By air
Tortuguero (TTQ), small planes from San José
North America · Costa Rica
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Turtles and canals on the Caribbean
Getting there
Best time to visit
July to October for nesting green turtles
Don't miss
The canals
The nesting beach
Tortuguero village
Cerro Tortuguero
Things to do
Night turtle-nesting tours
Canoe trips through the canals
Jungle hikes
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Lars0001 · Public domain
What to pack
Rain gear, insect repellent
A quieter corner
The Caño Palma channel at dawn
Questions travellers ask
When can I see turtles nesting in Tortuguero?
July to October is the season for nesting green turtles. Join a night turtle-nesting tour to watch.
Can I fly to Tortuguero?
Yes — small planes fly from San José to Tortuguero (TTQ).
What else is there to do in Tortuguero?
Take a canoe trip through the canals, go on a jungle hike, and visit Tortuguero village and Cerro Tortuguero. The Caño Palma channel at dawn is the hidden gem.
What should I pack for Tortuguero?
Rain gear and insect repellent. And try the Caribbean rice and beans.
About Tortuguero
- Coastal
- Forest
Where it is
Tortuguero is a village and national park on the northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, in Limón province, on a narrow strip of land between the sea and a network of canals and lagoons, reachable only by boat or light plane.
History
Green turtles have nested on this beach for millennia, and local people long harvested them; in the 1950s the American biologist Archie Carr began studying the colony and pressing for its protection. His work led to the creation of Tortuguero National Park in 1975, and despite its remoteness it is now one of the most visited parks in Costa Rica.
People
The villagers speak Spanish and, in many Afro-Caribbean families, Limón Creole English, a legacy of Jamaican migrants who came to Costa Rica's Caribbean coast from the late 19th century. Rice and beans cooked in coconut milk and rondón, a coconut seafood stew, are local dishes, and many residents work as naturalist guides.
Known for
- Green turtles nesting on the beach
- Boat and canoe trips through the canals
- Monkeys, sloths and caimans
- Leatherback and hawksbill turtles
- The Cerro Tortuguero lookout
Did you know?
Tortuguero is the second-largest nesting beach for green turtles in the world, and scientists have studied its turtles since the 1950s.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.