location, right next to the Tortuguero lagoon. Exotic green vegetation, dense rainforest and pretty gardens surround the rooms, facility buildings and swimming pool. | The lodge offers 80 standard rooms with views to the gardens and forest surrounding the lodge. The rooms offer private bathroom, hot water, a ceiling fan, reading lamps and a wooden bench outside your room to sit and admire the gardens. The open air restaurant is located in front of the Tortuguero lagoon, providing beautiful views of the forests nearby. Meals are served buffet style with a variety of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables. |
| Lodge: | Mawamba Lodge
| Caribbean Paradise Lodge
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| Features: | Mawamba offers 54 standard rooms with either one double and one single bed or three single beds. All rooms have a garden view, ceiling fans, complimentary safety box, daily clean up service and private bathroom. Lodge facilities include a restaurant, swimming pool, bar, cafeteria, private and natural trails and an onsite souvenir shop. | This lodge offers beautiful standard rooms and independent Bungalow style rooms. Each unit comes with fan, private bathroom and hot water. The colorful restaurant and bar is set on an elevated platform, overlooking the surrounding nature of the forest and a wetlands section full of flora and local fauna. |
| Lodge: | La Baula Lodge
| La Casona de Tortuguero
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| Features: | La Baula Lodge features 40 cozy, rustic rooms of varying sizes. Each room has a private bathroom, hot water, a ceiling fan, and views to the gardens, with all meals included. The lodge features an authentic Caribbean style painted with bright colors that identify the culture of the area, lush and exotic gardens, swimming pool, a bar and Wifi. On-site there is a restaurant, rental boats and canoes.. | La Casona de Tortuguero is a small, family run hostel in the heart of Torutguero village. They offer rustic rooms with private bath, hot water and fans. There is hammock area surrounded by little patios and a garden full of tropical flowes. The family also runs a small restaurant and bar, and free wifi is available as well as laundry service. |
Package Information:
| Duration: | Two days/one night. Additional days can be added. | |
| Departures: | Daily | |
| Cost per person: | 2 day / 1 night package from $189 pp | 3 day / 2 night package from $254 pp |
| All packages include: | ● Transportation from San Jose with drop-off in San Jose. For pick-up or drop-off in Arenal or Puerto Viejo, an extra charge may applies. ● One or two nights of lodging as selected ● All meals (apart from La Baula and La Casona, both breakfast only) ● Activities/tours including a tour of the canals (either by boat or by canoe) and the Tortuguero Town. ● Taxes | |
| Not Included: | ● National park entrance fees ● Optional night turtle tour (July-October) ● Alcoholic beverages ● Lunch and dinner for packages with La Casona | |
| What to bring: | Long pants, all your valuables like passport, plane tickets, credit cards, light clothes, swim suit, sunscreen, hat, camera, comfortable walking shoes, insect repellent, binoculars, raincoat. For the optional/seasonal night turtle tour please wear dark clothes. Please bring cash to pay for the national park entrance fees and the turtle watching tour. | |
| Luggage restriction: | If your luggage is more than 15 kg (33 lb) please check with us as each lodge has its own restrictions on how much luggage can be taken on the boat. | |