Tortuguero Tours & Holidays
Tortuguero Small Group Tours & Tailor-Made Holidays
Found on Costa Rica’s lesser-explore Caribbean coast, the area of Tortuguero with its canals is famous for being the principal nesting site for green, hawksbill, loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles. The turtles return to this same 22-mile stretch of beach every summer to lay their eggs. No-one is quite sure why they prefer this sandy bit of the coastline, but local people believe that a turtle-shaped volcanic hill at Tortuguero serves as some kind of ...
Found on Costa Rica’s lesser-explore Caribbean coast, the area of Tortuguero with its canals is famous for being the principal nesting site for green, hawksbill, loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles. The turtles return to this same 22-mile stretch of beach every summer to lay their eggs. No-one is quite sure why they prefer this sandy bit of the coastline, but local people believe that a turtle-shaped volcanic hill at Tortuguero serves as some kind of beacon guiding the turtles back each year. In addition to the turtles, Tortuguero National Park is a haven for other creatures such as Indian manatees, crocodiles, howler monkeys and over 450 different species of birds. Visits to the area are principally done via lodge stays offering safari-like excursions to explore the area and access to the lodges is via boat down the swampy canals.
Best experiences
Do a canoe wildlife and bird tour
To escape the popular boat tours canoeing is the best solution. With a naturalist guide, the 2 hr 30 mins excursion is great for both birding and spotting all kinds of reptiles and mammals being heading to some quieter spots along the river.
Take a canals boat tour
This is the classic way to search for wildlife in the national park and for good reason, as many species can be spotted by cruising the waterways of the reserve with an expert local naturalist guide.
Go on a specialised turtle tour
Turtles are present all year round, but to experience turtles nesting (July-Oct) take a specialised tour in search of green sea and hawksbill turtles with a naturalist guide or, if in season, go hunting for the rare and massive leatherbacks (Feb-April).OUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO STAY
Manatus Hotel, Tortuguero
The Manatus hotel is located on the Tortuguero river side, across from the beach side, only five minutes away by boat from the town and the air strip. The hotel is surrounded by water channels and the…
Mawamba Lodge, Tortuguero
Mawamba Lodge is a 30-year-old, rustic eco-lodge in Tortuguero National Park, a short boat ride from Tortuguero town. Their superb guides will help you get the most from your time exploring the area’s…