Tortuguero & the Caribbean Coast Holidays

Venture off the beaten track and experience Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast in a prime location for spotting nesting turtles.

Delve deep into Costa Rica and experience the rawness of its Caribbean coastline — Tortuguero gives you a feeling of being away-from-it-all and is everything you might expect from Costa Rica, including the dense jungles and wild national parks. Watch as crocodiles snake through the lagoons, and monkeys spring from tree to tree. But perhaps the most famous residences are the turtles, with four species using Tortuguero’s beaches for nesting.

You’ll spot plenty of Afro-Caribbean influences in the food and music here. There are hotels and lodges with a wonderfully laid-back feel, perfect for balancing adventurous moments in the wild with downtime back at base.

Talk to our Costa Rica experts about the Caribbean coast and where to stay for your explorations.

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Tortuguero & the Caribbean Coast Hotels

Our recommendations for the best places to stay in Tortuguero & the Caribbean Coast

Aguas Claras, Puerto Viejo de Limon

A few barefoot skips from stunning forest-hemmed beaches, eco-friendly Aguas Claras is a calm and...

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Get to know Tortuguero and those important practicalities when planning your perfect holiday.

Capital
TIME DIFFERENCE

GMT -6 hours

CURRENCY

Costa Rican Colón

FLYING TIME TO DESTINATION

11 hours

RELIGION

Christianity (majority Roman Catholic)

LANGUAGE

Spanish; five indigenous languages are also spoken

Where is Tortuguero & the Caribbean Coast?
The Tortuguero region is on the east coast of Costa Rica, lapped by the Caribbean Sea. Tortuguero itself is a village in the Limon province that’s part of the Tortuguero National Park. Approximately four hours south of Tortuguero is the city of Puerto Viejo de Limon (also known as Puerto Viejo de Talamanca), the gateway to the secluded and unspoilt beaches of the southern Caribbean coast.

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Activities and wildlife
Along the rainforest-covered sandbar are canals and wetlands, each providing shelter for wildlife, from manatees to jaguars, tapirs to crocodiles. The network of freshwater canals is perfect for kayaking or canoeing, where you can scan the banks for wildlife. On land, follow miles of trails through the jungle, looking for troops of monkeys, the streak of a green macaw, or the sprightly leap of a frog in the undergrowth. Or, to meet the people who call this region home, visit the village for a glimpse into the everyday lives of the locals.

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Beaches & turtle nesting
A huge number of nesting turtles are the star of the wildlife show on the beaches of Tortuguero, with the turtles nesting between March and October — although the timings depend on which of the four species is nesting. The most common is the green turtle from around June to October, where you can take night-time walks to spot the turtles unobtrusively.

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