Tortuguero National Park Guide

- 5 minutes reading

Fisherman in his boat on a river

Tortuguero, which translates to “Land of the Turtles”, is one of the country’s most important nesting sites for the sea turtles. From November to January, hundreds of sea turtles nest and lay their eggs on Tortuguero’s beaches. However, we explored Tortuguero in February, outside the nesting season and absolutely loved it. Here is why!

Is it worth exploring Tortuguero outside the turtle season? 

We visited Tortuguero National Park in February and our answer is a big « YES ». Tortuguero is so much more than sea turtles. It’s a genuine eco-travel paradise, pure and simple. The area is believed to be home to over 400 species of trees and over 2,000 species of other plants. Just beyond the beach are many undulating rivers reaching deep into the jungle filled with wildlife. There are over 300 species of birds and 60 species of mammals in the park including monkeys, jaguars, and toucans. 

Good to know: there are no ATM in Tortuguero, make sure to bring enough cash. The only way to take out money would be from the restaurants but against a 13% fee. We also encountered a few wifi breakdown and it became impossible to pay by cards for hours.

What to do in Tortuguero National Park?

Canoeing or kayaking on Tortuguero’s water ways

We recommend highly to explore the park from the water. You’ll find many tours available in the town or via your accommodation from $20 to $30. We booked our tour with Arcari Garden Hostel and we heard from others very good value for low price.

Our guide was really amazing, he explained everything about the flora and fauna we encountered on our way. We are usually not big fans of tours as we love doing things on our own but in this case, the « animals finding » skills of a guide is very impressive. So unless you’re an expert, you’ll really need someone to spot the wildlife for you.

Hiking in Tortuguero National Park

The path is technically a loop, but the second half of the trail is often closed due to extreme mud. 

The first part of the trail goes from the park entrance in the direction of the beach. In total, you can expect spending about 3 hours walking at an easy pace. There are lots of tour guides with groups in the park, so you can sometime use them to find animals along the way.

The entrance fee is $15 per person, you can get your ticket online before entering the reserve (here).

Hiking to Cerro Tortuguero

A walk up to Cerro Tortuguero, is a beautiful way to see the town and nature from above. The hill offers the highest elevation in the area at 119 m above sea level. The view at the top of the hill overlooks the canals, beaches, and the gigantic jungle. 

You can take a taxi-boat and ask the captain to drop you at Cerro Tortuguero for a couple thousand colonnes. From there, you’ll need to climb the 500 stairs up and you arrive at the view point. We were actually surprise how fast it went as we expected a very big hike. With a few stops along the way to spot little red frogs, it took us around 20 minutes.

Entrance fee is $2 per person, you can get your ticket online before entering the reserve (here).

Walking by the beach

Tortuguero wild back sand beach is unsafe for swimming because of the powerful currents and a high risk of shark attacks. However, it’s a perfect place to take a walk and simply enjoy the nature. We went back many time at sunrise and the experience is even better.

Good to know: the access to the beach is not allowed after 6 pm.

How to get there and away?

Because there are no roads to Tortuguero National Park, getting there is already a tremendous adventure.

From Cahuita to Tortuguero :

  1. Bus to Limon (₡2.500) 45 min - 6.00 am
  2. Taxi to Moin ($7) 10 min - it’s also possible to catch a bus to Moin
  3. Boat to Tortuguero ($35) - 4,5 h for a scenic ride, better than a tour

From Tortuguero to San Jose :

  1. Boat to Pavona (₡4.000) +/- 1 hour. There are many boats but the following will arrive at the right time for your bus connection to Cariari : 5 am / 11 am / 3 pm
  2. Bus to Cariari (₡1.200) +/- 1 hour
  3. Direct Bus from Cariari (bus terminal) to San Jose (2 hours). 6 am (Sundays only) / 6.30 am (Monday - Saturday) / 7.30 am / 9.30 am / 12.00 am / 3.30 pm / 6 pm

Other option which might be faster depending on your schedule :

  1. Boat to Pavona (₡4.000) +/- 1 hour. There are many boats but the following will arrive at the right time for your bus connection to Cariari : 5 am / 11 am / 3 pm
  2. Bus to Cariari (₡1.200) +/- 1 hour
  3. Bus from Cariari (main street) to Guapiles - every 20 minutes (₡490) +/- 30 minutes
  4. Bus from Guapiles (bus terminal) to San Jose - every 40 minutes (₡1.750) +/- 1,5 hours

Where to stay in Tortuguero?

Tortuguero is a small town and most accommodations are located in the same area. For budget travelers, we can recommend:

  • Aracari Garden Hostel, which has a very nice open kitchen and a huge relax area surrounded by fruit trees.
  • Cabinas Tortuguero, where you'll find a nice relaxing garden and friendly staff.