::How to Get to Tortuguero::

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Tortuguero´s routes descriptions

The journey towards the Caribbean coast is a pleasant three-hour trip by the Central Mountain range on the freeway to Guápiles (route # 32), in which you will travel through the Zurquí tunnel (the only tunnel in Costa Rica), crossing the plains along Guápiles, Siquirres, and Caño Blanco, or turning aside of Guápiles towards Cariari, where you will find the public transport that will take you to Tortuguero. Landscapes change drastically from the dense tropical forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park to plantations of banana trees and vegetable farms. There is no highway to Tortuguero, so in order to get there, you have to take an exciting boat trip in the Tortuguero Canals.

Two of the main ways to arrive at Tortuguero is by car or by boat. Neverthelss, you can get there by airplane as well. There are two local airlines that offer a daily flight from San José. This flight takes 30 minutes approximately, and after taking off, you can board a boat to your final destination.
It is important to emphasize that the weather conditions play a preponderant role (as well as the transfer) in the duration of the trip since in the summer, water levels tend to be lower than in the winter. Thus, this can slow down the trip. Below, you will find some different options to arrive at Tortuguero in a comfortable, effective way.

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Public bus: To travel by public buses is a good alternative; buses, in general, are efficient, safe and comfortable. In addition, they offer a unique opportunity to know more about the Costa Rican culture.

If you wish to arrive at Tortuguero from San Jose, you can do so by means of two routes:

Route A (San José; route # 32 → Guápiles; route # 247 → Cariari → Pavona → Boat → Tortuguero):

To take the bus that leaves at 9:00 a.m. from the Caribbean Bus Station (Caribeños), towards Cariari, go to the bus station located on Central street in Tournon District, behind the Children’s Museum. This trip will last 2 hours approximately. Once you arrive at Cariari, you will be able to enjoy a delicious lunch in the best Costa Rican style, the so-called “casado” (a dish consisting of rice, beans, a salad, and either chicken, beef, or pork). At 12:00 noon, the bus to Pavona dock will leave. In order to travel on this bus, you need to buy a ticket for specified bus/boat transportation if you want to travel with Coopetraca; If you do not want a bus/boat ticket, you can just buy a regular Coopetraca bus ticket and make use of theClic-Clic boat services. Both services offer reasonable prices. The boat to Tortuguero leaves at 1:30 p.m. From the moment you board the boat, you will have an amazing adventure crossing majestic, impressive rivers until arriving at the Tortuguero lagoon, where you will be still more impressed by the beauty of its lodges. Once in the town of Tortuguero, you will notice that this town is an out-of-the-ordinary one since you will find a great variety of services, including cabins, restaurants, bakeries, shelters, souvenir shops, and many others.

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Route B (San José; ruta # 32 → Guápiles; route # 247 → Cariari; route # 247 → Casas Verdes → Bote → Tortuguero)

To take the bus that leaves at 9:00 a.m. from the Caribbean Bus Station (caribeños), towards Cariari, go to the bus station located on Central street in Tournon District, behind the Children’s Museum. This trip will last 2 hours approximately. Once you arrive at Cariari, you will be able to enjoy a delicious lunch in the best Costa Rican style, the so-called “casado” (a dish consisting of rice, beans, a salad, and either chicken, beef, or pork). At 12:00 noon, the bus to Casas Verdes (Guess) dock will leave. In order to travel on this bus, you need to buy a ticket for regular Coopetraca bus and make use of the Viajes Bananero boat services.The boat to Tortuguero leaves at 1:30 p.m. From the moment you board the boat, you will have an amazing adventure crossing majestic, impressive rivers until arriving at the Tortuguero lagoon, where you will be still more impressed by the beauty of its lodges. Once in the town of Tortuguero, you will notice that this town is an out-of-the-ordinary one since you will find a great variety of services, including cabins, restaurants, bakeries, shelters, souvenir shops, and many others.

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If you are in the Caribbean side we show you other route to get to Tortuguero:

Route C (Manzanillo→Pto. Viejo→Cahuita→Limón→Boca Río Matina→Boca Río Pacuare→Boca Río Parismina→Jalova→Tortuguero).

If you are spending your vacation in Manzanillo, Limón and want to visit Tortuguero, you can take the bus that leaves from Manzanillo and goes to Downtown Limón passing by Puerto Viejo and Cahuita respectively. This trip will last 2 hours approximately. If you are driving a rented car, this trip could take one hour and a half. Once in Limón, you will have to go to the JAPDEVA wharf in Moín Port. You can get there by car or taxi. This short trip will take around 15 minutes. When you arrive at the wharf, you will be able to board the boats of Viajes Bananero whose destination is Tortuguero. If you have a rented car, do not worry since you can keep it safe for a reasonable price. During the boat trip, you will have the experience of traveling along several river mouths that flow into the Caribbean coast. The first of them is the Matina River. Later, you will cross the Pacuare-Matina Forest Reserve. In order to reach the Parismina river mouth, you must sail in an artificial canal between the Pacuare and Parismina rivers. Approximately 5 minutes after that place, you will go through the first inspection station of Jalova Parks. After that place, you will be in the Tortuguero Canals, where you will be able to watch birds, Caymans, and monkeys depending on the climate.

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Exit route::

Route D(Tortuguero → Botes → Pavona o Casas Verdes; route # 247 → Cariari; route # 247 → Guápiles; route # 32 → Sta Clara; route # 4 → Pto Viejo-Sarapiquí; route # 4→ La Virgen; route # 126 → San Miguel → Río Cuarto → Aguas Zarcas → Muelle → Fortuna)

At the moment here which we have concluded our stroll by Tortuguero and we decide to start off for Arenal, we can do it following the route exposed. We must take the aquatic transport or with Trips Click Click or Bananero Trips, this boat will arrive us at Bronzes It or Green Houses respectively, later we will arrive at Cariari, in the teminal of bus of Cariari-Guápiles we must take another car bus to Guápiles, once arrived at Guápiles we will buy tiquete towards Old Port of Sarapiqui, in that place by means of public transport we will go by on the route number 4, in where we will happen through the towns of the Virgin, San Miguel, River Fourth, Zarcas Waters and we will turn aside ourselves towards Muelle, finally to arrive at La Fortuna.

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Other options of transport are:


Collective Microbuses:
This service door to door exclusively for tourists and between their benefits are:

• You will be gathered in your hotel and will be taken to your hotel of destiny.
• Comfortable Microbuses with conditioned air, that counts on all the insurances and permissions of law.

Private Microbuses: They offer a fast and comfortable form to him to travel in Costa Rica. They can gather in the airport or in its hotel and they will take it part to any of our country. All the microbuses accounts with conditioned air. This service offers the comforts to him to travel in vehicle, without having to worry to lead. The conductor can take to the bank, supermarket, stop in some restaurant or where you therefore indicate it to take pictures. Also he can bring his tapes or CD, to listen to them in the way.

 

Rent a Car : Costa Rica knows its own rate with the freedom that offers to him to lead. In order to rent vehicles in Costa Rica different options from companies exist:

Domestic flights::
 In Costa Rica there are two companies of domestic flights

	Nature Air located in the Tobías Bolaños Airport in Pavas
	Sansa located in the Juan Santamaría International Airport .
ONE PASS: this it happens aerial allows limitless flights towards any destiny, similarly that with the domestic flights you must contactNature Air  o Sansa.

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