When it comes to breathtaking beaches, stunning landscapes and fun water activities, Costa Rica has it all. There are several places in the country where you can experience all of that and one of them is Tortuga Island, Costa Rica.
Tortuga Island, or Isla Tortuga, one of several islands in the Nicoya Peninsula boasts white sand beaches, clear turquoise water and incredible views. There are several tour companies that operate one day tours and it’s one of the best day trips from San Jose or Jaco to experience one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica that has also been awarded the Bandera Azul Ecologica which is only given to the cleanest beaches.
We recently did the Isla Tortuga one day tour with Bay Island Cruises from Puntarenas and it was a wonderful trip. Read on to see what it’s like and get our special $10 Tortuga Island day cruise discount!
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Bay Island Cruises
Overnight stays are not allowed on the island but you can do a one day tour that takes you to Tortuga Island. Bay Island Cruises is a Costa Rican company based out of Puntarenas where they take guests on a 1.5 hour cruise through the Gulf of Nicoya to Isla Tortuga. Guests then spend about 5 hours on the island and they provide various activities to enjoy.
They pick up from San Jose and Jaco and include breakfast, lunch, snacks and fruit juice in the tour. They have two boats, a yacht and catamaran which they take out depending on the number of guests. On the beach, they have a designated area with lounge chairs, umbrellas and bathrooms and they stay on the island for a full 5 hours so guests can swim, snorkel, kayak and relax.
Tortugua Island Catamaran Cruise
We got on the catamaran around 8 AM and set off into the Gulf of Nicoya with Bay Island Cruises. Their boat has two floors with an air conditioned main cabin and open upstairs deck. The upstairs deck has a Jacuzzi, seats, tables and is where the live music is.
It was a gorgeous day, super sunny with barely any clouds in sight. We went beginning of February which is during Costa Rica’s summer, so all the islands were yellow and brown from the dry heat. But it was still a beautiful sight!
We picked a nice spot at the front of the lower deck so we could lay down with the sun on our faces and wind blowing through our hair. Along the way, our captain shared information about the surrounding islands, Gulf of Nicoya and Isla Tortuga, he pointed out Isla San Lucas (the prison), Curu Wildlife Refuge (right behind Isla Tortuga), Venado Island and other points of interest.
One of the things Bay Island Cruises has that other companies don’t is live music. After we all get settled in the catamaran, the live band set up their spot on the top deck and started playing salsa, meringue and covered popular pop songs. It was a lot of fun to listen to and watch our MC dance and sing!
After about 1 hour, our captain announced that we were nearing Isla Tortuga. As I looked out onto the horizon, I saw a brilliant white sand beach glittering right in front of me. I could see why companies chose Tortuga Island as the final destination for the cruise, the beach was absolutely breathtaking! No other island we saw in the Gulf of Nicoya had such white sand or clear water!
When we got close, the crew pulled down a ramp so that we could walk down right onto the shore. The band stood in front of us, happily playing their instruments, welcoming us to Isla Tortuga.
The crew showed us to our place on the island and gave us a brief introduction of what’s what. After that, the day was ours. We had a full five hours to do whatever we wanted on the beach: swim, snorkel, relax, kayak, hike or take a nap!
Tortuga Island Snorkeling and Other Activities
Tortuga Island actually belongs to a local family who rents out spots on the beach to tour companies and visitors can rent kayaks, jet skis, pedal boats, snorkel gear, stand up paddle boards and other activities from them. One of the perks of going with a tour company is that they already include those in their prices. If you go on your own (just hire a boat to get you to the island), you have to pay for everything such as a beach chair ($7 a day) or snorkel gear ($6 per hour).
With Bay Island Cruises, you can purchase the package that includes a snorkel tour and the banana boat or you will have to pay $20 per person for each activity.
I went snorkeling which was amazing. They took us to a little island from the beach where we snorkeled and swam with big colorful tropical fish for about 1 hour.
Other people went on the banana boat, rented kayaks and went on the short hike. The owners created a sanctuary on the island so you can walk their trails to see peccaries, deer, birds and other animals.
We had lunch after the snorkel tour and they served us fish, chicken, salad, rice and dessert. If you are vegetarian/vegan, make sure to let the company know beforehand or else you will be stuck with eating rice all day. The lunch was good but nothing amazing.
For the rest of the day, we relaxed and took a nap at the beach. We also brought our drone so you can see photos of Isla Tortuga from above!
Before we knew it, our five hours were up and it was time to head back to Puntarenas. Although I was sad to leave such a beautiful beach, I was ready to go back and the timing was perfect. We sailed back right during the sunset.
You can watch a video of the Tortuga Island Costa Rica one day tour in the video below!
What to Bring
- Bring a day pack with your swimsuit, towel, sunglasses, lots of sunscreen and a hat.
- You can bring your swimsuit and change on the boat or on the island.
- If you want to do the hike, it is an easy trail that takes around 30 minutes. No hiking shoes required.
- If you want to do other activities like rent a jet ski, it is best to bring cash. Prices are quoted in USD and they take USD.
Mytanfeet Tortuga Island Discount
If you want to do this one day Tortuga Island cruise, we have an exclusive discount with Bay Island Cruises to give $10 off to all our readers! Please contact us for more information, children prices (children ages 3-11) and to book the tour. Please include your date, place of pick up and drop off and number of adults and children. They run this tour on Wednesdays – Sundays.
They pick up in various places in Costa Rica.
- San Jose: 3 package options. $135 (beach bunk), $150 (beach bunk + 5 drinks) and $155 (beach bunk, snorkel, banana boat).
- Puntarenas: 3 package options. $128 (beach bunk), $143 (beach bunk + 5 drinks) and $148 (beach bunk, snorkel, banana boat).
- Jaco: $135 per adult with snorkel, banana boat and hiking.
- Manuel Antonio: $165 per adult with snorkel, banana boat and hiking, minimum 4 pax.
- Monteverde: $135 per adult with snorkel, banana boat and hiking minimum 4 pax.
- Guanacaste: $175 per adult, minimum 4 pax.
- La Fortuna: $175 minimum 4 pax.
All Mytanfeet readers get $10 off these prices!
They can also do interconnections meaning they can pick you up in San Jose and drop you off in La Fortuna or pick you up in San Jose and drop you in Jaco, etc. There is an extra charge from $20-40 per passenger and require a minimum of 4 pax for all destinations except San Jose and Jaco.
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Read about other things to do in Costa Rica below!
Kimberly McNamara says
What time is the pick up in San Jose amd what time is drop off. I am flying in late Thursday amd we were thinking about doing the tour Friday or Sunday. We have a wedding Saturday and leave Tuesday.
Sammi says
Hi Kimberly! Pick up is around 7 AM and drop off is around 7 PM depending on traffic in San Jose. You can definitely do it Friday or Sunday. Maybe Friday just in case you guys are out late Saturday night for the wedding.
Melanie says
Hi! where do they pick up if we want to do this from San Jose? how long is the drive from San Jose to the ferry over to the island?
Is there an over-night/2 day option to go there?
We are spending the first part of our trip down on Osa Pen (hoping to have you 2 join us for a hike into Corcovado! 😉 at the end of Nov. but thought we should maybe see another area of Costa Rica since we keep going back to only Osa.
Let me know about this Tortuga Island day trip. Perhaps we plan to come back a day early for our departure and do this!
I like that there’s a chance I can snorkel here and the beach looks beautiful.
Thank you! Hope to meet you both on our next trip! Your website has been so helpful to us!
Mel in Michigan
Sammi says
Hi Melaine! They can pick up at any hotel in San Jose and they will drop you off at your hotel too. The drive from San Jose to Puntarenas where the ferry leaves is about a 2 hour drive.
Unfortunately there isn’t an overnight 2 day option, they just do one day tours. If you have a free day in San Jose, this would be a wonderful tour to do to see the Gulf of Nicoya and a beautiful beach. The snorkeling is also super nice!
Ahh definitely let us know about your trip to Osa! That’s awesome, I’m really really hoping to go down there to do the hike.
Feel free to email us at hello@mytanfeet.com if you have any more questions about the Tortuga Tour or if you’d like to book it!
Sara Thompson says
Hello Sammi,
My mom, Aunts, and myself are venturing to Costa Rica in April. Where is pick up from Playa Hermosa? We are staying at Villas Sol Resort. The Tortuga tour looks amazing! What packages are available for Guanacaste, Playa Hermosa? How much is the package? Your blog is wonderful! Thank you so much for your information.
Sara Thompson
Sammi says
Hi Sara! From Hermosa, Guanacaste it is $175 per person and requires 4 people minimum. I sent you a message about it with more details 🙂
leslie lopez says
To get on the boat cruise to Tortuga Island from San Jose or Jaco is it mandatory to chose a package or is there a fare that just covers the boat ride?
Sammi says
From San Jose, you will have to choose a package since it is a tour but the packages just add on alcoholic drinks and a couple activities. The basic package just includes the tour and the beach bunk (umbrella + chairs) along with the other things that are already included (transportation, lunch, snacks, juices, breakfast). The basic one from San Jose is $135. From Jaco, it is one price at $135 which includes the snorkel, hiking trails, banana boat and beach bunk.