Two Days in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
It’s been my good fortune to travel to Costa Rica several times for pleasure and work. Each time, I find myself falling more in love with the country. Costa Rica is a relatively safe country to visit, with decent infrastructure, and a strong commitment to tourism. Interestingly, every time I have gone, I have been told to avoid the Caribbean coast because of safety concerns.
Travelling throughout the country with a large group of my extended family, we had the opportunity to see the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Our visit included a two-night stay in Tortuguero National Park, located in the Limon district. We arranged for a guided tour, as independent travel to this area is a bit tricky (especially with eleven of us). No roads exist to take you into the park; only waterways. The best way in is either a puddle hopper direct from San Jose or private boats into the park.
Tortuguero National Park
Our journey began from the Alajuela, north of San Jose. We departed on a private bus, making a three-hour journey towards the Caribbean coast. The road started out paved, but eventually turned into a dirt road with large potholes, which slowed our progress. Kids didn’t mind; they rather enjoyed the rugged dirt road adventure. Adults, on the other hand, were a bit weary of the constant bumps. We all enjoyed watching the landscape become increasingly dense with jungle as we headed east, towards the coast. With an hour left of our bus ride, we were met in transit by an armed convoy that escorted us the rest of the way towards the coast.
The armed convoy was due to the increased drug trafficking seen in Costa Rica in recent years. Costa Rica does not have an army and relies on working with security forces in neighboring countries and using the law enforcement of their own country. Sadly, they are seeing an increase in crime and homicide due to the increase of drugs coming through the country.
When we reached the end of the road at Pavona dock, we boarded a small, flat, wooden boat along with an armed guard that would take us upstream towards Tortuguero National Park. As I had mentioned, the only way in or out to Tortuguero National Park are puddle hoppers or boats.
Our boat took us down narrow, and sometimes very shallow, canals. We watched the jungle grow thicker and thicker the further we went. We caught glimpses of wild life along the way, many birds, caimans and the occasional howler monkey. After about an hour on the boat we arrived at our hotel, The Evergreen Lodge, Tortuguero.
We were greeted with a drink and a surprise visit by some not-so-shy white headed capuchin monkeys. We were escorted to our rooms and were told to meet back at the dock in an hour. The rooms were very basic, with very little lighting and screens (without windows). They were surrounded by dense jungle, which meant many critters. Kids loved it. They voted it the best hotel by far in Costa Rica. The hotel had a wonderful turtle-shaped pool and a zipline for the kids to do during some down time. They even had a small bar by the pool for snacks and cocktails. It was relaxing and quiet.
Canal Tour
After dropping our stuff off in our rooms and checking out our surroundings, we all met at the dock for a tour of the canals and wildlife. We hopped onto a boat and were given a tour of the dense jungle surrounded by waterways and small communities jutting out from the jungle. The kids enjoyed spotting the many birds and monkeys. We also came across turtles and many young caimans hiding out among the plants. The boat turned down many narrow, alley-like waterways, into lagoons and back out into the canals. I was amazed the captain didn’t get lost among the passages or stuck in the thick grasses and roots. After about an hour, we headed back to the hotel for a free afternoon. Kids went swimming while I read and watched birds and howler monkeys in the trees above.
Evening Wildlife Tour
In the evening, after dinner, the kids decided to do a night walk. The hotel arranged for the guide to meet us at the restaurant and he took us around the vicinity of the hotel. The hotel itself was surrounded by dense jungle and one could easily get lost if wandering away from the group. The guide–using a red light–pointed out nocturnal wildlife. We came across spiders, frogs, caimans, a snake and many bugs. The kids loved finding the creatures and couldn’t stop talking about it when they came back to the room. Our sleep was filled with the sounds of the jungles, the occasional screams of animals, and the singing of bugs. It was wonderful to fall asleep to.
Day Two
Turtle Conservatory Visit
After a typical Costa Rican breakfast of rice and beans, eggs and fresh fruit, we all hopped on a boat to head to the village of Tortuguero. Once there, we were taken to a sea turtle conservancy organization. We then learned about the turtles and the conservancy the local area provides to maintain their survival in the wild. Tortuguero National Park, beach has 22 miles of protected beach area and is one of the most important nesting sites for the endangered green turtle in the western hemisphere. Other types of turtles nest here as well.
We were not there during nesting or hatching season, but we were given a tour of the area and learned about the different species. We also had a guide teach us about the coconuts, how to differentiate between ripe and not ripe, how to cut into one, and the healing attributes of the coconut. While we learning,
I was stung by what I initially thought was a bullet ant, but after calming down, realized it was a fire ant. This was thankful, as I have heard that the bullet ants sting is one of the most painful stings on the planet. After the informative morning, we were given an hour to walk around the town. The kids found puppies and a good portion of the hour was spent taking pictures with these puppies. The village is small with few shops and just a couple of places to eat. We did find an ice cream shop, a nice treat for a morning snack.
After lunch, we were given the option to hang out at the hotel and relax or take another tour of the canals. The kids chose to hang out with my parents, so my husband and I decided to tour the canals some more to search for wildlife. It was just the two of us on the canals, enjoying nature and each other.
The kids, on the other hand, took advantage of the zip line at the hotel before spending the afternoon splashing in the pool. As the day wrapped up, we had a dinner with music and family time and concluded our last evening in Tortuguero. Although we arrived by boat to Tortuguero, we were taken to a small clearing and flew out by puddle hopper direct to San Jose.
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So much beautiful wildlife! I can’t wait to visit Costa Rica one day, thanks for this awesome guide!
Gosh. What an adventure for you and your family. And kinda scary at times, it seems. Beautiful scenery and your images are beautiful. I am ready to go visit, but somewhat cautious.
The rest of the country is relatively safe. Just the Caribbean coastal area that has seen an upturn in issues, sadly.
Costa Rica is beautiful! Which places will you recommend to visitors if they are visiting Costa Rica for only a day?
It really depends where you are flying into. San jose to Arenal will take up to 3 hours, but Poas volcano is a wonderful alternative as it is only an hour outside of San jose. The City of San jose is also a great visit.
I love the photos of the monkeys! My sister is madly in love with the animals (she is a child) and I would love to take her to a place like this. Personally, I wouldn’t say no to hop on that small airplane! What an adventure you must have had. Can’t believe you actually have a zip line at the hotel, what a dream! I so badly want to travel to Costa Rica now 😀
It is a wonderful country. I could go over and over and never tire of it.
I want to visit Costa Rica just for all that adorable wildlife! I even thought the snake was cute! Your kids are so lucky to be having these awesome family adventures. 🙂
The adorable monkey sold me! I am so glad you took the risk to explore this beautiful country despite the escalating crime. Well worth it for the wildlife and adventures!
Costa Rica looks amazing! I would want to do this whenever I have the chance to visit.
This is one of the tour I want when I visit a new place, to explore their nature and join an eco-initiative program. Bird-watching is also enjoyable activity!
Costa Rica has been ranked highly on every list about sustainable tourism destinations and I can see why. The amount of wildlife over there is impressive. Would definitely love to visit someday.
Costa Rica has been on my bucket list for a while now, so much wildlife! Your pics are great btw
Love viewing the images of Costa Rica. we have had the opportunities to visit Costa Rica multiple times and have enjoyed the visits.
gorgeous! maybe not the snake … LOL
Snake is better than a massive spider any day!
I can not wait to go! I love all of the wild life!
What a great trip. I would love to go someday.
Outdoor fun is just what I like. The canal boat ride and learning about turtles sound fun!!
What a fun adventure for your family! I’m glad that you got the lesser sting (though, still…ouch)
Oh same, but it still hurt. Although I’m a bit of a wimp.
Oh my, how cool is this? I’ve never been to Costa Rica but I would love to visit there myself after seeing your awesome photos. Especially that monkey! Awesome! Thank you.
The country’s dedication to conservation really shows!
I love Puerto Rico. This looks amazing!!!
Brandi, did you mean Costa Rica since that is what the article is about?
Costa Rica is on my bucket list! Looks beautiful!
We went to Costa Rica last summer and didn’t see many of these animals in the Guanacaste region. It’s amazing how diverse Costa Rica is!
It is so diverse. I know the white faced Capuchin are not in Guanacaste, but am not sure about Osa Peninsula, definitely on Caribbean side. They were all over
Gorgeous! Would love to visit to a place like this one day!
What an amazing experience for you and your family! I’m amazed at how much wildlife you saw. We would love to visit Costa Rica some day.
I was all in until I saw the photo of the snake…The photos are beautiful, but maybe the jungle isn’t for me.
Don’t worry it is the only one we saw
What an action-packed filled two days! I’ve never been to Costa Rica, but this post is a great guide for inspiration! I don’t know how I would do on that Hopper plane though.
I am a nature lover so I will probably love to visit to Costa Rica’s National Park and Conservatory.
Yes then it is most certainly a place for you.
Wow – what an adventure!!! I could not imagine falling asleep to the sounds of screaming animals, but I love all the exploring you did. Sounds like such a fantastic place to visit. (PS – Glad you guys stayed safe! Yikes – armed convoy??)
From the first time I traveled to Costa Rica, I never thought I would see an armed convoy. It was always such a safe place. So sad.
Wow, seeing all these animals reminds me of the children’s book series my employer published. They’re called The Nocturnals and you can find them at nocturnalsworld.com
Your kids looks like the right age for the readers of that book! You should check it out; a chapter from each book is available to read on the website.
Books aside — I will definitely return to this post if I’m ever visiting a trip to Costa Rica!
wow, this place looks gorgeous and the wildlife too! I’ve never been to Costa Rica but I love nature, so it looks like I’d like it very much.
Wow! I feel like I was actually there by reading your post and seeing the photos. It’s so great that your children were able to travel with you. Thanks for sharing your incredible experience with me (:
Everybody I know that has gone to Costa Rica always says that it is the most beautiful place you could visit. Sounds nice!
I have never been there but I would love to be there. Such a lovely place. Seems you had a great time.
It is a beautiful, for the most part, a very peaceful country.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed your adventure there. That pkace looks very amazing!
What an amazing trip, it would be so educational for my little girl who is 8 years old. Kids learn so much from travel.
Costa Rica in on the top of my must-see places. I’m longing to try out a zip line, especially through the rain forest.
Costa Rica Is one of our favorite places to visit. We have family there and visit once a year and you just reminded me how much I love it. It is always a great adventure.
Oh so lucky to have family there!
I can see why you had a lot of fun on the trip. Although the snake would freak me out on a night walk. Hopefully, it was far enough away it wouldn’t have mattered. But the canal tour sounds great.
The small adventure of hopping on different transportation seems fun! You wouldn’t know what animal or specie you would expect in each step. Costa Rica provides the mix of nature and wildlife I would love to have for a vacation – away from the busy streets. So relaxing!
It is stunning how much wildlife there is and the country does a wonderful job preserving the land just for that.