In the far north of the Caribbean shore awaits an out of the ordinary, isolated village (around 1600 inhabitants) for you. It takes some patience (and a long boat ride) to get to Tortuguero, but once there a lot of surprises are to be found. The wildlife in the area is in contradiction to its inhabitants tremendous and so are the activities. Curious what to do? Here are some pleasant options!
Canoeing / kayaking (3 hours)
Canoeing is the number one thing I advise people to do in Tortuguero. Though you have to get up pretty early – the earlier you go, the more animals you see – it’s absolutely worth it. Read my previous article on a canoe trip in Tortuguero for more information.
Hiking in the National Park (2 hours)
After your canoe trip you could walk straight into the National Park of Tortuguero, the place where you’ll be dropped off. Entrance is $15,- (which you already paid in case you went on a canoe trip), but you can also enter the park for free if you walk first to the beach and then continue southwards. Go early in the morning or around sunset to spot the best amount of animals. Not in the mood to walk the same road back all the way? The path is set parellel from the beach (just as in Cahuita), so a stroll on the empty beach to town is quite recommendable too!
Relaxing time in the hammock (whenever you can!)
Almost all of the lodges and hostel have a couple of hammocks hanging in their garden. Prefer to rest next to the sea? Walk the sandy road parallel to the beach – the one that goes all the way from the airport to the National Park – to spot an empty one. As you settle down you’ll probably see colourful parrots fly in pairs above your head and hear the typical sound of the montezumas somewhere in the nearby trees.
Visiting the turtle center (1 hour)
I’ve visited Tortuguero three times, and three times there were no turtles around. But I didn’t mind at all about that, since there are so many other things to do around. However, it was nice to go the the Sea Turtle Conservancy all the way up in the north of town. It’s a great thing this conservancy is here to educate people about the probability of these creatures to become extinct and how to prevent this from happening. For $2,- you’ll get access to a lovely and well put together documentary video and also to the sweet, small museum. You’ll learn a great deal about the different types of turtles that nest nearby, their migration movements and their life cycle. They have a small shop too, where you can even sponsor a turtle (great gift idea!). Not in the mood to go inside? The signs outside will tell you about the interesting history of the village.
Going on a turtle tour (2 hours)
A beach so long, yet so quiet; it’s the reason why so many turtles nestle here every year. Olive ridley turtles, loggerhead turtles, hawksbills turtles, leatherback turtles, green turtles; all have plenty of space to manoeuvre their shields on the land. Next to the sound of the waves, the only thing that disturbs them are the birds – and of course the visitors that want to catch a glimpse of their appearance. It’s the reason why you need to go with a guide at night to the beach; to make sure you won’t step on any of them. Check out online – this website for example – when to go for what species of turtle.
Hiking the hill of San Francisco (3-4 hours, including transportation)
In case you arrive by boat you’ve probably already spotted the overgrown hillside slightly north of Tortuguero. After a long pause, this hill of San Francisco finally opened again to the public in 2016. Though you need some proper shoes, the slopes are easily to climb since a nice path will lead you all the way to the top. From there you’ll have a perfect view on the lush environments. You can get to the area with a guide (recommended by locals due to safety: $40,- per person, boat trip included) or just by water taxi. The entrance of the hill is a 15 minute walk from the boat area – ask the skipper where to go. Oh and don’t forget your repellent in here!
Sunset
On the Caribbean side it’s quite difficult to catch a nice sunset. But Tortuguero fortunately does have a cool spot, right next to where the boats come ashore. Once it’s 5:30pm, haste towards the water and enjoy the orange, pink and purple skies!
Lunch and dinner time
Though the village is small, Tortuguero has some a couple of alright dinner options. My favourite is Buddha Bar, an Italian owned business which has a very nice view over the river, with great hummus, sandwiches and lasagnas. Skip the cheesecake though, not worth it.
Another option, on the way to the turtle center, would be Wild Ginger. In this fusion restaurant you can taste typical Tico food, with a bit of Californian creativity. Think beef tenderloin with onion-tamarind sauce or roast pork leg with pineapple jalapeño sauce. It’s impressive how they can make such dishes in this far and remote area. Let them know you’re stopping by in here.
Want something simpler? Fresh Foods has some excellent yet simple Caribbean dishes with a lot of fish involved. If you don’t have time for a meal, come in here for a drink. The restaurant has by far the best (and biggest) juices of the entire town; a smoothie is almost a meal in itself. Since the bar is next to the boat area, waiting here makes a pura vida delay not so bad after all!
