Lush, evergreen, abundant.

Trees with stories.

The trees of Tortuguero do more than build the canopy — they perfume the air, hold flood water, drop the seeds that feed the wildlife, and root the canals' edge against a coast that floods often.

Ilan-Ilan

The flower is one of the main ingredients in famous perfumes like Anaïs-Anaïs by Cacharel. The breeze through a flowering Ilan-Ilan smells exactly like that.

Pachira

A flood-tolerant lowland tree with large, showy flowers — common throughout the canals.

Sota Caballo

A classic of the Tortuguero canal banks. You'll see it on every boat tour.

Oil tree (Copaiba)

Very common in Tortuguero. Tall, dense, and long-lived.

Many trees here build buttressed root systems — massive ribs of wood that flare out from the trunk to anchor against shallow soils and sudden flooding. Look down on a canopy walk and you'll see them everywhere.

Why the wetlands matter.

Tortuguero's wetlands aren't just scenery. They regulate the river flow, act as spawning zones for several fish species, and are the everyday habitat of insects, frogs, and the birds that hunt them. Take the wetlands away and most of what makes Tortuguero Tortuguero disappears with them.