water
Boat tour
A guided motorboat tour through Tortuguero National Park canals — the easiest, broadest way to see the canopy from the water.
- Duration
- ~2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Best season
- Year-round
- Price
- $45.20 pp (incl. IVA)
Good for
- Families
- Seniors
- Couples
Departure times
- 6:00 a.m.
- 2:30 p.m.
Two daily departures — the dawn tour is the highest-yield window for birds.
What it is
A guided tour aboard a small motorboat that drifts through the canals of Tortuguero National Park with a trained naturalist guide. Wildlife: caimans, river otters, sloths, monkeys, and the bird life Tortuguero is known for.
You can enjoy it two ways: at dawn (6:00 a.m.), when the day is just beginning and the wildlife is most active, or in the afternoon (2:30 p.m.) for a more relaxed outing.
Best for
First-time visitors who want a wide overview without paddling. Easy on all ages.
Good to know
For the dawn tour, meet at reception by 5:30 a.m. for coffee — 5:45 a.m. at the latest. The boat leaves just before 6:00 so you reach the park right as it opens, ahead of the lines; the tour itself runs 6–8 a.m.
The tour enters Tortuguero National Park (canales sector), which requires the park entrance ticket — not included in the tour cost. Buy it at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr.
Other experiences
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wildlife
Night hike
A short boat ride from the lodge to our private reserve, then a guided walk after dark. Less about what you'll spot than about what it feels like — the rainforest at night, all around you.
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land
Tortuguero Hill Hike
A guided climb up Cerro Tortuguero — an extinct volcano, and one of the few on this side of the country — for a spectacular Caribbean panorama, with rainforest flora and fauna along the way.
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water
Canoe
Quieter than the motorboat — paddle the smaller side-canals where engines aren't allowed and wildlife stays put.
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land
Jaguar Trail walking tour
A guided walk on the Jaguar Trail (Sendero del Jaguar) inside Tortuguero National Park — flat boardwalk and forest path through prime wildlife habitat.
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water
Kayak
Solo or tandem kayak through the canals — more independence than the canoe, similar wildlife access.
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water
Laguna del Cuatro — private boat tour
A private half-day into a hidden corner of Tortuguero: by boat from Mawamba to a remote lagoon, a wood-fired Caribbean welcome with a local family, and kayaking on still water. Available from June 15.
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wildlife
Turtle nesting
A night on the protected beach to witness a green sea turtle nest, on the same sand where she was born — the experience that gave Tortuguero its name. Protection first; a sighting is never guaranteed.
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wildlife
Turtle hatchlings
Not a tour — a free, do-it-at-your-own-pace moment. Being right on the beach at Mawamba means you can simply walk out at the right hour and watch hatchlings find the sea.
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water
Fishing
Sport fishing in Tortuguero's fresh-water canals — snook and tarpon the main catch. Run by local fishing experts; we arrange it for you. Catch-and-release encouraged.
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wellness
Massages
Restorative massages in a private garden sala — recovery for a tired body after a long day on the canals, surrounded by forest and birdsong.