Tortuga Lodge is a wonderfully intimate riverside retreat, spread over 50 acres of gardens in the wildlife-rich Tortuguero National Park. Fabulously remote and accessible only by boat, a stay here is all about immersing yourself in the natural world. Laze in a hammock or head out on to the rivers and canals on a guided boat trip, keeping your eyes peeled for colourful toucans, noisy howler monkeys and slumbering sloths.

30 minute flight from San José or approximately 4 and a half hours by a combination of car and boat.

In Tortuguero National Park on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Only accessible by boat, the lodge is just opposite Tortuguero airstrip.

27 rooms and spacious suites are decorated in a simple but elegant style with large screened windows to immerse you in the sights and sounds of the rainforest. Rooms don’t have air-conditioning or a TV, but all are equipped with a ceiling fan, complimentary WiFi and an outdoor sitting area with a hammock. The upstairs River View Balcony Rooms are a little breezier than the Terrace Rooms below, whilst the Junior Suites are about double the size and boast floor-to-ceiling windows, making them lighter and brighter. The vast, open-plan Penthouse Suite is perfect for families with a king bed and a queen bed (separated by a gauze curtain), a living area, two bathrooms and two porches with rocking chairs and hammocks.

The riverfront restaurant is all about authentic family-style Costa Rican cooking, using fresh local ingredients and drawing on influences from around Latin America and the Caribbean. There is also a bar that does excellent cocktails.

Bed & Breakfast Full Board

Explore the resort’s 50 acres of private land, including the beautiful plantation-style botanical gardens, bursting with tropical plants and flowers and home to a vast array of birds and other wildlife, including howler monkeys, iguanas and colourful toucans. Complimentary garden tours are offered with a naturalist guide who will help you spot and identify the different birds and animals found here. Guided tours of the national park’s maze of canals and rivers by boat or kayak are also offered and are highly recommended. Just across from the hotel, Tortuguero’s beautifully wild and natural beach is perfect for an afternoon walk and, back on-site, the lodge has a lovely riverside swimming pool where you can enjoy a relaxing dip after a day of exploring.

Stays of two nights or more include Full Board as well as a complimentary three-hour boat tour of the canals and a visit to the local town. Trips can be arranged to watch the nesting turtles between July - October but these are strictly controlled by the national park and cannot be pre-booked. Swimming is not permitted in the rivers, canals or ocean.