Tortuga Lodge

Directions on how to get to our lodge

Here you have information about transportation options to get to Tortuga Lodge. There are several ways to do this, but first let me explain that Tortuguero is located on the northeast coast of Costa Rica.

The lodge sits on the bank of the Tortuguero River, 1 mile from the mouth of the river and about a ten-minute boat ride from the town of Tortuguero. You can’t drive all the way to Tortuguero because there are no roads. You can only get there by plane or using a combination of bus, rental car and boat transportation.

If you fly from San Jose, flight time is 30 minutes.

If you would like to book transportation by bus and boat with us, please contact [email protected]

Here are the options we offer to get to Tortuga Lodge, either traveling completely with us, a combination on your own and with us, and the more adventures option, you traveling all the way to the lodge on your own (if you decide to travel on your own and you need assistance, don’t hesitate in contacting our operations department).

Here the options:

Option 1: Land and boat transfer from San Jose or other destinations to Tortuga Lodge arrange with Tortuga Lodge:

Private transportation to/from San Jose to La Pavona from other destinations , with Spanish speaking driver . Although our drivers do not always speak English, they are experienced professional drivers that are adept at communicating basics with guests. English speaking guides are available on request. Upon arrival at the dock you’ll board a private boat with a Tortuga Lodge Boat Captain for the ride from to the Lodge. Contact us at [email protected] for information on prices.

Shared boat transportation to/from La Pavona dock to/from Tortuga Lodge with an English speaking Boat Captain. Price per person is $44 plus taxes per way . Check with us for availability .

Option 2: Drive by your own to the Pavona dock (parking area is available at additiona cost) and use the Tortuga Lodge & Gardens boat transfer. This boat depart at 10:30am

La Pavona Dock to Tortuga Lodge & Gardens: USD $44 plus taxes per person per way

There is a maximum luggage allowance of 40lbs per person.

IMPORTANT: Please take into consideration that Tortuga Lodge & Gardens is only accessible by boat or plane. Boat transportation needs to be pre-reserved with our reservation department with a minimum of 2 business days prior to arrival. We offer once daily shared boat transportation departing La Pavona only at 10:30am. If needed, we can pre-arrange a later boat with departure from La Pavona no later than 4:00pm. To book boat transportation or to consult rates, you may contact us at the following email: [email protected]

Option 3: Fly

Flight: 30 mins + Airstrip Pick-up: 5 mins = 35 mins Total Travel Time from San Jose International Airport

For guests visiting Tortuga Lodge & Gardens in Tortuguero, we highly recommend taking an in-country flight from /to San Jose International Airport. The flight is only 25 minutes and lands directly across the canal from our lodge. On the contrary, traveling by land and passenger boat will take five or more hours.

Flight options: Choose from Böëna’s executive-configured Cessna Caravan private charter service—Xplore Air, or a national provider such as SANSA.

We will gladly assist you with airline tickets for domestic flights – just ask us!

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1-800-963-1195