Tortuguero National Park is one of the best places in Costa Rica that you can go birding and see tropical rainforest wildlife by boat. It is known for its beautiful network of canals that run parallel to the Caribbean Sea. Supporting eleven different ecosystems, the park has some of the richest wildlife diversity found in one spot in Costa Rica. The canal tour led by local naturalists will expose you to this abundant biodiversity from the comfort of a covered pontoon boat leisurely exploring these estuaries and all along the banks of the rainforest.
The canals penetrate the jungle providing a relaxing opportunity to learn about what lives in this densely forested area. The lush surrounding rainforest environment is a result of the wet Caribbean climate coupled with a variety of water sources including canals, freshwater lagoons, wetlands, and beaches, combined in one area creating a fusion of different wildlife habitats.
This riverboat ride provides plenty of opportunities to view the many types of wildlife present. Your bilingual guide and professional boat driver with their wealth of information will help you spot and identify tropical plants, animals, and birdlife as you gracefully coast down the riverbanks. Hidden within the lush jungle canopy you may find three species of monkeys, two species of sloths, crocodiles, caimans, reptiles, herons and many species of birds.
Although it may take some effort to see them, you will likely hear all kind of exotic birdcalls, forest insects and maybe even the monkeys howling or chattering. Be sure to bring your camera and binoculars for an enhanced viewing experience.
You’ll be spending this 2- 3-hour long tour on a well shaded and well-maintained river boat. There is a canopy over the boat to somewhat protect you from the elements, but please be prepared for the sun or rain by bringing sunscreen, a hat and a rain jacket.
Located along the northeastern coast of Costa Rica, Tortuguero is a small sparsely inhabited area with only a handful of hotels, souvenir stores, and restaurants. The main attraction here centers around the abundance of flora and fauna found in the rainforest jungle or out on the beach with eleven miles of protected coastline where turtles come to lay their eggs. Tortuguero literally means a place where turtles live.
Please bring along your camera, binoculars, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars and rain gear, for this half-day tour in Tortuguero.
Tour time will be coordinated upon arrival to the lodge according with the activities program of the Hotel.The Tortuguero Canal Tour - Mawamba Lodge is available from Mawamba Lodge
Latitude: N 10° 33' 22.8"
Longitude: W 83° 30' 55.45"
07/13/2023
Saw caiman, crocodiles, parrots, sloths and too many birds to count. Good tour, good guides and good scenery
01/10/2022
Everyone was so accommodating from stopping at anything someone wanted a closer look at to making sure we were comfortable.
07/11/2021
Great tour, knowledgeable and personable guide (Mr. Piero). We also participated in a night tour with the same guide, and was going to do a morning canal tour as well that unfortunately was cancelled due to thunderstorms.
12/07/2019
Great guides! Could spot things from so far away!
10/28/2019
despite the fact we did not see as many animals as we expected, the guide and boat driver were amazing in spotting species to make our experience worth it. thank you!
08/18/2019
great tour lots of wildlife to see
06/14/2019
Was a great experience.Great Boat Captain.
05/02/2019
Great tour with a great boat driver. He would spend the right amount of time at each stop, and would rotate the boat so both sides got a good view!
04/15/2019
We were lucky enough to see a jaguar! That alone makes it a 10!
03/27/2019
Loved it!
11/04/2018
we didn't go on this as we booked the early morning tour, based on Humberto's recommendation. The morning tour was OK
10/31/2017
I would have preferred a private, canoe tour to go in some of the smaller waterways. I think we would have seen more.
05/04/2015
Cristian was a great guide.