Tortuguero
Tortuguero is Costa Rica’s third most popular National Park. Tortuguero, which means “region of turtles” in Spanish, is one of the country’s most important nesting sites for the leatherback, green, loggerhead, and hawksbill sea turtles which come to nest on the beaches here in August to November. From November to January night tours of the beaches offer visitors the chance to see baby turtles scrambling towards the shore for the first time, which is truly a must-see experience. Aside from the turtle connection, Tortuguero has over 800 species of wildlife and is particularly popular with birdwatchers.
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Costs in Tortuguero
- Hostel Prices: Hostels start at around $15 USD per night for a private room. There is one in the town center but that’s it. This isn’t a cheap place to visit.
- Budget Hotel Prices: Expect to pay $25 USD per night for a budget hotel. Most places here are lodges and start at around $40 USD.
- Average Cost of Food: The hotels and lodges provide all your meals for you. If you are staying in the town, you will be able to find some restaurants. Expect to pay around $6 USD for a meal.
- Cost of Internet: There is one internet café in Tortuguero which charges $3 USD per hour.
- Transportation Costs: Tortuguero is only accessible by water or air so water taxis will be your main form of travel around the area. The park has a $10 USD fee. Most lodges will arrange pick up for you.
Things to do in Tortuguero
- Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero National Park is located on the far south side of the village. There are a couple of trails you can hike on through the park, but boat tours of the area are pretty much the only way to get around. Aside from the obvious turtle connection, you’ll be able to see sloths, howler monkeys, tiny frogs and green iguanas. This area is amongst the wettest in Costa Rica so be prepared for a muddy trip!
- Turtle Hill. Tortuguero Hill is the highest point on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and can be reached by a 10 minute boat ride from the village. The hike up to the summit of the hill takes around 2 hours but once at the top you’ll get a great aerial view of Tortuguero and the surrounding area. There are plenty of locals willing to act as a tour guide which can be a good idea as the hike is difficult in some places and pretty slippery.
- Visit a Banana Plantation. Along with coffee, bananas are Costa Rica’s main export and at the two plantations in the Tortuguero area you can see how the fruit is grown and harvested. Del Monte and Chiquita both allow tours of their plantations where you’ll watch the field hands cut the bananas from the trees.
- Night boat rides. Night boat tours are offered throughout the area by nearly and are your best chance of catching a glimpse of the many nocturnal creatures that inhabit the canals around Tortuguero. You’ll meander down the waterways in darkness, save for the tour guide’s spotlight which illuminates crocodiles, frogs, caimans, crabs and bats.
- Turtle tour. Chances are if you’ve come to Tortuguero it’s to catch a glimpse of the turtles coming on to the beach to lay their eggs at night, or to spot the hatchlings making their first crawl towards the sea. The tours take place between 8pm and midnight and cost $20 USD. Green Turtles are the most common species here but you might also get to see Leatherbacks, Hawksbill and Loggerhead turtles too.
- Canoeing. If you are keen to explore the waterways of Tortuguero but a canal tour by boat isn’t for you, consider setting off on your own in a canoe. There are loads of places in the area to rent out canoes which will usually cost $10 USD.
- Canopy tour. After having exhausted the waterways of Tortuguero, consider getting an aerial view of the rainforest below by taking a canopy tour. The ziplines and suspended bridges will allow you to get up close and personal with the vegetation and wildlife nearer the top of the rainforest, which is the most active area.
- Tortuguero Village. With all the canals here and being located right by the sea, you’ll have many fishing opportunities while here. You’ll mostly likely catch a decent sized fish and all the lodges will let you cook it for dinner.
Budget Tips for Tortuguero
- Tortuguero isn’t really a budget destination. There’s no way around it. While it will be slightly cheaper if you try to do it yourself, it’s also a lot harder, complicated, and you won’t be able to get the range of activities you could if you stayed at a lodge. Here, simply spend the money, pick a lodge, and let them take care of everything. They will come pick you up from San Jose and take you right to the lodge. It’s easy.
| Arenal | Manuel Antonio | Monteverde | Puerto Viejo | San Jose | Tamarindo |
Once, I waited over an hour for a bus that didn't exist because information in a guidebook was out of date. After that, I never wanted out of date travel information to exist. After traveling the world for over five years, I know exactly what type of information travelers want. I update this guide section every six months so you never have to go through what I did. 
