Tortuga Lodge

We loved our stay at Tortuga Lodge! I went with my 7-year-old daughter. The lodge offers a variety of tours directly from the hotel which was very convenient. August is a great time to visit to see the sea turtles laying eggs. The hotel food was excellent and, as a vegetarian, I really appreciated their extensive vegetarian menu. We spent most of our time enjoying the beautiful hotel property- lounging in our room and enjoying the view of the river, walking the trails, and swimming.|Perhaps most importantly- to arrive, we took the shared boat that the hotel provides from cano blanco, which was the trip of a lifetime! The road to cano negro is rough but the boat ride alone made the whole trip worth it. Our guide Jeweirson was excellent and we saw a lot of wildlife along the way. I can’t recommend this option enough!

Not a positive experience so far. I dont really understand the fuss and prices. ||Our arrival was a disaster - we were sent 2 pages long emails with small print upon booking and in the midst of all that info was the key element: only one boat access per day at 1030am. As we have little connectivity on our trip, we get rafts of emails at every download and missed this crucial info. There was a laconic « you have not confirmed your spot on the boat » follow up via the email thread which we missed and despite our numerous requests via whatsapp to understand access, we finally received a « the boat is leaving now » message. So we had to pay $350 for a private transfer. ||We would have expected a whatsapp or call to make sure it was clear we had to be on the 1030 boat! This happened to a number of other guests too. Just lazy. ||Another unpleasant momét on arrival: we had filled in the questionnaire upon booking (2 adults 1 child) and had booked tariffs accordingly. However we were told we had only booked for a couple and had to add $125 per night for the child! We said absolutely not. We were made to feel like we were weaseling prices down but they were just trying their luck. They apologised later. ||The buildings are old and have a holiday club feel with stacked rooms and cafeteria like vibes. We are stuck on the small property which needs a full refurb. Bedding and bathrooms are nice though. ||Very expensive tours (£125 for 2hr kayak!). Pool is old school and not for swimming. No yoga. A massage shed which really isnt a spa as they label it. ||Drab, poorly run and overpriced.

If you want to visit the jungle, while still staying connected to the luxuries of modern living (mainly AC/WiFi), then this hotel is the place for you.|Every aspect of the journey to and from Tortuga Lodge was beautifully executed by an absolutely amazing team. From the boat captains to the guides to the servers to the concierge, everyone at Tortuga Lodge not only seemed to enjoy their position, but also sought to elevate the experience of all guests to another level entirely. |On that note, I would highly recommend getting the full package that includes meals and tours. You are essentially “trapped” at the lodge (in the sense that the only way to and from is via boat), and the last thing you want to be doing is stressing about meals and/or how to get to tours. |Tortuga Lodge had amazing guides for every tour, and every guide oozed passion for the jungle that surrounded us at every turn.|The property is beautifully maintained, and we were able to spot spider monkeys and iguanas daily from our room.||On a final note - I’m sure this is a given, but do not visit Tortuguero during nesting season and skip out on the night time nesting tour. This was a once in a lifetime experience, and Owen was a fantastic guide. The people of Tortuguero go out of their way to ensure that tourists can experience the majesty of the green sea turtles, and it is an honor to share the experience with them.

This can easily e the best hotel I have ever stayed at. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. My sister and I made requests outside what they offer, and they not only said yes to everything, but made the experience top notch. Food is amazing, it accommodates to every restriction or allergy. We found vegan desserts for example, and an amazing gluten free bread. Rooms are super nice and big. The tours are amazing, my favorite was Laguna Cuatro. When you reach to Katherine’s and Jose’s house, you must ask for their homemade bread. Will come back for sure!

Rooms: - Papi Brown suite - had beautiful natural light but we felt it lacked some privacy with windows on three sides. Sometimes children walk through the garden in front of the room (veering off the path) and so can clearly see inside the room. There was no tea/coffee or mini fridge. There were two small double beds, both very comfortable. The soundproofing in the ceiling was poor and when guests upstairs made a lot of noise it disturbed our sleep. - Evelyn suite - because it was upstairs, it felt more private. We loved the hanging chair ok the balcony where we could watch the monkeys. There was a coffee machine but still no fridge. One bed which was very large. Service: - The service at the concierge desk was very polite and friendly. Everybody in the restaurant was awesome - When we first arrived at the lodge we were held up by a tour guide pressuring us to go on a turtle nesting tour that evening. This whole interaction was somewhat bizarre - it was the check in process (he gave us our room key) but led by a tour guide who wanted us to tell him then and there what tours we wanted to do. - We did do a turtle nesting tour but as we were the only ones who had signed up from the hotel, the guide seemed to drop us off with a group from another lodge and then disappear. We didn’t really understand what was happening. He also didn’t give us torches. But we did see a turtle! Location: - Truly fantastic - right on the river, the beach & airstrip opposite; the grounds are incredibly beautiful, home to some giant iguanas; and with a short trail (~3-4km) through the jungle out the back. Also want to mention the food which was excellent. The restaurant is expensive, and given the hotel is isolated from the town & other lodges (you need to get a water taxi or hop on the staff boat) you are forced to eat there. But this was fine because the food was fantastic!

We spent three nights at Tortuga Lodge with our two children and had a truly wonderful time. The food was delicious – we especially appreciated that, in addition to the standard menu, there was also a full plant-based menu. Highlights for us were the banana ceviche and the cauliflower dish. The staff was always friendly and attentive. Perhaps adding one or two rotating daily specials would make it even nicer. Our room was spotlessly clean, beautifully located, and very comfortable. In the lodge’s private reserve, you can already spot a lot of wildlife and enjoy walks on your own. The tours themselves were all unique and we got to see lots of wildlife: the kayak tour, the early morning boat tour, and the Lagoon 4 tour. Each of them was made extra special thanks to the wonderful, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable guides Jayweson and Fabian, the Tortuguero legend captain Cristóbal with his “eagle eyes,” and the very skilled boat driver Alex. Fabian even took photos with his professional camera during our tours with him and later shared them with us – such a thoughtful touch. Overall, we had an unforgettable stay and would be very happy to return. Thank you!

Unique lodge set on the canal in the Tortuguero National Park. An impressive start to our trip to amazing Costa Rica. The journey to and from The lodge by boat is an adventure in itself but all superbly managed by the hotel. On our way we saw monkeys and crocodiles. We were met on the dockside with a cocktail from the friendly and enthusiastic staff who could not have done more for each of their gusts. The room was huge and thoughtfully equipped with everything you may need. We had a huge terrace from where we could see and listen to the sights and sounds of the jungle. We had a swinging bed and comfy rocking chairs to watch the amazing wildlife. The swimming pool offered welcome relief from the heat but the rooms are equipped with aircon so you could cool down after a days hike. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was included and all the food was fresh, beautifully served with a good choice. We joined many of the activities on offer all led by knowledgeable and interesting guides.

We stayed at Tortuga Lodge May 14th to 17th. We wanted to send management a clear message about a few employees and our experience. |Manuel has to be one of the best guides I have experienced in my 40+ years of traveling to over 60 countries. He is always teaching and willing to answer questions. His co-guide Alex make the two a very effective team. Alex can find animals and maneuver the boat so that the entire group can see the and photograph the animals. Both very professional and excited about the work.