There are several islands in Costa Rica. Some are historically important, like Isla San Lucas, some are perfect for scuba diving, like Isla del Coco, and some islands are relatively close to the mainland, like Isla Tortuga. The reality is that they all have a lot of beauty, and they are worth a visit.
I’ve wanted to visit Isla Tortuga for the first time for a while now, but there was always an impediment for some reason. But not this time! There was a friend of a good friend of mine visiting Costa Rica, and she wanted to go to a beach. We had only one day, so we didn’t have a lot of options. Guanacaste and Limón were off the table because of the distance.
Tours to Isla Tortuga
We thought about visiting Punta Leona, Jacó, and even Manuel Antonio. All of them were fine options, but Isla Tortuga offered a more unique experience. I started to look for some tours and decided to go with the Isla Tortuga full-day tour from San José. Since we were in San José, it made more sense to take a tour from there. You could also find tours from Puntarenas, but you would have to get there by yourself and there are not a lot of parking lots there.
Departing to the island
Once we paid for the tour (around $100 per person), they sent us all the information we needed to meet the tour guide on Sunday. We were picked up around 5:00 am. By 7:00 am, we were having breakfast (not included in the total fee) in Puntarenas.
Around 8:00 am, we boarded a boat with a capacity of around 20 people and departed to Isla Tortuga. It takes between 40 minutes and 1 hour to get to Isla Tortuga. You can see turtles, dolphins, and even whales during the ride. Unfortunately, we could not see anything on our way to the island, but on our way back, our luck changed!
Once we arrived at Isla Tortuga, the tour guide asked which of us wanted to go snorkeling. We were not in the mood for that, so we stayed chilling at the beach. On the beach, we received some fresh fruit from the tour guide, and we rented a couple of chairs and an umbrella (even though the sun was not showing up still).
Facilities on the island
Isla Tortuga is not a big island, you can see most parts of the island in just minutes, but there is something special about it. Even though it was cloudy the day we went, we never got bored while being there.
There are some small shacks where you can order drinks and food (expect high prices), a couple of portable bathrooms (they charge a fee), a volleyball court, and chairs/umbrellas you can rent to spend the day.
Our day on Isla Tortuga
We spent most of the day just chilling at the beach, swimming several times. In the middle of the day, the people who went snorkeling came back, and the tour guide offered us lunch. The lunch was the typical costarican casado. We received a really good service from the tour guide; during the afternoon, we also got some pastries and coffee, and around 3 pm, after an exhausting day chilling at the beach, we went back to Puntarenas.
On our way back, we saw some dolphins swimming beside our boat. I asked the tour guide about them, and there’s always a good chance to see dolphins in that zone.
Once we got back to Puntarenas, we showered and changed clothes. We also had some spare time to walk around Puntarenas and get to know the town. I recommend buying a ceviche or bigoron if you are hungry. I recommend getting Puntarenas’ famous Churchill if you have a sweet tooth. (Expect high worthy calories)
Isla Tortuga Summary:
- Location: Isla Tortuga
- Nearby Islands: Isla San Lucas
- Access: Boat tour
- Nearby Facilities: Small restaurant and bathrooms
- Sand Color: White
- Waves (1/5):
- Hidden Gem Score (2/5):
