Tortuguero National Park is a fabulous place to visit in the northeastern corner of Costa Rica. This stunning national park is famous for nesting sea turtles and its glorious waterways. Getting here is a challenge, not in that it’s difficult, but in that, it’s somewhat convoluted. There are no roads in, and you need to take a boat for at least part of the way, but once you get here it’s well worth it. This guide covers whether you’re going from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero or Tortuguero to Puerto Viejo as you’ll need to know the best way to travel between these two destinations. There are several options for transport between Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero, but what’s the best way to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero? And what are the options for traveling to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo? Here’s our guide on how to get to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo. (We’ll also include some details on how to get to Tortuguero from San Jose).
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EASIEST WAY TO GO TO TORTUGUERO FROM PUERTO VIEJO
This pre-bookable transfer from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero is the easiest way to travel this route. It gets great reviews, you can prepay it and relax.
Book a transfer from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
How to Go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero – Transport Options
In this guide on how to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero, we’ll cover the fastest way to travel go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero, the easiest way to go to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo, and the cheapest way to get to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo, as well as the most fun way to get to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo.
The TLDR for getting to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo is that a shared shuttle and boat is the cheapest and easiest way to get there. You can book a ticket here.
There are no large buses that travel this route, road transport is minivans and taxis. I’ll also share with you the details of how after all this research, we traveled to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo. Our guide on the best things to do in Tortuguero is here.
How to get to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo
No matter where you come from, to go to Tortuguero you’ll need to take a boat for at least part of the way, as the national park is surrounded by waterways (they’re lovely and a great opportunity to expand your wildlife spotting in Costa Rica!). Heading along the canal towards Tortuguero was one of our best wildlife spotting times in Costa Rica! Even if you take a flight from San Jose to Tortuguero you’ll need a boat for the last part of the journey.
For transport to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo, then you have several options. There are two towns that provide boat services to Tortuguero – Moin and La Pavona. So whether you take a bus or a minivan or if you’re driving a rental car, you’ll need to get to one of these towns to get to Tortuguero. For those driving there is parking near both boat stations. You’ll need to pay for it in cash.
You can take a minivan or shared shuttle from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero, or you can take a taxi to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo. Obviously, this only takes you part of the way and then you’ll need to get into a boat to continue your journey.
The cheapest way to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero is to take a combination of buses and boats. This cheap way to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo means that you’ll be able to do this journey for about US$15. But it will take you around 10 hours. (Ooph).
It takes about 4.5 to 5 hours to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero and the minivans from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero is one of the easiest ways to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero. Your accommodation should be able to book a van and boat for you, but you’ll likely have to pay cash if you want to do that.
You can also prebook and prepay for minivan transport from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero. Pre-bookable vans leave Puerto Viejo at 8 am and arrived in Tortuguero between 12:20 pm and 1 pm. You don’t need to print a ticket for minivans from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero, you can use an electronic ticket from your online booking from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero.
This option also includes a pick up from your Puerto Viejo accommodation and a drop off at your Tortuguero accommodation.
Check availability, prices, and book seats on minivans from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero here.
Taxi from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
Taking a private taxi to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo is one of the fastest ways to go to Tortuguero. It is the most comfortable way to travel. You can check prices for Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero taxis here.
The Cheapest Way to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
Buckle up, this is a long one, but it’s the cheapest option.
First of all, you’ll need to set off early from Puerto Viejo as this is a long day traveling this way. Your cheap journey to Tortuguero will take around 10 hours. Start by getting a bus from Puerto Viejo to Limon. The first bus to Puerto Limon from Puerto Viejo is at about 5:30 am. The bus takes about 90 minutes and will cost around US$3.
Once you’re in Limon you need to take another bus, this time to Guapiles. This bus takes about 2 hours and will cost you US$4. However, it only leaves every 2-3 hours.
When you arrive in Guapiles, you’ll be looking for your next bus – this time to Cariari. Buses to Cariari from Guapiles leave every 15 minutes and cost US$1.
The last part of this journey that is on a bus is from Cariari to La Pavona. There are only 4 buses a day for this route, they leave Cariari at 6 am, 9 am, 11:30 am, and 3 pm. And the bus to La Pavona from Cariari will take about 90 minutes, costing US$2.
When you’ve arrived in La Pavona you can buy a ticket for the boat to Tortuguero. Tickets cost US$5 and the trip takes about 1 hour. There are scheduled boats, which take 20 people leaving for Tortuguero from La Pavona at 6 am, 11 am, 12 noon, 3 pm, and 4:30 pm. Your ticket includes one big bag and your small day pack.
Another option is to take buses from Puerto Viejo to Limon and then get a taxi to Moins. At Moins you can pick up a water shuttle to Tortuguero. This is the route that tends to be used by the shuttle companies, so you’ll want to get your accommodation to reserve you a seat on the boat.
We used this option, taking a shuttle to Limon, then a taxi to Moins and met our boat at Moins to go along the Canal
Well done. Your trip will have been the cheapest way to get to Tortuguero, but it will have also taken you a LONG time.
Map of Bus Stops and Boat Services for going from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
You can also see the bus stops and boat services from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero here.
The quickest way to get to Tortuguero
The quickest way to get to Tortuguero is to fly, this is only really an option if you’re coming from San Jose though. Flights to the Tortuguero landing strip from San Jose take between 30 and 60 minutes. Once you’ve landed at Tortuguero then it’s just a short boat ride into Tortuguero.
Flights to Tortuguero from San Jose are operated only by Costa Rica’s domestic carriers – Aerobell and Sansa. Flights tend to be in the morning, especially in the off-season and you’ll need to be at the airport early. Our guide to getting to and from the San Jose Airport is here, and you’ll find our details on what to do in San Jose here.
Book flights to Tortuguero from San Jose with Aerobell here – and check Sansa here.
Right, now back to the main event, getting to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo
The quickest way to get from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
The quickest way to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo is a private transfer (You can book it here).
The easiest way to go to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo
The easiest way from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero is to book a shared shuttle, which guarantees all the connections and the boat.
The cheapest way to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
The cheapest way to get to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo is to take the combination of local buses and boars. This is also the option that takes the longest time.
The best way to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
You’ll extend your wildlife spotting time if you take the boat from La Pavona (or Moins) all the way to Tortuguero. The shared shuttles use the route from Moins (usually), but the canal wildlife viewing is fabulous. The route along the canals is fabulous, we spotted lots of birds and monkeys and our captain was great at stopping for photos, even without being asked!
Where is Tortuguero
Tortuguero is located towards Costa Rica’s North Caribbean Coast., surrounded by mangroves and accessible only by boat. (You could also take a small plane too!) It’s often said (and I agree), that getting to Tortuguero is part of the adventure of going there. Tortuguero is just over 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Puerto Viejo and 245 kilometers (152 miles) from Costa Rica’s capital.
While this guide is about how to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero (as that’s the route we took), I’ve included details on how to go from San Jose to Tortuguero as we researched this as well.
Where to Stay in Tortuguero
Here are our recommended places to stay in Tortuguero.
Tortuguero Adventures Guesthouse: This excellent guesthouse is just 350 yards from the beach and has A/C, balconies a garden, and a terrace. There’s free WiFi and all the rooms here come with a seating area, satellite TV, and a private bathroom. It’s a great local homestay for your visit to Tortuguero. You can check rates here.
The Cabañas Daneysha Tortuguero is a great option in Tortuguero, with private seating areas and a really quiet location. All rooms are ensuite and have free WiFi. You can check rates and availability here.
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Final Words on Going from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
While you can turn this into a real adventure when going to Tortuguero from Puerto Viejo by taking a whole series of local buses to save money, you can also make it easy on yourself and book the through-ticket on the shuttle bus and boat option. It’s a great trip and you can easily do this in half a day and use the rest of your time that day for exploring Tortuguero.
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