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Waterway among treetops and mist-covered forest.

Costa Rica · Tortuguero

Beyond the village

A hill, refuges and coastal villages reached by boat.

7 places

  1. Cerro Tortuguero1

    Photo: The Casual Tellurian, CC BY-SA 4.0

    NatureOpen

    Cerro Tortuguero

    Next to San Francisco, about 6 km north of the village5.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    $2.26
    Hours
    8:00 to 15:30
    Booking
    Not stated

    An old 119 m volcanic cone, the highest point on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. A 1.1 km raised trail leads to a viewpoint over the Northeast Caribbean Wetland, a Ramsar site.

    Source: Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $2.26 for foreigners (adults and children), separate from the park ticket.

    Tip: You arrive by boat; a local guide from San Francisco adds natural history and village life.

    Nearby: Caño Palma (2.6 km) · Aninga zipline (3.9 km) · Sea Turtle Conservancy Visitor’s Center (4.8 km)

    Sources: Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística · SINAC – Parque Nacional Tortuguero · Rough Guides – Tortuguero National Park

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  2. 2

    WaterOpen

    Caño Palma

    Barra del Colorado refuge, north of the village7.9 km from the centre

    Entry
    $$ · US$15–50
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A narrow, calm canal of about 5.1 km with thick vegetation and many water birds. It is entered from the Penitencia lagoon, beside Cerro Tortuguero, and is the only one that does not start from the Tortuguero River.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Tortuguero · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Although it lies in the Barra del Colorado refuge, the park manages it and you need its ticket.

    Nearby: Cerro Tortuguero (2.6 km) · Aninga zipline (6.6 km) · Sea Turtle Conservancy Visitor’s Center (7.4 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Tortuguero · Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística

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  3. 3

    NatureOpen

    Barra del Colorado

    Northern Caribbean coast, near the Nicaraguan border27.4 km from the centre

    Entry
    $50
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    An 81,177 ha wildlife refuge north of Tortuguero, known for tarpon sport fishing. It has raffia-palm swamps, lagoons and flooded forest, and you arrive by air or boat.

    Source: Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística RNVS Barra del Colorado · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$$ · over US$50
    Booking
    Lodgings in Barra Norte and Barra Sur arrange fishing and canal tours.

    Tip: Overland: bus from Cariari to Puerto Lindo (4:30 and 14:00) and boat-bus to Barra (leaves Puerto Lindo at 6:00 and 16:00). By small plane it is about 35 minutes from San José.

    Sources: Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística RNVS Barra del Colorado · Wikipedia – Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge

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  4. 4

    NatureOpen

    Jalova sector

    Southern end of the park, toward Parismina30.8 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    The park’s southern sector, with the Jalova lagoon, Caño Aguas Negras (1,155 m, with very dark water) and Caño California (4,255 m). It has an entry control, ticket sales and toilets.

    Source: Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $16.95 for foreign adults and $5.65 for children 2–12, VAT included.

    Tip: Caño California has strong currents in the rainiest months. Fishing is prohibited.

    Nearby: Parismina (0.3 km) · Pacuare Reserve (14.6 km)

    Sources: Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística · SINAC – Parque Nacional Tortuguero

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  5. 5

    WildlifeOpen

    Parismina

    Tortuguero canals, south of the park30.9 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A village of about 500 people at the mouth of the Reventazón River, halfway between Tortuguero and Limón, with no road access. Four turtle species nest on its beach, protected by the community group ASTOP since 2001.

    Source: Wikipedia – Parismina · 2026

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: Besides ecotourism, it lives from sport fishing. It fits as a stop on the canal route between Limón and Tortuguero.

    Nearby: Jalova sector (0.3 km) · Pacuare Reserve (14.5 km)

    Sources: Wikipedia – Parismina

  6. 6

    WildlifeSeasonal

    Pacuare Reserve

    Matina, Limón; by boat only45.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    $50
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A non-profit private reserve of about 1,700 acres in Matina, with 6 km of beach that is one of the country’s most important leatherback nesting sites. Visitors can join the nightly turtle census.

    Leatherbacks nest from March to July and hatchlings emerge from June to September. Outside that period the reserve stays open for wildlife, birds and canals.

    Source: Pacuare Reserve (Ecology Project International) · 2025

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$$ · over US$50
    Booking
    Bookings via WhatsApp (+506 8909 9122); there is an ecolodge, rustic cabins and volunteering.

    Tip: There is no electricity: bring a red-light torch and expect a simple stay.

    Nearby: Parismina (14.5 km) · Jalova sector (14.6 km)

    Sources: Pacuare Reserve (Ecology Project International)

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  7. 7

    NatureOpen

    Boat ride from La Pavona

    La Pavona dock, west of the village9.7 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    The final leg to Tortuguero is a boat ride along rivers and canals from the La Pavona dock (or Caño Blanco). Many travellers see birds, monkeys and caimans on the way.

    Source: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Getting to Tortuguero · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $ · under US$15
    Time needed
    1 h 15 to 1 h 30.

    Tip: Do not leave luggage inside your car at the dock car park.

    Nearby: Tortuguero River water trail (7.5 km) · Caño Chiquero (7.9 km) · Caño Mora (8.3 km)

    Sources: Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Getting to Tortuguero · SINAC – Parque Nacional Tortuguero

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