Tortuguero Trips & Tours

Protecting one of Central America’s largest swathes of tropical rainforest, Tortuguero, on the Caribbean Coast, is an homage to Mother Nature. Teeming with green and tickled by volcanic sands, it’s a jigsaw of waterways, lagoons and rivers only accessible by boat or small plane. And once on the (partly-submerged) ground, the adventure only gets better… Best explored on any number of water-based vessels, the wildlife – all 138 species of mammals, 442 different birds and 118 reptiles – is as exotic as it gets, and you’ll float past skittering Jesus Christ lizards, tiger herons, swinging howler monkeys and West Indian manatees to name but a few. Then, there are the green sea turtles, 40,000 of which arrive every year to nest along the shoreline. Visit from July to October to witness the females laying their eggs, then support research into the fascinating creatures at the visitor’s centre.