Tortuga Lodge & Gardens

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.

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!

Tortuga lodge is a very special place, with special people. Gorgeous nature, unique environment and amazing staff. Thank you Juan for your wonderful and insightful tours, thank you Lucy, Kevin and other members of the team for your delightful service.

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.

I almost never review but this may be our favorite place we have ever stayed. It is absolutely gorgeous, the hotel staff are incredibly kind and welcoming, and the food was delicious. Overall a truly magical experience.