A Visitors Guide to Tortuguero, Costa Rica

ByLeah April 22, 2022April 20, 2026

Tortuguero (pronounced tor-two-ger-ro) is a small village situated in the northeastern part of Costa Rica, on its Caribbean Coast. We had never heard of Tortuguero before visiting Costa Rica and it turned out to be one of our favourite stops on our trip so we decided to make a whole visitors guide for Tortuguero!

If you love nature, Tortuguero is the place for you to visit; you’ll be able to find everything from howler monkeys to crocodiles within the beautiful national park. The village itself epitomises Costa Rican culture and is a great place to visit for a few days. However, if you’re looking for a typical beach destination in Costa Rica, Tortuguero may not be your place.

Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, is the best products possible whilst travelling.

Is Costa Rica open for travel?

The short answer is yes.

As of 1st April 2022, the government has repealed the temporary immigration measures put in place as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This means that international visitors no longer have to complete a health form on arrival or the requirement of medical insurance for unvaccinated passengers.

Despite this, Costa Rica maintains its mandatory mask mandate; washing of hands protocol; and temperature checking health measures.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know BEFORE travelling to Costa Rica is that you need proof of onward travel from Costa Rica in order to enter.

Onward travel is defined by the Costa Rican government as proof of intent to leave the country before your visa expires. This means you need to provide a physical or digital copy of a pre-purchased flight/bus ticket or proof of passage on a cruise ship. Immigration officers are almost certain to ask you for this upon arrival so make sure you have one of the above. If you’re visiting Costa Rica for a holiday then you should have a return flight already booked; thus, this requirement shouldn’t be a problem for you. However, if you’re visiting multiple destinations in Central America or you don’t have a proposed end date, then this will be more of a problem.

Our solution was the website Onward Ticket. Here you can pay £12 and they provide you with a legitimate airline ticket. The ticket is valid for 48 hours or 14 days and can be verifiable on the airline’s website during this time. Timed correctly, this will allow you to provide evidence to Costa Rican Immigration Authorities that you do have a valid onward ticket. We can validate the use of this website as we have used Onward Ticket on numerous occasions and it’s worked every time.

Getting a Costa Rican Visa

Once you’ve entered, we’d advise you to take a picture or a photocopy of your passport with your entry stamp just in case you ever need a spare copy.

For the vast majority of foreign nationals, you will not need to apply or receive a visa to enter Costa Rica. For those that don’t, you will either be able to stay for up to 30 or 90 days without a visa. With this, you don’t need to worry about anything, just how long you can stay. For example, passport holders for the EU; Schengen Area; UK; US and Canada are eligible to stay in Costa Rica for 90 days without a visa.

On the other hand, passport holders that do require a visa are split into two groups; those who need a consular visa or a restricted visa. For consular visa applications, you need to write an application letter to your respective country’s Costa Rican consulate. Within this letter you must include:

The purpose of your travel;
Name, age, date of birth and birthplace;
Passport number;
Nationality;
Place of residence;
Intended date of arrival and departure from Costa Rica;
Intended place of accommodation in Costa Rica;
Date of the letter;
Contact information;
And signature.

Moreover, you will need to provide a photocopy of all the pages in your passport (that must be valid for six months); a copy of your return flight reservation; two pictures of yourself in a 2 x 2 dimension; proof of sufficient finances; and certificate of police clearance from your country. The documents then must be translated into Spanish and legalised before being submitted.

For a complete step-by-step guide on this and the Restricted Visa, make sure to check out Visa Guide. We’d recommend checking on your respective government’s foreign ministry to ascertain whether you need to apply for a Costa Rican visa before flying.

How to get to Tortuguero

Unless you fly to Costa Rica and then to Tortuguero, it’s a lot harder than you think. That is why we’ve dedicated a whole separate post on How to Get to Tortuguero, Costa Rica. This post outlines everything you need to know on getting to Tortuguero from San Jose or Limon so make sure to check it out!

Best time to visit:

October or January/February

One of Tortuguero’s main attractions (as you’ll find out below) is the turtle hatching season and this only happens in October. We’re gutted we weren’t able to see this amazing phenomenon but if this is something you’d like to see, October is the time to go; just be aware that this is the rainiest month of the year in Costa Rica BUT it still brings about great weather and the beaches don’t go away!

If turtle hatching or rain isn’t your type of thing then January/February is the time to go but if that’s too small of a window, anytime between December and April will suffice. Nonetheless, any visit during this time will mean more sun, allowing you to feel like you’re properly on holiday relaxing on a beach. The significantly less rain will also allow you to explore more of Costa Rica itself instead of being stuck inside; no one wants to do anything when it’s raining.

We visited Costa Rica in January and we had an amazing time; it hardly ever rained and we had a lot of fun surfing and reading our books on the beach.

Recommended stay:

2-4 days

Tortuguero is like no place we’ve ever been; the village feels (and is) completely remote but is a great place to visit, especially if you love your wildlife. If you’re visiting in October for the turtle hatching then you can easily spend three days here in order to help the conservation effort. Otherwise, there are only three main activities to do whilst in Tortuguero; a wildlife canoe tour and a day or night walk. Alternatively, you can spread these activities over two days so you have more time to relax and experience Tortuguero’s uniqueness. We did the latter and really enjoyed ourselves so we’d definitely recommend this length of time.

What to know about Tortuguero:

Cash is King

Whilst we were warned about this beforehand, it slipped our minds to get cash out before leaving San Jose.
So, learn from our mistakes and make sure that you have enough cash to last your WHOLE VISIT to Tortuguero. This includes money for transport in and out of the town and your accommodation. We turned up at our Guest House without enough money.
There is only one ATM on the island; its opening hours vary and have apparently been closed for months. If you find yourself in this situation (as we did) you’re left with few options. We ended up managing to get some cash back from some of the stalls around town but they do charge a pretty high percentage for that service!
However, despite the fact you need to bring mainly cash with you, some places do take credit/debit cards; however, these are mainly restaurants.

Don’t go into the sea

notorious for sharks and there are strong currents. Also, no lifeguards on the beach purely because people are advised not to swim.
Whilst it is appealing to go for a dip in the sea, we’d advise you not to go for more than a paddle.
The main reason for this is that the Caribbean shores are often patrolled by sharks whilst the inland waters are inhabited by caimans and crocodiles; not something you want to get caught by.
On top of this, the current is quite vicious and there are no lifeguards manning the beach purely on the basis that people don’t swim here.

It rains… a lot

Don’t let this put you off visiting as Tortuguero is absolutely worth visiting but just be wary of the rain.
Unlike many other climates, Tortuguero’s version of rain is a very sudden and heavy downfall that can last between one minute and one hour.
Just make sure you come prepared with a quality rain jacket if you’re unfortunate enough to get stuck in a downpour. Alternatively, as the temperature is still quite humid when it rains, you’ll dry off very quickly.

Bring Mosquito spray

out of all the places we’ve visited, Costa Rica, and Tortuguero specifically, has been one of the worst places for mosquitoes.
As it was quite early on in our travels, we were probably hypersensitive to these horrid creatures.
However, make sure to bring some quality mosquito spray that you can spray on yourself overnight to limit the number of bites you get; thank us later!

Where to stay

Green Macaw Guest House

We stumbled across this hotel on booking.com and it was one of the reasons we enjoyed Tortuguero! Firstly, as we had no idea where Green Macaw was through the maze of paths, the owner organised Arturo (her brother who was also our guide) to pick us up at the pier and take us to the hostel.

Secondly, the place itself was everything we needed. The bed was really comfy and the fan was a lifesaver in the heat! Furthermore, the courtyard had a set of hammocks that we enjoyed sitting in and reading our books. One of the problems we thought we’d encounter was poor wifi but we didn’t have a single problem throughout our stay.

The owner was also extremely friendly and was happy to answer any of our questions or talk about her life in Tortuguero. She even taught us a bit of Spanish which was handy for the rest of our trip.

Even if you don’t stay at Green Macaw (although you definitely should), we’d recommend hiring Arturo as a guide; he knew everything there was to know and we had a great laugh with him.

Why not check out some alternative accommodation:

Mawamba Lodge

If you’re looking for a bit more luxury from your trip to Tortuguero we’d definitely recommend Mawamba Lodge. It is situated near the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre and right on the beach. From the reviews, photos and location it seems like a great place to stay.

Aracari Garden Hostel

Alternatively, if you’re after that hostel social vibe, Aracari Garden Hostel is the place to go! We met several friends while travelling in Costa Rica that stayed here and they said it was one of their favourite hostels; we’d highly recommend Aracari.

What to do:

Tortuguero National Park

Apart from the below, the national park is understandably the main reason people flock to Tortuguero.
Covering almost 80,000 hectares, the rainforest itself houses 779 different types of flora; 39 of which are endemic to just Costa Rica. Moreover, Tortuguero is home to a raft of animals including crocodiles, toucans and kingfishers; just to name a few. Whilst that doesn’t even stretch the surface of the amount of wildlife in the rainforest, it’s absolutely worth visiting.

Native Canoe Tour

If you’re going to do one activity in Tortuguero, it has to be this.
Whilst we were a bit hesitant about going, mainly due to the 6am starts, it was absolutely worth it. Apparently, it’s the best time to visit as it’s not hot and it’s roughly feeding time.
We ended up seeing caimans nestled in the mangroves; loads of very loud howler monkeys; tree iguanas; and countless birds!
Initially, it was very hard to see the animals but once you get your eye in and know where to look, you’ll start seeing tons of wildlife.
The trip costs 19,900 colones and the tour is roughly around 2.5 hours. The price does not include entrance to the national park which you HAVE to pay. You can do this by paying through the Official Tortuguero National Park website – https://serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr/.

Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) Tortuguero

As we alluded to early, we, unfortunately, didn’t visit in October so didn’t have the chance to volunteer with the island’s turtle conservation program.
The STC is the world’s oldest sea turtle research centre having been set up in 1959.
Nevertheless, you can volunteer to take part in nightly beach patrols (to warn off raccoons and sea birds); morning nest surveys; and nest inventories.
Whilst it sounds extremely tiring, I can imagine it would feel like a very worthwhile activity to partake in!

Night Walk Tour

As we were travelling on a budget and attempting to be frugal with our money, we passed on this activity; although we regret doing so.
The activity lasts for two hours and you can start at either 6pm or 8pm. The cost is 16,600 colones per person and includes entrance to the rainforest.
Arturo raves about this trip and all the animals you may get to see. This includes snakes; spiders; sloths; frogs (both poisonous and non-poisonous); and nocturnal mammals.
Whilst you can choose to do the Day Walk Tour instead, Arturo told us this was more to see plants rather than all the animals you can see at night.
If you’re interested in animals and can afford it, we’d 100% recommend taking part. Let us know what amazing animals you get to see on your trip!

As we’ve highlighted, Arturo was our guide throughout our visit to Tortuguero and we couldn’t recommend hiring a better guide for the island; his English is very very good and has a great knowledge of the area and knows which animals will be in which location. If you do want to contact him to find out more, feel free to message him at +506 7210 8753.

The Beach

By the time we visited Tortuguero, we were absolutely craving tying on a beach and relaxing.
Whilst it was enjoyable listening to the waves and wildlife, we were constantly pestered by sand flies. Eventually, it got too much and we left to relax in a bar and back to our hotel.
The beach is absolutely worth visiting but we’d recommend not attempting to “relax” here as we found it hard to.

Where to eat and drink:

Whilst we did allude to the fact that Tortuguero is a “cash only” location, you can pay using your card at a number of the restaurants below; make sure to ask before paying so you can save your cash for when you need it.

El Patio

We ended up eating here on multiple occasions because the food was really tasty and it had a lot of seating.
Again, a really good place to watch the sunset and have a beer and cocktail or three.
El Patio does a really good breakfast as well as typical Costa Rican food so this is a must-try.

Budda Cafe

This is one of our favourite restaurants on the island.
We both ended up getting pasta and Leah loved the fact it was gluten-free so she could have some! The milkshake was huge and also very tasty.
The portion sizes are really good and it is well priced for Tortuguero.
Furthermore, as with most restaurants that are situated on the river, you get a wonderful view over the rainforest and the setting sun; absolutely worth a visit. Just a shame we only visited once!

The Tavern

This is the local drinking spot where all the locals go for a drink but we, unfortunately, didn’t have enough time to visit this really popular location.
Arturo has nothing but good words to say about this place and I can imagine it is the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights.

Taylor’s Place

Probably one of the island’s more expensive joints but if you’re looking for some high-quality food in a beautiful jungle setting then eat here!
They don’t have a standard menu, they just tell you what they have on offer for the day and the food is cooked fresh. While more expensive for Costa Rica, it is not an expensive restaurant and the food is worth every penny.
If you don’t fancy coming for food, you should come for a cocktail as the seating area is very beautiful in the evening – Just bring some bug spray!

Sunrise Restaurant

As you’ll learn in our What to Know About Costa Rica, this is another one of the traditional “Soda” restaurants.
Sunrise serves classic authentic Costa Rican food and is extremely well priced! We saw a lot of locals eating here which is usually a great sign!

Coco Loco

hands down the best smoothie place on the island.
Everything is made fresh in front of your eyes and the ingredients look and taste so fresh!
An ideal stop off to hydrate in the baking sun, there is every type of fruit imaginable; all for a very good price. A must-visit.

To conclude, Tortuguero is a beautiful village situated within the amazing Tortuguero National Park and an absolute must-visit if you’re an animal lover. The village itself is awash with traditional Costa Rican waiters and whilst not a traditional backpacker location, it’s a wonderful place to visit and I’m so glad we did.

There you have it; our Guide to Tortuguero and Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica, giving you all the best places to stay, eat and see before you visit so you won’t be left disappointed. Feel free to add any of your recommendations in the comments!

Looking for some more tips and tricks for travelling Costa Rica? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Backpacking Costa Rica.

Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, is the best products possible whilst travelling.