| Interested in "ecotourism"?! Then your premier point of | | | | Our visit to Tortuguero was initiated due to the current |
| destination is arguably Tortuguero, Costa Rica. | | | | nesting season of the Green Sea Turtles on the |
| My first visit to Tortuguero came about when I had | | | | beaches of Tortuguero Island, so the highlight of our |
| family visiting from the United States. The August visit | | | | visit was most certainly the turtles (tortugas). Due to |
| of my 13 year old daughter, my mother and my | | | | the conservation and protection of these giant sea |
| ex-father-in-law put Tortuguero on my short list of | | | | turtles, the public is prohibited from wandering the |
| in-country trips due to the seasonal nesting of Green | | | | beaches at night when the turtles are laying their eggs |
| Sea Turtles from July through October (Leatherback | | | | ... but viewing is encouraged under supervised |
| Sea Turtles nest in Tortuguero from March to May). | | | | conditions. |
| Located in the Caribbean North area of Costa Rica, | | | | Nightly 2 hour tours (8pm-10pm, 10pm-12am) at $15 per |
| Tortuguero features; rainforests, rivers, canals, | | | | person are offered through most hotels where the |
| swamps, beaches and lagoons. Home to 57 species | | | | participants are accompanied by a guide that |
| of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles, 309 species of | | | | coordinates the viewing of these turtles from a very |
| birds, 30 species of fresh water fish, 60 species of | | | | up-close position ... right behind the turtles as they lay |
| mammals and untold numbers of plant and insect | | | | the eggs in their newly created beach nests. |
| species - Tortuguero is definitely a one-stop | | | | The turtle tour was a sight that no zoo in the world |
| showcase of what Costa Rica has to offer.. | | | | can recreate. I am positive that the viewing of this |
| Tortuguero is accessible only by boat or small plane. | | | | magnificent natural display will forever remain in the |
| Be sure to bring cash, because the island has no | | | | memories of my 13 year old daughter and 10 year old |
| banks or ATM's (Cajero Automatico) and many small | | | | son! |
| hotels, stores and restaurants don't take credit cards! | | | | Important: Cameras and flashlights are prohibited on all |
| We chose to make the trip to Tortuguero via | | | | turtle tours being as the turtles are extremely light |
| inexpensive public transportation as opposed to the | | | | sensitive prior to and during the laying of their eggs. |
| more expensive option of putting gas into my own | | | | The guides use red lights to illuminate the egg laying |
| vehicle. This option would also allow us to take | | | | process and there is no shortage of close views as |
| different routes to and from Tortuguero without the | | | | each turtle lays approximately 100 eggs at a 'turtles |
| burden of having to return to the single place our car | | | | pace' :o) |
| would have been parked. | | | | For our return trip from Tortuguero back to San |
| Route A: 8 Hours (3 hours by bus + 5 hours by boat) | | | | José, we chose a shorter route ... both for |
| Starting in San José at the Caribbean Terminal | | | | convenience and as a way of seeing things yet |
| (Terminal Caribe) we took the approximately $5 per | | | | unseen. |
| person, 3 hour bus ride to Limón. At the Puerto | | | | Route B: 4 Hours (1 hour by boat + 3 hours by bus) |
| Limón terminal we switched to a local bus | | | | Starting at our hotel's boat dock (Casa Marabella), we |
| headed to Moín at a fare of approximately | | | | were picked-up by a water taxi for our $3.00, 1 hour |
| $0.40 per person. At Puerto Moín we boarded | | | | boat ride to a remote landing at La Pavona. After a |
| a 9 person boat at $35 per person for the 5 hour, 50 | | | | short wait at La Pavona a local bus took us to Cariari |
| mile boat ride up the canals and rivers that lead to | | | | via a very bumpy gravel road that wound through |
| Tortuguero. | | | | banana plantations and various types of farms. After |
| I highly recommend this boat trip as at least one leg of | | | | another short wait at the Cariari Bus Terminal we took |
| your Tortuguero experience. The river views are | | | | the bus through Guapiles to our final destination of the |
| breathtaking, including the three river outlets that meet | | | | Caribbean Terminal (Terminal Caribe) back in San |
| with The Caribbean as well as the many encounters | | | | José. |
| with rainforest animals. | | | | |