Costa Rica
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Waterway among treetops and mist-covered forest.

Costa Rica · Tortuguero

With kids or on rainy days

Short, indoor or family-friendly activities.

6 places

  1. 1

    CultureOpen

    Sea Turtle Conservancy Visitor’s Center

    200 m north of the school, between the village and Mawamba0.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    $2.50
    Hours
    8:00–12:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A small museum at the Sea Turtle Conservancy biological station, the organisation that has studied Tortuguero’s turtles since the 1950s. It has panels on the species and their migrations, a film and a shop.

    Source: Sea Turtle Conservancy – Community outreach and Visitor’s Center · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    US$2.50 per person.
    Hours
    Daily, 8:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00.

    Tip: STC runs a 1–3 week volunteer programme in green turtle season.

    Nearby: Night walk and frog tour (0.6 km) · Tortuguero village (0.6 km) · Caribbean food in the village (0.6 km)

    Sources: Sea Turtle Conservancy – Community outreach and Visitor’s Center · Rough Guides – Tortuguero National Park

  2. 2

    FoodOpen

    Cacao tour at Casa Cecropia

    Next to the main park entrance0.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A two-hour experience in the village: a walk through an orchard, an explanation of cacao drying in a traditional Caribbean house and grinding your own chocolate on a stone.

    Source: Rough Guides – Best Tortuguero National Park tours · 2024

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$ · US$15–50
    Time needed
    About 2 h.

    Nearby: Cuatro Esquinas sector (0 km) · El Jaguar trail (0 km) · Caño Harold (0 km)

    Sources: Rough Guides – Best Tortuguero National Park tours

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  3. 3

    AdventureOpen

    Aninga zipline

    Aninga Lodge, across the canal1.5 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A 1 km zipline circuit with seven cables, eleven platforms, four hanging bridges and a Tarzan swing, in the forest across from the village.

    Source: Rough Guides – Best Tortuguero National Park tours · 2024

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$ · US$15–50
    Time needed
    About 90 minutes.

    Tip: Suitable for children from age 6 (Rough Guides, 2024).

    Nearby: Sea Turtle Conservancy Visitor’s Center (0.9 km) · Night walk and frog tour (1.5 km) · Tortuguero village (1.5 km)

    Sources: Rough Guides – Best Tortuguero National Park tours

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  4. 4

    NatureOpen

    Canal boat tour

    Departs from the village or lodge docks2.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A guided boat trip through the park’s canals and surroundings to see caimans, river turtles, monkeys, sloths, basilisks and water birds. It is the core activity of any visit.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Tortuguero · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Park ticket $16.95 on top of the tour. Rough Guides quotes tours from about $25 (2024).

    Tip: Go early, when wildlife is most active. The Chiquero and Mora canals are paddle-only.

    Nearby: Kayak and canoe, guided or self-guided (0 km) · Birdwatching on the canals (0 km) · Caño Mora (1.1 km)

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

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  5. 5

    WildlifeOpen

    Night walk and frog tour

    Tortuguero village and lodges0.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A guided walk after dark on private land outside the park to look for frogs, snakes, insects, bats, opossums and armadillos.

    Source: Rough Guides – Best Tortuguero National Park tours · 2024 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$ · US$15–50
    Booking
    At your lodge or with local guides at the village information kiosk.

    Tip: Bring rubber boots, long sleeves and a torch with a red light if possible.

    Nearby: Tortuguero village (0 km) · Caribbean food in the village (0 km) · Green turtle nesting tour (0.1 km)

    Sources: Rough Guides – Best Tortuguero National Park tours · Área de Conservación Tortuguero – Información turística

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  6. 6

    FoodOpen

    Caribbean food in the village

    Village main street0.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    The village sodas serve Afro-Caribbean cooking: rice and beans, jerk chicken, breadfruit, ceviche and fresh fish, along with standard Costa Rican dishes.

    Source: Rough Guides – Tortuguero National Park · 2026

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $ · under US$15

    Tip: Eating in the village is cheaper than lodge packages and keeps the money in the community.

    Nearby: Night walk and frog tour (0 km) · Tortuguero village (0 km) · Green turtle nesting tour (0.1 km)

    Sources: Rough Guides – Tortuguero National Park

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