Tortuguero is one of the most remote locations in Costa Rica. With no roads into this area and no cars in the village, all transportation is by boat, foot, or bicycle. Most of the lodges are spread out over several kilometers to the north of Tortuguero Village on either side of the main canal; the small airstrip is at the north end of the beachside spit of land. At the far northern end of the main canal, you’ll see the Cerro de Tortuguero (Tortuguero Hill), which, at some 119m (390 ft.), towers over the area. The hike to the top is a popular half-day tour and offers some good views of the Tortuguero canal and village, as well as the sea.

The village of Tortuguero is a small collection of houses and shops connected by footpaths. It’s spread out on a thin spit of land, bordered on one side by the Caribbean Sea and on the other by the main canal. At most points, it’s less than 300m (984 ft.) wide. In the center of the village, you’ll find a small playground, the town’s health clinic, and a soccer field.

If you stay at a hotel on the ocean side of the canal, you’ll be able to walk into and explore the village; if you’re across the canal, you’ll be dependent on the lodge’s boat transportation. Some of the lodges across the canal have their own jungle trails that might appeal to naturalists.

Note: Tortuguero has no banks, or currency-exchange houses, but it does have a Banco de Costa Rica ATM on the main drag. Regardless, be sure to bring enough cash in colones to cover any expenses and incidental charges, as it’s often out of cash. The local hotels and shops generally charge a commission to exchange dollars.

Fast Facts

Tortuguero has no banks, or currency-exchange houses, but it does have a Banco de Costa Rica ATM on the main drag. Regardless, be sure to bring enough cash in colones to cover any expenses and incidental charges, as it’s often out of cash. The local hotels and shops generally charge a commission to exchange dollars.

Getting There

By Plane: Nature Air (www.natureair.com; tel. 800/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000 in Costa Rica) has one flight that departs daily at 6am for Tortuguero airstrip from Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José. The flight takes about 30 minutes; the fare is $103 to $140 each way. The return flight leaves daily at 6:30am for San José. Extra flights are often added in high season, and departure times vary according to weather conditions. Many local lodges also run charter flights as part of their package trips. Arrange with your hotel to pick you up at the airstrip. Otherwise you’ll have to ask one of the other hotels’ boat captains to give you a lift, which they’ll usually do for a few dollars.

By Car: It’s not possible to drive to Tortuguero. If you have a car, your best bet is to drive it to La Pavona where you can leave it in a secure parking before catching a boat.

By Boat: Flying to Tortuguero is convenient if you don’t have much time, but a boat trip through the canals and rivers of this region is often the highlight of any visit. You’ll first have to ride by bus from San José to LA Pavona; then it’s 2 to 3 hours on a boat, usually with hard wooden benches or plastic seats. All of the more expensive lodges listed offer their own bus and boat transportation packages, which include the boat ride through the canals. However, if you’re coming here on the cheap and plan to stay at one of the less expensive lodges or at a budget cabina in Tortuguero, you will have to arrange your own transportation. In this case, you have a few options.

One option is to get yourself to Limón and then to the public docks in Moín, just to the north, and try to find a boat on your own. You can reach Limón easily by public bus from San José. If you’re coming by car, make sure you drive all the way to Limón or Moín, unless you have prior arrangements out of Cariari or Caño Blanco Marina.

If you arrive in Limón by bus, you might be able to catch one of the periodic local buses to Moín (C640) at the main bus terminal. Otherwise, you can take a taxi for around C8,000 to C10,000. At the docks, you should be able to negotiate a fare of between $65 and $100 per person round-trip with one of the boats here. They tend to depart between 8 and 10am every morning. You can stay as many days as you like in Tortuguero, but be sure to arrange with the captain to be there to pick you up when you’re ready to leave. The trip from Moín to Tortuguero takes between 3 and 4 hours.

It is possible to get to Tortuguero by bus and boat from Cariari. For backpackers and budget travelers, this is the cheapest and most reliable means of reaching Tortuguero from San José.

To take this route, begin by catching the 9 or 10:30am direct bus to Cariari from the Gran Terminal del Caribe, on Calle Central, Avenida 13 (tel. 2222-0610). The fare is C1,850. This bus will actually drop you off at the main bus terminal in Cariari, from which you’ll have to walk 4 blocks east to a separate bus station, known locally as “la estación vieja,” or the old station. Here, you can buy your bus ticket for La Pavona, also known as Rancho La Pavona. The bus fare is around C1,750. Buses to La Pavona leave at 6am, 11am, and 3pm.

A boat or two will be waiting to meet the bus at the dock at the edge of the river. These boats leave after a bus arrives, or when they fill up. The boat fare to Tortuguero is C1,850 each way. You can buy your ticket for the boat at the cashier of the very prominent (and only) restaurant at La Pavona. Return boats leave Tortuguero for La Pavona every morning at 6 and 11am, and 3pm, making return bus connections to Cariari.

Warning: Beware of unscrupulous operators providing misinformation by offering to sell you “packaged transportation” to Tortuguero, when all they are doing is charging you extra to buy the tickets described above. Be especially careful if people selling you boat transportation aggressively steer you to a specific hotel, claim that your first choice is full, or insist that you must buy a package with them that includes the transportation, lodging, and guide services. If you have doubts or want to check on the current state of this route, check out www.tortuguerovillage.com, which has detailed directions to Tortuguero by a variety of routes.

Finally, it’s also possible, albeit expensive, to travel to Tortuguero by boat from Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí. Expect to pay $400 to $600 each way for a boat that holds up to 10 people. Check at the public dock in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí if you’re interested. The ride usually takes about 3 to 4 hours, and the boats tend to leave in the morning.

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