Tortuga Lodge & Gardens

This was the most disappointing experience of our trip. While the location and ground staff are great, the management is exploitative and the "Spa" standards are appalling. 1. DECEPTIVE SPA & GROSS NEGLIGENCE: Do not be misled by the word "Spa." It is an empty room with two tables—no shower, no water, no facilities. Even worse was the massage: the therapist had long nails (a major hygiene and safety violation) and was scrolling on her phone with one hand while massaging me with the other. When reported, the reception was cold and dismissive. They simply do not care about professional standards or guest safety. 2. EXPLOITATIVE BILLING: We had a guest cancel for health reasons. The management’s response? Total greed. They forced us to pay the full price for all 3 nights for a person who wasn't there—charging us for 3 days of "all-inclusive" meals never eaten, excursions never taken, and even the extra bed fee. This is not hospitality; it is a "take the money and run" strategy. 3. UNACCEPTABLE FRONT DESK: The receptionist this evening was insulting in her indifference. No empathy, no solution, just a cold attitude that clearly signaled our satisfaction was irrelevant. 4. THE ONLY REDEEMING FACTOR: It is a tragedy that excellent staff like Luis (waiter), our brilliant guide Luis Torres, and the housekeeping team work for such a poorly managed establishment. They deserve better than a management that treats guests as mere bank accounts. FINAL WARNING: This lodge is a tourist trap hiding behind premium prices. You are not a guest here; you are a transaction. With so many ethical and professional lodges in Tortuguero, do not waste your money here. You will regret the lack of respect and the substandard service.

Tortuga Lodge has the feel of a comfortable holiday resort and is likely best suited to families rather than couples seeking a quiet retreat. The transfer from Caño Blanco is smooth and well-organised though can feel tedious if many guests are arriving on the same day. The location, while scenic, makes it tricky to arrange independent activities — the lodge offers a wide range of excursions, though these come at a premium. That said, the self-guided hiking trails were a pleasant surprise, with lots to discover including the many strawberry poison dart frogs that roam the forest grounds. Staff are warm and welcoming throughout. A free shuttle across the canal takes you to the ocean shore, and Tortuguero village is then reachable on foot in about 45 minutes — a nice added perk. One area for improvement would be communication from the concierge team, as several emails went unanswered before our stay.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Had 3 nights in this fabulous location. Private transfer from SJO, arranged by lodge, gave us a fantastic view of the countryside with amazing information from their extremely knowledgeable & friendly driver Juan Carlos. Took about 4 hours to Cano Blanco with a great stop for breakfast on the way. The boat trip to the Lodge was a fabulous wildlife spotting opportunity, with once more a super informative guide & observant driver! Stayed in Mr Mishak downstairs room, which was fantastic - very spacious & bright with huge bathroom & very welcome air conditioning. The boat trips were all amazing with lots of birdlife found by the super guides, all of whom had excellent English & incredible knowledge of the local flora & fauna. There were some heavy rain showers but great ponchos provided on boat reduced the impact & the showers mostly stopped after 15-20 minutes. We particularly enjoyed the Laguna tour, which visits a local small farm but each trip on the river revealed different birds & wildlife. The meals were super, especially the fruits & juices & all the staff were extremely friendly & helpful. They really go overboard to ensure every guest gets the most from their holiday. We flew back to SJO from the airstrip just across the river & would recommend flying in one direction to get a Birds Eye view of the area.

Tortuga lodge is one of Boena’s luxury lodge locations. It’s best accessible via a short internal flight from San Jose, but can also be reached by road and then river. The landing strip is literally 2 minutes away and is a thrilling landing between sea and river. Rooms are elegant, bright and comfy. The staff go above and beyond (Gabriella and Maria, thank you) to make the most of your stay and the restaurant offers beautiful fresh produce and fantastic seafood- we’d recommend the Bass Ceviche. Tours and their guides are fantastic (Bernardo, Manuel and Yewitson, thank you). In particular, they know where to find the wildlife and do their best to ensure you get the best view and pictures, whilst being respectful of the creatures’ environment and territory. With every wildlife tour we were welcomed back with a refreshing freshly made fruit smoothly served by a smiling member of the team. All excursions were in small groups unlike other surrounding lodges that seemed to have a boat full of guests. Binoculars and ponchos (it’s a rain forest!) were provided as we’re wellies for the night walk. Fabulous location for making the most of seeing river wildlife.

Location by the river and national parks is ideal. Flying in has the best airport transfer..5 mins across the river including boarding! Relaxed atmosphere but well organised on the trips but book in advance ideally a couple of weeks, staff will suggest a schedule too. Rooms large and spacious balcony with hammock type seat…we thought better than they looked on the website. Value is if you use the included experience, food good, breakfast best. Clean Guide Juan was excellent. We were fortunate to have him on a few of our experiences/trails. Supper organised and knowledgeable, good pace and puts across the passion for what is a great environmental success story for Costa Rica.