Costa Rica Travel Guru: Excursion to Isla Tortugua

We traveled from Puntaranus on the Ferry. The first issue is that the ferry times on the internet were off from the actual times so we were really early. You need to buy your tickets from the ticket office before getting on the ferry. There is a charge for the vehicle and driver and each passenger. Once you are boarding the ferry only the driver is allowed to drive onboard. All other passengers have to walk on.

We were there during the World Cup. It was quite an event being with 200 Ticos during their game. Singing and cheering were the norm. You can purchase food on the dock or they sell food on the ferry. The food is a reasonable price.

We stayed at a hotel and hen took a local tour operator over to the island. Our first stop was to snorkle. The snorkling was enjoyable, but certainly not the plethora of fish that I have seen n the Carribean or in Mexico. One issue was the clarity of the water. It was not really choppy this day or bad weather so unsure if this is just the regular clarity of the water.

Our guide then took us to the island. It is nice and somewhat akin to a shore excursion from a cruise ship. However, there is a charge for everything down the the horrid $1.00 port a potty. They take no enemies on these fees. I decided to go into the water near the rocks on the shore. I did not realize there would be a bit of an undertow here. I got tossed around pretty good here. I finally was out of the water and needed to rest a minute. I sat in one of the chairs and no sooner than I caught my breath the chair rental person was making their way over.

All in all it is a nice island and there is a jet ski, banana boat, kayaks etc. What I greatly do not like is the proximity of all of the boats to the beach. Wading out chest height it was necessary to at all times watch for the smaller boats. The boats should be mandated to anchor further from shore.

I also cannot imagine how busy it must be in high season. My recommendation is to visit in low season in nice weather so the island is not over crowded. Our tour was $65.00 per person compared to the Catamaran that is approximately $100.00. We had a private boat for our party, drinks, snacks, fresh fruit and fresh made fish, rice etc. There were four of us so the price was right for this tour. We had a good time, but I would not go back again. There are many beaches in Costa Rica just as nice and easier to get to with less crowds.