Meet Your Hosts
Your hosts at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens understand that your Vacation Time is Precious.
They understand their role in making everything right so that you and your traveling companions can live this lifetime experience to the fullest. They understand that while on vacation you hope to reconnect with yourself and especially with your loved ones, that you expect to be met with an open armed welcome and a delicious meal cooked and served with love, that you will experience the luxury of knowledge and a deeper understanding of our planet and its intricate relationships and perhaps the most important of all to make new friends.
Meet your hosts at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens, their purpose is to delight you, our guest.
Julian Fallas
Tortuga Lodge ManagerBorn in San Jose and raised in San Marcos de Tarrazu, in highlands of the Talamanca Mountain Range, doorway to the newly formed Quetzales National Park and home to some of the finest coffee in the world.
Julian is the second to last child in a family with 12 children. He grew up working on his parents coffee farm with his brothers and sisters. As with many families in rural Costa Rican areas, he didn't go to High School because he was needed to work on the farm. Later he would go on to get his degree.
At the age of 21 Julian went to Wilkes -Barre, Pennsylvania and worked the assembly line of a factory making medical and computer equipment. He was one of four Costa Ricans working the line at that time. When he arrived in Wilkes -Barre, he didn't speak English, but he was determined to learn. Four years later, Julian spoke fluent English and was the department manager. There were now 18 Costa Ricans working at the factory.
After returning to Costa Rica and getting certified in ESL, Julian began working for Costa Rica Expeditions as a Transfer Guide. One season later, we saw his potential and offered him a position at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens where he has been manager since 2006.
What Julian enjoys most about working at the lodge is interacting with guests. “I admire them for traveling to a foreign country to learn about nature and our culture; I enjoy being part of that learning experience”, he says.
When he's not at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens, Julian enjoys reading books about life and most importantly spending time with his three sons, Julian, Emiliano, and Angel.
His message to people considering a visit to Tortuga Lodge & Gardens:
“Tortuguero is a magical place, getting here is an adventure in itself. You are surrounded by rivers, the Tropical Rainforest and wildlife. If your dream is to be surrounded by nature, visit Tortuga Lodge & Gardens”.
