Tortuguero Town Tour - Mawamba Lodge

This history tour of the colorful town of Tortuguero, located within Tortuguero National Park, will enrich your understanding of Costa Rica’s diversity of cultures and the value the residents have placed on protecting nature in this unique area.

Tortuguero National Park is known for its beautiful tropical conservation areas including eleven miles of coastline where turtles come to nest. It is also known for its stunning network of canals that run throughout the rainforest along the northeastern Caribbean Coast. Within this lush setting lies the quaint town of Tortuguero, visited by hundreds of people every year to learn about its local culture and interesting history.

As the town of Tortuguero is only accessible by boat or airplane, the tour will start off with a short boat ride from Laguna Lodge. Upon arrival, you will walk through this picturesque town accompanied by your bilingual guide who is well versed in the history of Tortuguero. Your knowledgeable guide will share an abundance of interesting information about this area as well as introduce you to the way the villagers live today in their present day culture.

This typical Caribbean coastal village is known for its rich history and very colorful present. As you stroll through the town, you’ll visit the town school, National Park facilities, beautiful churches, general stores and one of the most effective recycling plants in the country. On the Caribbean coast, you can definitely see a difference in culture from other parts of Costa Rica. However, one major theme seems to remain the same throughout the country: the local people will most likely impress you with their friendly and kind nature.

Did you know that Tortuguero was once an ancient place of hunting, fishing, and agriculture? Several different ethnic groups have shared this land. The majority of people who originally came to live here were from the Miskitu-Zambo indigenous group of African- American descent. They fled from Nicaragua to seek refuge in this small isolated region of Costa Rica. Their ethnic roots are still part of the existing culture, mixed with Costa Rican people from Spanish decent as well as from other indigenous tribes.

You might also learn about Tortuguero’s forestry industry and how it evolved into the present day National Park. Tourism as a sustainable economy as well as major ecological initiatives helped raise awareness to create nature conservation areas and parks that served to preserve the natural wildlife habitats in this unique part of Costa Rica.

Please be prepared for this one-hour tour, rain or shine, by bringing sunblock, a hat and a rain jacket or poncho.