Today has been an enjoyable day! I was picked up at 6 AM to join fellow travelers on a bus heading to Tortuguero. Our group will be staying at various lodges, including Pachira, Evergreen, and Aninga—I'll be at Aninga Lodge. Each lodge has its guide, and on the bus, we were asked about our lodge to assign guides for our Tortuguero stay.
The journey to Tortuguero involved a two-hour drive to Caño Blanco, with a stop at a family-owned restaurant named Ceibu in Guapiles for a delicious breakfast. Upon reaching Caño Blanco, we waited for a boat to take us to Tortuguero, where we were responsible for our luggage. Fortunately, our boat was ready, giving us a few minutes to grab drinks and snacks.
Boat to Tortuguero (Petchie Colina)
During the one-hour boat ride to Tortuguero, everyone wore life vests, and our guide briefed us on the included excursions like the Pachira walking garden tour, Tortuguero Village tour, and morning boat tour in Tortuguero National Park. Wildlife sightings, including birds and crocodiles, added excitement to the journey.
Upon arriving at Aninga Lodge, we were welcomed with refreshing drinks—the best so far in Costa Rica. Some travelers immediately went for the Pachira walking garden tour, but as I was staying only one night, I opted to relax. After lunch, we explored the Tortuguero Village, enjoying the Caribbean shore and exploring local shops. Regrettably, it wasn't the time of year for turtle nesting in the village, so I missed the opportunity to observe, it would have been nice to see one!
Refreshing drink offered by Aninga Lodge (Petchie Colina) Caribbean Beach (Petchie Colina) Tortuguero Town School (Petchie Colina) Tortuguero Village (Petchie Colina)
The next morning, the sounds of howler monkeys woke me up, it was so loud that it felt like they were at my roof but no, they were in the middle of the rainforest. The highlight of the trip was the morning boat tour in Tortuguero National Park. We encountered various wildlife, including white-faced Capuchin monkeys, birds, iguanas, poison frogs, and caiman. Though we missed a jaguar sighting by a day, it would have been awesome to see one in person, nonetheless, the tour was still incredible.
White face monkey in the Evergreen Lodge (Petchie Colina)Caiman (Petchie Colina)Another bird sighting (Petchie Colina)
The tour ended at 8 AM and I was dropped off at the lodge so I could prepare and get on to my next adventure!
We have been working with Adventure Life for 5 years now and it is very easy to plan out our trips. Our holidays include customization of activities and side trips along with the standard packages available on the Adventure Life website. Kevin, Jess, Mary Rose and their teams have many recommendations that have enhanced our travel.
Joe
2 weeks ago
We had a great experience- they were very helpful in trip planning and making sure we got to do all the activities and see the places we wanted. There were some things we couldn't do/see due to the time of year being the rainy/low season and they steered us away from those. We had never been to Costa Rica before and it gave us a good overview of this lovely country.
Jody Dice
2 months ago
Jess was terrific and patiently guided us to make what we feel will be a wonderful family adventure.
David Herr
2 months ago
Jessica was extremely helpful and generous with her time. She was very responsive to our questions and comments and in a very timely fashion. She worked with us in partnership to plan a trip specifically for us and our wants and needs.
Linda Coleman
2 months ago
Shannon has been a real pleasure to work with. Responsive, quick to come back with answers and alternatives, and very knowledgable. Everything you want in a travel planner!
