Since Tortuguero, Costa Rica is located in the rainforest sandbars of the Northern Caribbean coast, the only way to get there is by boat or plane. With no roads, it may seem difficult to get to when in reality, it is not that hard. In fact, the entire journey to Tortuguero is an adventure!
In this post, we breakdown the two ways of independently getting to Tortuguero (plus one fun alternative). Find out how to get to Tortuguero from San Jose, La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo by plane and boat. Then we also talk about Tortuguero tour packages as that is by far, the easiest way to visit Tortuguero.
If you want to book a tour package to Tortuguero that includes roundtrip transportation from San Jose, bilingual guide, lodging, meals and activities, click the link to get our 7% Tortuguero tour packages discount!
Fastest But Most Expensive Option: Plane
Flying is the quickest way to get to Tortuguero. Tortuguero has their own domestic airport in the village. Sansa Airlines flies into Tortuguero and costs around $120 USD one way per person. The flight from San Jose to Tortuguero is a 30 minute flight and they usually have 2 flights a day during the high season.
Even though getting to Tortuguero by plane is the most expensive option, it saves a ton of time and you get great views of the city and of Tortuguero from the air.
Then once you land at Tortuguero airport, it is only a 5 minute boat ride to the village and the hotels in the area. There are taxi boats at the airport and cost ~$3 USD per person one way from the airport to town and a little more to the hotels.
Tortuguero Packages
By far, the easiest way to get to Tortuguero is through a package. Hotels such as Mawamba, Manatus and Pachira offer packages that include everything: roundtrip transportation from San Jose, food, activities and guide. You don’t need to plan anything. All you have to do is get picked up at your hotel in San Jose, get on the bus and follow the guide.
We offer small discounts for Tortuguero tour packages. Click here to save 7% on your Tortuguero tour package!
From Puerto Viejo
You can book 2 days 1 night or a 3 days 2 night Tortuguero packages from Puerto Viejo including transportation, lodging and certain meals. Contact us for more information!
From San Jose
You can book through various companies such as Pachira, Evergreen, Aninga, etc. Get our 7% discount off Tortuguero packages from San Jose!
If you flying from any other destinations, you will have to go first to San Jose. You won’t find flights from Liberia – Tortuguero or Quepos – Tortuguero. If you aren’t able to get to San Jose in time for a flight, you will need to stay a night near the domestic airport terminal. If so, here are some ideas of things to do and where to stay in San Jose.
Below is how to get to Tortuguero by land and boat independently.
How to Get to Tortuguero By Land and Boat
The most common way to get to Tortuguero is by boat. There are two places you can take a boat to Tortuguero: the La Pavona and Moin docks. Which one you go to depends on where you’re coming from. La Pavona is best for La Fortuna and San Jose. Moin is best from Puerto Viejo, Cahuita or Limon.
La Pavona Dock
La Pavona dock is the largest dock out of the two, servicing all passengers coming from San Jose, Guapiles and La Fortuna. It has a parking lot, a restaurant, clean bathrooms, a snack stand, small cafeteria and gift shop.
At the restaurant, you’ll get on and off the public bus and you will purchase boat tickets and parking passes at the small office stand at the entrance that has the sign “Caseta de Seguridad”.
At the restaurant, they have bathrooms for $1 USD or 500 CRC. You can also get food, drinks and snacks.
When it is time to get on the public boat, make sure to be near the boat area and they will start calling for the public boat. If you’re on a tour package, make sure you stay with your group and your guide will let you know which boat to get onto.
Please note that the “dock” is not really a dock. It is just boats up on shore, so you need to be able to walk up a step onto the boat and there will be the workers to help you up if needed. You also have to manage your own luggage until it is time to get on the boat.
There is no cover in this area so put on sunscreen, hat and sunglasses and make sure to have your rain jacket with you. It’s very hot and humid in the Caribbean so also bring some water with you.
Schedule
The boat schedule from La Pavona to Tortuguero is 6 AM, 730 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM and 430 PM.
The boat schedule from Tortuguero to La Pavona is 5 AM, 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM.
If you arrive later than 430 PM at La Pavona, you can take a private boat to Tortuguero but we recommend to contact them to arrange it beforehand. The local Tortuguero boat captain group Whatsapp is +506 8487 3506 and you can consult with them for prices and arrangements.
*Please note that schedules may change at any time, so try to arrive as early as possible.*
Public Boat Tickets
A boat ticket costs 4000 CRC or ~$8 USD per person. Purchase your boat tickets at the ticket office stand at the entrance of the road. They will give you a slip of paper with your boat ticket information on it – keep this, as it’s its your ticket.
We recommend to arrive at least one hour early before the boat you want to take in order to have enough time to purchase tickets. La Pavona gets very busy in high season months like December to April, July, August and September.
Parking
La Pavona has a large parking lot if you need your car. It costs 6000 CRC (~$12 USD) per night and they will give you a parking slip which you need to keep. Please note that they won’t be responsible for any damages or theft so make sure to lock your doors, hide anything in your car so it’s not visible and roll up your windows.
They have some spaces that are under roof, the rest are open.
The Boat Ride
The boat ride from La Pavona to Tortuguero village is about 1 hour. However, this does depend on the tide. In low tide, it can take up to 2 hours since the boats have to go much slower. The first time we visited Tortuguero took us 2 hours because we actually got stuck a couple of times, the water level was that low!
Keep your eyes open during the boat ride. We saw crocodiles, caimans, iguanas, river birds, otters and monkeys! It was like a wildlife watching safari tour during our ride. The boat ride is not bumpy but they do make some tight curves sometimes. Nothing crazy though.
The Boats
The boats are long motorized boats with seating for around 20 passengers. The passenger boats have a canopy cover whereas the luggage boats do not. The Caribbean tends to rain more so they do cover the luggage with a tarp if it’s raining but it can still get wet if it’s pouring. We recommend wrapping up your luggage in plastic or putting it in a large plastic bag if you have valuables and making sure they are fully fastened and zipped.
Passengers are allowed to bring small backpacks with them on the boat. No matter what time of year it is, we recommend a waterproof rain jacket, waterproof backpack or rain cover and hiking sandals. Sunglasses and sunscreen are also recommended.
How to get to La Pavona Dock
By public bus from San Jose
First, take the bus from San Jose to Cariari. There is a bus every day at 6:30 AM, 9 AM, 1PM, 3 PM, 4:30 PM and 7 PM. This bus ride takes 2 hours and costs ~2,100 CRC. It leaves from San Jose Gran Terminal del Caribe, Calle Central Ave 15 in downtown. Going back, Cariari to San Jose is at 530 AM, 6 AM (only Sundays), 730 AM, 930 AM, 12 PM, 330 PM and 6 PM.
Second, get off at the Cariari bus station. This bus doesn’t go any further.
Third, your next bus is to La Pavona dock from Cariari. The bus station you need to go to is Terminal de Buses Coopetraca, 500 meters north from where you get off the Cariari bus. The bus from Cariari to La Pavona runs at 5 AM, 9 AM, 1130 AM and 3 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Monday through Friday, it runs at 5 AM, 1130 AM and 3 PM.
Going back, Pavona to Cariari on Saturdays and Sundays is at 6 AM, 10 AM, 1230 PM and 4 PM. Monday through Friday is at 6 AM, 1230 PM and 4 PM.
If you miss the bus, you can take a taxi around 4000 CRC.
Lastly, once you are at La Pavona, purchase your boat ticket to Tortuguero. Then if you don’t know when you want to take the bus back to La Pavona from Tortuguero, that’s OK. You can purchase your ticket in Tortuguero village.
After you purchase your boat ticket, then you need to go to the dock area where all the boats are and wait for the public one. Make sure to be there around 10-15 minutes before. There will be a lot of people and boats but the public boat says “taxi boat” on it. If you’re not sure, you can ask any of the locals and they’ll point you in the right direction.
By shuttle
There are some companies that include a shared shuttle and boat transportation from La Fortuna and San Jose such as Caribe Shuttle.
You can also take a private shuttle to Tortuguero (La Pavona dock). From San Jose, it costs around $225 USD one way for 1-8 people. Contact us to arrange your private transfer!
Driving
You can perfectly drive your rental car to La Pavona dock to get the boat to Tortuguero. Click this link to get our Costa Rica car rental discount and freebies!
On Google Maps, La Pavona is called “La Pavona (Embarcadero a Tortuguero).” You do not need a 4×4 to get to La Pavona. From San Jose, this drive takes around 2.5 hours without stops or traffic.
The route you have to take from San Jose is on Route 32 through Braulio Carrillo National Park towards Guapiles. Once in Guapiles, you will get on Route 247 north towards La Pavona.
Once you park your car, go to the booth to get your parking slip. You’ll pay the guards in CRC cash when you return from your trip.
Picking up your car rental after Tortuguero from La Pavona
If you are visiting Tortuguero on a package or independently and want to rent a car after your trip, you can perfectly do that. You have two options to get your car rental:
- Have the car rental deliver the car to La Pavona dock for an extra fee (~$100 USD)
- Pick up the car in Guapiles. Car rental companies will either go to the restaurant the hotel packages stops at for lunch or a meeting point in Guapiles to deliver your car free of charge.
We have a discount with Adobe Rent a Car and they have a meeting point in Guapiles so you can pick up your car in Guapiles. If you rent a car through out widget, we will help you make all the necessary arrangements to have your car delivered in Guapiles.
Moin dock and boat ride
Moin dock is the one for those coming from Limon, Cahuita or Puerto Viejo as you will just go up the Caribbean coast. This boat ride is much longer at around 4 hours. The drive from Puerto Viejo to Moin is about an hour. Total travel time is around 5 hours.
Tickets
The boat from Moin to Tortuguero costs $35 USD or 20,000 CRC to be paid in cash to the boat captains. You must make reservations at least 1-2 days beforehand.
Schedule
Boats leave around 10 AM from Moin dock and this boat ride takes around 3.5-4 hours.
Reserve with Benjamin, the boat driver via WhatsApp: +506 8928 1169.
How to get to Moin dock
Moin also has secure parking and you can get there via shuttle, bus and car.
In Waze, look for “Moin Muelle.” On Google Maps, it is “Moin Dock JAPDEVA, Canales de Tortuguero.”
From Puerto Viejo or Cahuita, take the bus to Limon (730, 930-1130 every hour, 130 – 530 PM every hour and 730 PM). Then from Limon, take the bus to Moin, there is one every 30 minutes. You can also taxi to Moin dock ($8 – $10 USD one way).
For shuttles, shuttle companies like Caribe Shuttle offer shuttle and boat transfers via Moin. They operate on a minimum requirement however, so contact them to arrange your transfers.
If you plan to drive to Moin and leave your car, the dock has a parking lot next door. It costs ~$10-12 USD a night. Make sure not to leave valuables in the car!
How to Get to Tortuguero National Park
Once you are in Tortuguero, it is very easy to get to Tortuguero National Park. If you are staying in the village, you can walk to the entrance. It’s at the very south end of town, you can’t miss it.
If you are staying at the hotels along the river, you can take a taxi boat to the entrance to purchase tickets.
I hope this post helps you plan your trip since now you know how to get to Tortuguero.
You can read other helpful posts about Costa Rica below!
Driving to La Fortuna from Guanacaste
Driving to La Fortuna from San Jose
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