Tortuguero Jungle Odyssey

Drive from your San Jose hotel through the Braulio Carrillo National Park to the Atlantic lowlands, boat to Tortuguero National Park and Tortuga Lodge & Gardens. Explore the park with your local Naturalist Guide. Return to San Jose by domestic flight.

IMPORTANT Note: Costa Rica Expeditions reserves the right to run this trip in reverse order as late as the day before departure.

Meal codes: (B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner.

Day 1: San Jose / Limon / Tortuguero (L,D)

After breakfast on your own, meet your local guide and driver in the lobby of your hotel and drive in an air conditioned van (shared with other guests) to the Atlantic lowlands near Limon (3 hours). About midday board a boat with your local Naturalist Guide and depart on the 2-4 hour trip to Tortuguero (shared with other guests). Arrive at the Lodge in the late afternoon. Overnight at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens, River View Downstairs Terrace Room.

Day 2: Tortuguero National Park (B,L,D)

After breakfast at the Lodge, depart with your local Naturalist Guide for a boat tour into Tortuguero National Park (shared with other guests). Originally intended to protect a major nesting beach of the Atlantic Green Sea Turtle, the Park now protects 51,870 acres, one of the last large areas of tropical rainforest in Central America.

Eleven habitats are found in the park. Three species of monkeys (Spider, Howler, and White-faced), Three-toed Sloths, and river otter are frequently seen along the natural inland waterways and canals. Caiman, iguanas, river turtles, Basilisk Lizards, and Poison Dart Frogs (Dendrobates) inhabit the area, along with more than 320 species of birds including all six species of kingfishers found in the new world, three species of toucans, eight species of parrots, and other neotropical species such as the Slaty-tailed Trogon, White-collared Manakin and Purple-throated Fruitcrow. You will have the opportunity to observe many more species during your boat rides through the backwater creeks of Tortuguero National Park.

Return to the Lodge for lunch. The rest of the day is free for optional excursions (at additional cost). Overnight at Tortuga Lodge, River View Downstairs Terrace Room.

Day 3: Tortuguero / San Jose (B)

After breakfast board a boat to cross the river to the Tortuguero airstrip. Here you will meet your pilot, for the 35 minute flight (one seat in plane) to San Jose. Upon arrival at the light aviation airport, transfer to your San Jose hotel. Transfers are included to hotels in the Metropolitan Area; there is a surcharge for hotels outside of this radius.

IMPORTANT: There is a 25-pound weight limit on domestic flights in Costa Rica. Please remember to pack light. If you would like to leave some of your belongings behind, we will do our best to catch it up to you when you arrive at the next destination in your itinerary.