Ruben Viajes Bananero invites you to visit Tortuguero National Park in a practical, fast, safe and efficient way.We have 16 years of experience of Tortuguero where we explore the canals, the jungle, the mountains and the town. Transfer to Limon 10:00 am Moin a 3:00 pm Tortuguero.Tortuguero is accesible only by plane or boat. The 30 minute trip from San Jose by the regular services.To arrive to the boat station you have to take a bus on the "Gran Terminal del Caribe". At 9:30 am or 10:30 am.

1. Take the bus from San Jose - Cariari.
2. Then inmediately when you arrive to Cariari at the Cariari bus station you will find an office where you can buy the transfer for the boat. Make sure you take the proper transfer from the office Ruben Viajes Bananero.

National Parks of Costa Rica

Eleven habitats have been found and identified in Tortuguero. Some, such as lakes Swamps forest and Hollis forest, etc.

Tortuguero is one of the regions with the heaviest rainfall in the country (apro. 5500 mm. Per year) and is one of the wildness areas with the greatest biological variety. To date, 11 habitats have been identified in the park. The most important are littoral woodland where gramineous and cyperaceous plant and coconut palms are predominant, berm, high rain forest where crabwood , banak and Santa Maria grow; slope forest made up of trees such as the wild tamarind an bully tree.

There is an abundance and variety of wildlife, especially with regard to monkeys, fish, anurans and 309 species of birds. Some mammals that make their homes in the park are Tapir (Tapirus bairdi), jaguar (Felis onca), ocelot, spider monkey, howler monkey.

A natural network of scenic and navigable waterways crosses the park from southeast to northwest. These channels and marshes are the habitat of 7 species of land turtle, which can be seen sunning themselves on logs in the middle of the water or on the islands of floating vegetation. They also shelter the West Indian manatee, one of the most endangered Caribbean species, crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus), a great variety of crustaceans, and about 30 species of freshwater fish, including the gar (Atractosteus tropicus), considered to be a living fossil, and bull shark (Carchahinus leucas) which can grow up to 3 meters long.

The geomorphology of the park consists of a vast floodplain formed by a coalescence of deltas, which filled part of the ancient Nicaraguan trench. The alluvial plain is only broken in the west by Sierpe Peaks, which is 300 meters high and which are part of the remains of a small archipelago of volcanic origin that once existed in that area.

Tortuguero National Park resides just south of the village by the same name. Accessible either by boat or plane, this small community has gradually developed as a direct result of the green turtles annual nesting process. Infact, this region is the most important nesting site in the entire western half of the Caribbean for the green turtle. The leatherback and hawksbill also nest along these beaches which parallel the inland canals.

A natural system of canals and navigable lagoons, of great scenic beauty, cross the park from the southwest to northwest forming the habitat for seven species of land turtles, the manatee or sea cow, and the crocodile. Also, a wide range of crustaceans and some 30 freshwater species of fish, including the gar, eel and bull shark inhabit these waterways. This region of Costa Rica is one of the rainiest and most biologically diverse regions in the country. Eleven habitats have been identified within the park, in addition to several species of trees, i.e. crabwood, banak, Santa Maria, bully tree and dove wood.

Special Considerations
While in Tortuguero, the major portion of your time will be spent either watching leatherback turtles or viewing local wildlife along the many inland canals. If you are participating in an organized tour, chances are your lodge will provide the necessary launch and bilingual guides as part of your tour. These launches accommodate several dozen people and provide a comfortable, stable, and safe vehicle from which to view the local flora and fauna. If you prefer a more quite and more rugged approach, we recommend that you rent a dugout canoe from one of several local merchants in the village of Tortuguero. Your lodge may also provide canoes or kayaks, if available.

If you prefer this approach, depart either very early in the morning ( 5-6 a.m. ) or late in the afternoon ( 4-6 p.m. ), as the midday sun is quite overbearing. As well, the wildlife is much more prolific during those times; the wildlife tends to retreat under the forest canopy during the hot, sunny midday sun. Usually stable and dry, the canoes can accommodate up to 4-6 passengers, and provides an ideal opportunity to get close and personal with the many monkeys, lizards and birds along the canals. The slower, quieter canoes will not disturb the animals as do the larger, engine powered launches provided by the jungle lodges.

Tortuguero Costa Rica - Costa Rica Tortuguero - Tranportation From San José Tortuguero - Tortuguero - Hotels in Tortuguero

Home / Packages / Reservations / Contac Us / Site Map / Link Exchange