Tortuga Lodge & Gardens

Costa Rica’s rainforest, with its lush, dense canopies, exotic wildlife and exhilarating eco-adventures, has captivated travelers for generations. On the island’s Caribbean coast, tucked between the Tortuguero River and gorgeous plantation-style gardens, Tortuga Lodge & Gardens offers an award-winning getaway unlike any hotel in Costa Rica. Just outside your door, the pristine rainforest surroundings beckon you to explore the mysteries of this complex ecosystem.   

A rustic river lodge built in harmony with its tropical environment, this hotel offers a tranquil, relaxing and exclusive experience. Each of the 29 rooms features sweeping views of the Tortuguero River and luxury amenities. Thoughtful guest comforts range from free Wi-Fi and nightly turndown service to rubber boots, walking sticks and umbrellas for your rainforest excursions.  As the only hotel in Tortuguero with its own private nature reserve, the lodge offers an array of adventures and activities. Daily nature walks are led by experienced naturalist guides, who also lead tours to turtle nesting sites, boat rides and kayak trips up the Tortuguero River, twilight nature hikes and more. Free fishing poles and tranquil sitting areas and hammocks make it easy to relax and enjoy the surroundings in solitude.

Choose from among 29 beautifully decorated, luxuriously appointed rooms with views of the river, gardens and surrounding rainforest landscape.  Set on the banks of the Tortuguero River on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Tortuga Lodge & Gardens offers 29 lodging options in four categories. All rooms feature river views and are fully immersed in the beauty and biodiversity of the surrounding rainforest. Throughout the day, guests can experience an array of wildlife, from the array of tropical bird calls at dusk and dawn to curious iguanas to howler monkeys.  

All lodgings at Tortuguero hotel are equipped with modern luxuries like free Wi-Fi, nightly turndown service, plush, pillowtop beds and private terraces or balconies with hammocks. Additional services include room service from our Green Turtle Restaurant and rubber boots, walking sticks and umbrellas for your excursions into the Costa Rica rainforest. The lodge’s state-of-the-art filtration system provides 100% drinkable water in all lodging and throughout the resort. Guests can be purchased for $ 5 aluminum water bottles to use during your stay.

Miss Florentine Villa

Miss Florentine Villa combines the charm and sophistication of the Caribbean Victorian era with nature-inspired luxury.

Miss Evelyn Balcony Suites

Go back in time to the age of Caribbean Victorian sophistication and luxury, where historical charm and classical furnishings are complimented with lighthearted tropical accents. 

Mr. Mishak Suites

Reminiscent of the Caribbean Victorian era from times past, these elegantly orchestrated suites combine classic dark-wood furniture with bright tropical accents. 

Riverview Balcony Suites

Experience the call of the wild from your balcony! Staying in the Balcony Rooms gives our guests a sweeping view of the canals and grounds. 

This exclusive luxury lodge on the banks of the Tortuguero River offers effortless access to a diverse and exhilarating range of eco-adventures and things to do. All activities are led by experienced naturalist guides.

Baby Turtle Hatchlings

Available Late October – November 

Baby turtles dig their way out of the nest and then make their way to the water. Assuming that they can avoid the predators waiting for them both on land and in the ocean, 25 to 30 years from now they will return to this very beach and the life-cycle will begin anew. Escorted by our naturalist guides, you will walk the beach either in the early morning hours or just before sunset in search of a nest that has begun to hatch. Watch the sand. If it is moving, that is where the baby turtles are struggling to make it the surface crawl to the sea and begin their journey. Some will lose their way and crawl in the wrong direction. You will be tempted to “help” them. At least pick them up and point them in the right direction. But you must resist the temptation. In helping the individual you are hurting the species. Your guide can explain why. 

Turtle Nesting

Groups of up to 10 people gather at a dispatching point of the hotel, 15 minutes to 1 hour prior to your tour time, depending on the sector of the beach assigned by the Park Service to your group. Some sectors of the beach are further away and require more time to arrive. Groups have to wait their turn for a tracker who is on the beach with a radio to report a turtle. Then, up to five groups (of up to 10 per group) are dispatched per turtle. As soon as the nesting is over, groups must leave the beach to make way for the next group. If it is raining too hard, the tour is canceled and you will receive a full refund. Also, to walk on some areas of the beach you need rubber boots. The lodge supplies the boots as well as the high knee-socks that go with them. We advise the use of boots as some of the trails get flooded and muddy. 

Naturalist Boating Outings

Morning:  After an early breakfast at the lodge, join your fellow guests and the local naturalist guide for a three-hour boat expedition into Tortuguero National Park. The crisp morning hours are a period of intense activity for animals of the rain forest as they forage for the first meal of the day. Glide through remote backwater creeks and lagoons where Costa Rica wildlife is abundant. Among the hundreds of bird, mammal, and reptile species that inhabit the area, you’ll likely see troupes of spirited Howler monkeys nibbling on tender leaves and Northern Jacana waterfowl perched atop islands of Water Hyacinth in search of insects and miniature shrimp. Look along the riverbanks for caiman quietly waiting for the next meal to swim by or an otter darting through the river grass. Return to the lodge in time for lunch.  

Afternoon: Once the midday heat begins to cool, join your fellow guests and the local naturalist guide for a three-hour boat expedition into Tortuguero National Park. The early afternoon takes on a new rhythm as the rainforest animals become sated from the day’s foraging and begin  preparing their evening roosts as the sun drops lower. Egrets and tiger herons move towards their nests, while White-Faced Capuchin monkeys keep the party going until sunset. As the afternoon light dims, the cacophony of the forest comes to a climax, and then, as if on cue… all becomes  quiet.  Return to the lodge with plenty of time to bathe before dinner.