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Is Costa Rica’s Tortuguero on your mind? I’m not surprised. With its Amazonesque canals, National Park and unique layout, Tortuguero packs a punch and is a great place to spend a few days in Costa Rica.
If you’re on this page, you’re probably wondering how to get to Tortuguero from San José. This page has everything you need to know on the journey, including timing, approximate costs, and advice.
San José to Tortuguero: your options
Aside from driving or taking a private taxi, there are three main ways to get from San José to Tortuguero. Plane is fastest and most expensive, public transport the slowest and cheapest, with shared shuttles a great medium option.
Plane
Costa Rican airline Sansa run daily flights from San José to Tortuguero. The flight takes 30 minutes and costs around $120, so it’s not terribly efficient in terms of time, money or footprint. It’s also worth noting that there have been safety concerns in the past, although nowadays plenty make the journey without any issues.
Public transport does involve switching buses and making connections. If that sounds too complicated or your time is limited, a shared shuttle is a great and easy option. A fare will usually include pick up from your hotel, before making the journey to Tortuguero by road and a very cool boat ride (the same one you’ll take when going via public transport – see Step 3 in the public transport option). From San José, it takes around five hours and costs about $60 per person, but there are pickups from other locations too. Keep in mind that shuttles (and public buses) often leave early across the country (6am is a standard departure time).
Public Transport
In Costa Rica I feel very safe taking public transport, and buses connect a lot of the country. The route from San José to Tortuguero takes 6-9 hours (depending on when you leave), and costs just over $10 per person. From San José, it looks something like this:
- San José to Cariari (bus, 1-2 hours)
- Cariari to La Pavona (bus, 1-1.5 hours)
- La Pavona to Tortuguero (boat, 1 hour)
I’ll go into detail for each step below. For us, it took around seven hours door-to-door, including waiting times between journeys. It honestly sounds a lot more complicated than it is, as each leg is basically designed to collect people from the last one.
💡 It’s very difficult to find online confirmation of the times for the second and third leg Cariari to La Pavona and La Pavona to Tortuguero). I’ve seen the following table on several websites, but always without source. However, I did find it to be correct when I went in 2021.
Step 1: San José to Cariari. Bus, 1-2 hours, $4.5
The bus from San José leaves from Gran Terminal del Caribe, which is not in the best neighbourhood. Given the early morning times for buses, I took an Uber there as recommended by my hotel. I got there at 5:30am to buy a ticket for the 6:30am departure and had no issues. You don’t need to leave so much time, but you never know what the crowds will be like at bus stations.
I found the bus comfortable and the journey smooth. BuscoBus shows the bus schedule and current cost (scroll down and look for the ‘salida’ time), but keep in mind this could change. It pays to ask your hostel / hotel / other travellers a few days in advance.
💡 If go take public transport to Tortuguero, each leg has set times. If you get to the final part too late, you will literally miss the boat. That said, it usually waits for the last public bus from Cariari, so unless you’re driving or taking a taxi, you should be OK.
Step 2: Cariari to La Pavona. Bus, 1-1.5 hours, $3 in 2021
This leg is slightly trickier, because when you get to Cariari from San José, the bus from Pavona leaves from a different terminal. Theoretically, there are a few buses that go from Cariari to Pavona: 9am, 11:30am and 3pm.
It’s hard to confirm these timings officially, but the earlier buses regularly collect people coming in from San José on the 6:30am and 9am departures.
The San José bus gets in to the San José bus terminal in Cariari, and you have to get to the local bus terminal, which is around 500 meters north – just pay attention which direction you’re going when you come in from San José, and continue on the same road. Alternatively, plug in the following Google Maps locations below.
Once you’re on the bus, the journey takes around 1-1.5 hours.
💡 It’s not uncommon to be hassled by taxi drivers when getting in to Cariari, who may say that if you don’t go with them, you’ll miss the next boat, or that the ongoing bus has been cancelled. Sometimes this is true, sometimes it’s not, so unless you have a lot of luggage or are in a rush, head to the right bus station first and ask there. The boats in Tortuguero are timed to collect people coming in on the bus from La Pavona, so you should be fine as long as you’re on one of those. Alternatively, you can take a taxi or a colectivo – just negotiate the rate before getting in.
Step 3: La Pavona to Tortuguero. Boat, 1 hour, $5 in 2021
Before or upon arrival in La Pavona (either by shared shuttle, taxi or bus), your driver may ask where you’re staying in Tortuguero. This is legitimate, and you’ll see the information given to the guards in La Pavona, who help run a pretty well-oiled, efficient operation getting people from La Pavona to Tortuguero.
La Pavona is not what I was expecting. It’s basically a waiting pen for the boats to Tortuguero. People wait at the restaurant Rancho La Suerte, where you can grab food or use the bathroom (for a fee), and there’s parking there as well for those who drive. Oh, and you can buy boat tickets too of course!
Getting into the restaurant, a woman with a clipboard asked if my name was on her list. I was surprised to see that it was, first and last name, spelled perfectly. But this is why the guards ask for the hotel you’re staying in — each person has a list of who is staying where, which the hotels have shared with La Pavona in advance. I believe this is to control or manage the flow of people. I’m not sure though, since I don’t think you need to book the boat or hotel in advance (we booked a hotel but not the boat).
La Pavona feels very commercial. Something about it reminded me of Jurassic Park, and there were very few locals. At first, I worried that Tortuguero itself would be overrun. However, I was happily proven wrong: tours don’t exceed around eight people, the beach is sparse, the national park with plenty of room to roam, the centre never too busy.
The boat ride to Tortuguero is pretty awesome, and a good preview of what lies ahead: towering trees, endless foliage, every shade of green, rainforests for days, and lots of rain. You are now in the rainforest now, after all, something your guide will surely remind you of. Enjoy the view and have fun!
Is Tortuguero worth visiting?
Getting to Tortuguero is a little out of the way, but that’s part of its charm. In my opinion, Tortuguero is 100% worth visiting. The place is literally crawling with life, and its unique layout gives it a really lovely community feel. Its slightly remote location makes it quieter than other parts of Costa Rica too, so it’s the perfect place to relax.
Where should you stay in Tortuguero?
I cover this in my Tortuguero post, but here’s a summary.
Tortuguero is small and safe, so you don’t need to do much research on good or bad areas. When looking at accommodation, consider your travel style and budget, and factor in the type of activity you want to do.
Considering its size, Tortuguero has a great range of hotel options in Tortuguero. Average prices will vary according to the season and type of accommodation.
The cheapest option will be a bunk in a shared hostel dorm, which will set you back $10-15. A private room at a hostel or budget eco lodge may be more like $35-50, and a mid range hotel will come in around $100 or $150 mark. If you’re looking for something more luxurious, that’ll be on offer too, for more like $200 a night.
Some example accommodations:
- Budget and under $100: Aracari Garden Hostel. This is where I stayed and I loved it. It’s a basic hostel with a glorious garden a couple of minutes away from the main street. Privates cost around $30-45, dorms $10 or 15. There are loads of other budget options too which are a bit more expensive but still under $100 night. These include Cabañas Daneysha and the Secret Eco Lodge, which as the name suggests is a little hidden.
- Mid-range: Mawamba Lodge, Casa Jaguar and Pachira Lodge are the next level up, and close to the main part of Tortuguero. They cost around $150 a night (give or take according to season).
- High end and luxury: if you’re looking for something a little more fancy, the eco-friendly Manatus Hotel offers room and tour packages for around $200 a night while supporting sustainability and biodiversity initiatives. Tortuga Lodge and Gardens is also a popular high end choice. Part of a wider group of lodges (Boena), rooms there cost more around the $200-350 mark.
Need ideas for what to do when you get there? Check out the Stubborn Travel guide to Tortuguero.
Or, try out some other fun things to do in Costa Rica!
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