A village on a sandbar between canals and the Caribbean, with no road in. Green turtles nest on the beach in season and everything else moves by boat.
Tortuguero National Park
Open daily 6am-12pm and 1pm-4pm, US$15 for foreign adults and US$5 for children, payable in dollars or colones, cash or card. Entry is on SINAC's online system.
Turtle nesting tour
Guided beach walks in season only. Spotters find the turtle first and groups wait at stations rather than walking the sand. Beach access is closed 6pm-6am from 1 March to 31 October.
Canals at dawn
Paddle or electric boats into the side channels at first light for caimans, herons, basilisks and howler monkeys. The Río Tortuguero and Caño Harold trails are the main ones.
Cerro Tortuguero
The only hill on this coast, a short climb north of the village with a view over the whole sandbar, canals and sea. Go with a guide; the trail is not marked.
The village
A sand main street with no cars, a football pitch, a church and a row of sodas. Half an hour end to end, and worth walking properly rather than passing through.
Boat from La Pavona
Drive or bus to the landing at La Pavona, then an hour or so down the canals. Cars are left in the paid car parks at the dock rather than driven any further.
Boat from Moín
The longer route out of Limón runs three to four hours through the whole canal system and is a wildlife trip in itself. More expensive, and worth doing once.
Fly in
Sansa serves the Tortuguero airstrip from San José, which removes a full day of transfers. The aircraft is small enough that luggage limits bite.
Best time to go
Green turtle nesting runs roughly June to October, which is why most people come at all.
Cheapest months
February and March sit outside the nesting season, are among the driest months here, and are much the cheapest.
Priciest & busiest
July to September, when the turtle tours sell out and the village doubles in size.
Morning
Out on the canals at first light with a guide. This is when everything moves and when the water is glass.
Late morning
Into the national park on foot for the Gavilán trail, or further up the aquatic trails if the boat is still yours.
Lunch
Rice, beans and fried fish at a soda on the main street. The lodges across the water charge several times as much.
Afternoon
Walk the beach, climb Cerro Tortuguero, or sit out the heat. Do not swim: the current is fierce and there are sharks.
Evening
In season, the guided turtle walk after dark. Out of season, the frogs come out instead.