Costa Rica Family Vacation

Tortuguero Extension

Extend your family's vacation in Costa Rica with a visit to Tortuguero National Park. The area, located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, was created to protect the endangered sea turtle (tortuga means turtle in Spanish), and thousands of the sea turtles lay their eggs and nest on its magnificent beach that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see. Tortuguero can be reached by a short air flight from San Jose or by boat on the beautiful and extensive canals and rivers that have been called the Amazon of Costa Rica. Spectacular wildlife is visible during the boat journey and includes: sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, kingfishers and herons. It’s an addition to your Costa Rica family vacation that you won’t soon forget!

Day 1: San Jose
As we wind our time together on our Costa Rica family vacation, we’ll return you to San Jose, for an evening at your leisure. Relax and replay your images of the last week; you have a memorable couple of days ahead!

Day 2: San Jose to Tortuguero
After a morning pick-up in San Jose by private van, we travel with our naturalist guide past banana plantations to Hamburgo and through the Braulio Carrillo National Park. This area is known as the Atlantic Lowlands and it differs markedly from the areas of Costa Rica we visit during our week-long adventure. It has a distinctive Afro-Caribbean culture that is unique to the eastern side of the country and contrasts nicely with the Spanish culture found in the central and western part of Costa Rica.

Around mid-day, we board a jungle riverboat and depart for a cruise up the main canal to Tortuguero. The captain will follow the river and canals through dense jungle rain forest, with plenty of opportunity to see magnificent wildlife including sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, kingfishers and herons. Late in the afternoon, we arrive at Pachira Lodge or Tortuga Lodge, the newest, most comfortable lodges in the area.

Day 3: Tortuguero
This day is on your own to do whatever you like. Relax at the lodge or on the beach. Take part on a guided turtle walk. (In July through October the turtles actively lay their eggs on the beach.) Enjoy a guided natural history boat excursion on the rivers and canals of Tortuguero. Try your hand at fishing or take an exhilarating guided walk up 380-foot Tortuguero Mountain, with incredible views of the surrounding area. The mountain walk also includes a short boat ride to the base of the mountain.

Day 4: Tortuguero to San Jose
After breakfast, we fly back to San Jose’s domestic airport, from where you can make connections in-country or transfer to nearby San Jose international airport for return flights home.

Extension Begins: San Jose - With return to San Jose at the end of main Costa Rica tour.

Extension Ends: San Jose - San Jose domestic airport - return flight from Tortuguero arrives at the San Jose domestic airport at approximately 11:00 am.

Extension Length: 4 days and 3 nights

Price Per Person: $599 based on 2 people sharing a two bedded room, Single supplement: $255

Optional Excursions at Tortuguero:
Guided turtle walk: $20 per person
Guided natural history boat excursion: $40 per hour
Fishing: $45 per hour

Return to Costa Rica Family Journey itinerary