Retreat to Tortuguero
How to Tortuguero
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Air: Nature Air offers flights from Pavas Airport/San Jose. Frequency varies depending on the time of season, but flight time is about 30 minutes. Tortuga Lodge & Gardens is located directly across the canal from the airstrip. Other hotels can assist with transportation.
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Boat: Drive or take the bus to La Pavona and then transfer to a boat to continue upriver for about 1.5 hours to reach the town of Tortuguero.
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Who Should Go
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If an ideal day for you is spending it in pursuit of elusive wildlife in a remote and rustic location, then Tortuguero is perfect for you. Like a lot of off the beaten path destinations in Costa Rica, all activities here are centered around wildlife viewing. Accommodations at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens is comfortable and utterly relaxing, however, the property does not have televisions, air-conditioning or offer amenities to similarly priced accommodations in other areas. What you are paying for here is comfort in a rainforest setting, and from that perspective it delivers.
Itinerary Ideas
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Information to come. In the meantime, feel free to contact me for itinerary suggestions.
Laguna Vista Villas
Tortuga Lodge & Gardens
Tortuguero is off the beaten path, even by Costa Rican standards. With no roads linking the town to anything, to reach this remote northeastern town requires a boat trip or a small aircraft flight. Many travelers opt to eliminate Tortuguero from their travel plans due to the logistical obstacles (and time required if you take the boat option), but Tortuguero really is a special place, and with the Tortuga Lodge & Gardens as your base, you’ll be glad to have included this outpost in your itinerary.
The property features 27 river-view rooms including a spectacular “penthouse,” a massive space featuring two bathrooms, sitting areas and a large porch with a hammock. All rooms have Wifi but do not have air conditioning or televisions. Yes, it can be hot and humid, but with efficient ceiling fans and a design which blocks out intense sun rays and maximizes breezes, I never found the rooms uncomfortable. As noted elsewhere on this site, many of the best accommodations outside of major towns and larger tourist sites in Costa Rica do not have air conditioning. While this can be problematic for some, I advocate for embracing the open rooms which allow you to hear bird calls, howler monkeys and the pleasant sounds of rain falling in the rainforest. This is part of the experience!
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As expected with “Gardens” in the property’s name, the Tortuga Lodge has lush gardens full of native plants including a variety of palms; heliconia; Mountain Almond, which are the primary food source for the Great Green Macaw; and cecropia, which sloths favor for habit and food. The beautifully landscaped spaces stretch down to the river banks, and the dense rainforest, with an extensive network of trails, is situated behind the property. Early morning walks with a naturalist guide will acquaint you with the flora and fauna, as well as help you identify the creatures waking you in the morning and lulling you to sleep at night. And, yes, with all of the cecropia around you are likely to see sloths. We found one just right off of the pool area. But be aware that in addition to being slow they really blend in to the surroundings and can be difficult to spot!
The highlight of visiting the area is exploring Tortuguero National Park. From the Lodge you can depart on boat excursions to explore the numerous canals that, in the absence of roads, are the highways of the region. Surrounded by canopy trees that can reach up to 60 meters in height, the park is home to 57 species of amphibian, 111 species of reptile, 60 species of mammal, and more than 300 species of birds (both migratory and resident). Among wildlife highlights are the keel-billed toucans, numerous parrots, three-toed sloths, basilisk lizards, poison dart frogs, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, and spider monkeys. Also look for caiman, manatee, crocodile, Baird’s tapir, and collared peccaries, in addition to the elusive jaguar, ocelot and kinkajou.
The wildlife and habitat of Tortuguero National Park is astounding and is the focal point for visits to the area. But, no mention of the region can omit mention of the many endangered turtles who nest along the area’s Caribbean facing beaches. This is a critically important nesting site for green turtles, as well as giant leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead, and Oliver Ridley turtles. The park was founded in 1970 in part to protect the turtles who were being poached for the export market for turtle soup. Today the beaches not only provide a protected nesting site, but tourists who come here to witness the newly hatched baby sea turtles flopping across the beach and out to sea have created an ecotourism economy that has benefited the local townspeople and replaced the previously destructive practice of poaching.
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Back at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens, enjoy time relaxing at the freshwater pool, which overlooks a crocodile-filled canal, wander the tranquil gardens searching for colorful toucans, relax on a hammock while listening to monkey calls, and unwind over cocktails and dinner at the wonderful open-air dining/lounge area. The property offers a variety of package plans, including some which include meals. While we typically prefer to try local restaurants and avoid meal plans, we did purchase this option at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens simply because there are no other options around. To reach town requires a boat trip downriver, which although only about 10 minutes long, wasn’t something we wanted to plan around for the limited time we were there. This is, however, completely doable, but will add an additional expense onto your stay.
Tortuga Lodge & Gardens is a spectacular property in a magical destination. The staff were excellent, the large and tastefully decorated room exceeded our expectations, and the meals were hearty and delicious. We had several guides for our outings, all who were native to the area, and each provided a slightly different perspective and had the “eagle-eyes” necessary to spot some of the more elusive wildlife. We would highly recommend this property and look forward to returning when we’re back in Costa Rica full-time. For those of you considering visiting Tortuguero, but may be slightly apprehensive about the costs associated with reaching the remote destination, I urge you to go. You won’t be disappointed!
Photos: Tortuga Lodge & Gardens; Debra Eliezer