Hotels near Tortuguero Airport - TTQ, Tortuguero

The Tortuguero area is considerably different from the rest of Costa Rica. Isolated from land transport, all access is done either by boat or plane. Opt for the boat if you can. It's cheap (around 8000 colones round trip from La Pavona), and despite being on a public transport you'll have a tour experience. The trip can take up to 1,5 hours, with safety conditions guarateed (life vests) and you'll be winding through the florest canals until you reach the Tortuguero sandbar. much like running down the Amazonas, The village is very small but with a great ambient of friendly people (general fact in all CR) with plenty of options for food/drinks, accomodations. Tortuguero life runs around sightseeing (National Park, turtle tours, and cannoeing in the canals). At night you'll have plenty of options for sunset and dinning. You're in a protected area for marine turtles and the mindset is all around that. Forget about bathing in the river or the beach, as one it's inhabited by crocodiles and the other with bull sharks,

Town was better than pictured. Walking to everything is easy. Favorite restaurants were Miss Miriams next to the football field and Budda Cafe overlooking the river. Went on three turtle tours and the canoe tour. All great. Used Tuanis Tours for 2 turtle and canoe and Leonardo for private turtle tour. Grocery store carries beer and liquor at reasonable prices.

It was like going to the Amazon River and experiencing wildlife and diversity. It was a multi cultural place with a taste of how locals villagers live , ocean access, river access and the best part is watching conservation of turtles. Turtle night tour is a must do!!?

Loved the fact that the boat dropped us off at the hotel's dock and picked us up here as well. Checkin was a breeze but make sure you have the cash to pay for the room and any tours. Canoe/boat tours, day hikes, night walks were arranged by the hotel in advance for very nominal rates. The tours start right at the hotel and hence very convenient. The hotel sits on the banks of the river and the views are lovely especially during dusk and dawn. We experienced torrential rain one afternoon and during the night. The rain in the afternoon did not last long. The canals are accessible by boat, canoe and kayaks. Tortuguero is laid back and a nice place to wind down and experience time float by. Great place to see Great Green Macaws fly by during dawn and dusk. We also saw the last of the turtle hatchings make their way to the sea. Wonderful sight to experience. The town and beach are easily accessible. The canals are teeming in wildlife. We saw green basilisks, iguanas, jacanas, toucans, caimans, herons and monkeys (howler, spider and capuchin). On the night walk we saw frogs (Savage's bullfrog, red-eyed tree frog, some snakes, and a sloth at close range. The hotel staff were nice. The free breakfast was an added bonus. Laundry service was available for a fee. The town was easily accessible by foot. Local food at the sodas was fulfilling. Overall a wonderful experience!

What a gem. We had three nights here but in hindsight could have done two (a lot of people just do one). Two nights gives you a chance to soak up the atmosphere and explore the village from end to end. It was an experience getting there - a 1hr boat trip (which can be longer depending on the water levels). On arrival we were surprised at the number of bars and restaurants - a huge variety. Many on the waterfront and how wonderful to have no cars. Our hotel met us at the wharf and transferred our luggage. The hotels are right amongst the locals houses - so you really get to know the village and can hear all the 'goings on'. Just walking around you see the houses, some of the challenges living there, the flora and fauna. We did a motor boat tour at 9am - would recommend doing this at 6am as the forest wakes up. Its amazing on the water - seeking the birds close up, camen, monkeys and iguanas. You will see more animals on a tour of the forest but its still worth the experience. The motor boat tour includes national park entry - but I would recommend using a guide in the park as despite what you think its really hard to spot animals without the 'experienced eye'; and of course its their livelihood. I also did a night tour - there were a lot of other night tours - we walked along the route to the airport so it didn't feel super secluded - but we did see an armadillo, spiders, a snake, sloth and an iguana. Just goes to show nature is all around us - but again I would never have seen it without the experienced guide. Overall its quite an experience and would suggest Tortuguera is a 'must have' on a Costa Rica itinerary.

The town is ok - plenty of eateries. The accommodation at Cabinas Sports Fishing was wonderful! The early morning boat trip was very enjoyable, as was the Jaguar trail in the National Park. The Budda Cafe has a nice vibe and good food. We were there in April so missed the turtle nesting season but still very much worth a visit!