Visit Tortuga Island with Lunch from San José

Not a bad choice.

Good location to visit, Isla Tortuga is nice. The price we paid was fair since it included lunch. There was a traffic jam and we were late, but we felt rushed, not ideal for a full day tour. The breakup place was ok, coffee was great.

Great experience

Everything about my stay was absolutely wonderful. I plan on coming back. Very soon. The food, the people and the country is absolutely beautiful.

Tourist Trap. Not Worth It

It was an okay trip. The food options were not great (bland tasting) and some instructions were left out until we already heading to the beach (e.g. couldn’t bring your own food onto the bus or should have a change of clothes). The best part was sitting on the beach but the beach setup felt touristy. Spent most of the day on the bus or boat getting to the island. Wouldn’t recommend doing this trip.

10/10 Experience

We had such a great time! Percy our tour guide and his team were absolutely amazing! Percy was so knowledgeable, he took the time to learn everyone’s name, something about them and actually remembered. The bus was very nice and comfortable, boat ride to the island was great, we made a few stops at other islands to see some pretty cool stuff. Snorkeling was great, lunch and snacks were delicious. We stayed the perfect amount of time on the island, there was plenty todo. Would definitely recommend.

Wonderful experience

The tour with insides tour to Tortuga Island was very enjoyable. I went with 3 other people and it was an all day event. Got picked up @ 4:45 am and returned back to hotel close to 7 pm. When booking there is a pick up points you can choose from. Pros 1. 5 full hours on the beach...gorgeous 2. snorkeling is offered 3. on the way to the island the boat stopped so we can see dolphins swimming. AMAZING!!!! 4. Our tour guide Diana was so wonderful. She even helped my nephew when he went snorkeling. 5. The bus they picked us up with was super NICE and clean 6. Stop for breakfast and bathroom break and Souvenir shop 7. On the island, the drinks are amazing. They had Mojitos, Margaritas and Pina Coladas. The cost about $8-$10. 8. Lunch is provided and its included in the tour payment. 9. there are banana boats and water rafting I believe, we didn't partake on this activity but you can for a cost. 10. It was RELAXING and there are chairs with umbrellas you can rent for $10. Cons 1. the place we stopped at for breakfast, the food was pretty awful. My friends and I couldn't swallow it. It cost about $10 but man. No flavor, so much salt and the option is just basic. Coffee tasted like it was a burnt coffee mixed with milk. So it was money wasted. You are better off with some protein bars and make your own coffee at the hotel before leaving. I am not sure how much influence the tour company has to have them do better and if not maybe finding another spot if possible for a breakfast option. 2. Lunch included rice, salad, and choice of Chicken, fish, or veggies (you choose one protein) and its fillet fried. The portion is very small and by the time we got back we were starving. It tasted good but very small portion. They sell fresh Ceviche and other fresh fish snacks on the beach but very small portion for like $10 which wasn't worth it. All in all the pros are higher than the cons and would recommend inside tours 100%. ENJOY :)

Pleasant Experience

Our trip was well-coordinated and wonderfully relaxing. Our tour guide, Jorge, proved to be incredibly knowledgeable and supportive throughout. We were particularly impressed when we discovered that my boyfriend had left his belongings on the bus. Jorge efficiently coordinated with another tour guide, Nela, who also worked for the same company, to ensure we were reunited with our items.

Better than Gilligan’s Island

What a way to kick off a wonderful visit to Costa Rica. From the speedboat ride with dolphin sightings to the 5 hours of absolute chill time on the isle complete with yummy mock-tails and absolutely regenerative sands and ocean water. Our guide, Percy, was very knowledgeable and personable, attentive to everyone’s needs and interest. Luis/ Pepo very experienced and conscientious driver of a new comfy lux bus. Would absolutely book this excursion again. 🫶🏽🇨🇷🏝️🦜 Pura Vida

Great experience but lack of communication from tour company

The experience itself was great! Our guide (woman) was super friendly and helpful and informative and overall great! However please be AWARE! The tour company itself does have a lack of communication in regards to pick up time details. Friday was my trip, so Thursday morning I reached out to the company for details on time because I haven’t heard from them previously. They informed me they would notify me in the afternoon. It was now 5-6pm and still haven’t heard anything. So unfortunately I was in a hard sticky place and reached out to customer service trip advisor and they reached out to the company and less than an hour the company finally provided me the time details…that’s all I wanted. But had I not reached out to trip advisor customer service, I truly don’t know if I would’ve gotten a response back from tour company.

Fun experience

The experience was good. Only complaint would be we only snorkeled for 25mins. Wish we had a bit longer.

Great day trip to a beautiful beach!

The tour leaves VERY early but I think we were the second group to arrive at the island out of many, which was nice to have plenty of chairs to choose from and some time to swim before it got busy. The bus was the nicest bus I’ve ever been in which made the 2 hour ride comfortable. We stopped at a really nice place for breakfast (you pay) that offered many options and a huge souvenir store. When we got closer to Puntarenas our guide told us more about the area including local agriculture. The boat to the island was one of the nicer ones of all the tour boats I saw later arriving at the island, and provided life jackets which many other tour boats didn’t. They provided fruit as a snack and a typical Costa Rican lunch that was good. The beach was very nice and generally clean, there are some rocks in the water to watch out for. During the 20 minute snorkeling session, I saw about 10 different types of fish and some sea urchins. Things that cost extra on this tour are: breakfast, Special drinks on the island, it costs $1 each time to use the bathroom on the island, lounge chairs are $10/chair/day. Overall a very comfortable ride, enjoyable tour with good tour guide, and 5 hours at the beach. Overall tour ran from 4:45 am until 5 pm. I would definitely recommend it for those who want a beach day but need transportation from San Jose!

Good but pricey

The tour was nice and the tour guide Percy was amazing. However, be ready to spend money once you get on the beach. Nothing is included (chairs, drinks, activities and even the bathroom) all cost extra. The one thing I liked was the 5 hours on the beach.

Beautiful island, peaceful, relaxing

Well planned out and beautiful island. Only drawback was that I felt the Spanish version of descriptions was much longer than the English, it was very obvious. I mentioned to my son who was with us that I felt we werent getting the full details. He speaks Spanish fluently. He laughed and said we definitely were getting a shortened version. That was a bit dissapointing.

A must in Costa Rica!!!

Such a great experience the team was very nice and helpful, my only note is not to book a 6 in 1 tour with a group that only does one activity so they won’t have to wait for everyone else overall we had a blast!!

Don't go on this tour

Too much money for a trip to the beach. I felt like all they were trying to do was separate me from my money. The boat ride was nice, but when we went snorkeling, they didn't have soap for the masks and no fins. So it was OK but could easily been better. The beach was OK, but there was a lot of trash in the surf. You had to pay to use the chairs and go to the bathroom. The waiter only can by twice once to tell us about the chairs and the charge for using the bathroom and then to collect the money. So every time we want another drink, we had to walk up to the bar. Wish o hadn't booked this tour.

Please help

Can someone please call me? My mother in law left her purse in the Van which had a passport and she leave monday

Family Fun but beware of the poor quality.

We had to be up and ready at 4:45 AM. Let me start with that. The bus ride to the boat was not bad we were able to go right back to sleep once we got on the bus lol. The stop for breakfast was okay. The food was not that tasty, but it was good enough to satisfy you until you arrived on the island. I am giving this tour 3 stars because although you pay 125$ per person you end up paying even more for chairs, drinks, using the bathroom, etc. on the beach. I feel like the price was pretty steep for it to only cover transportation to the island and lunch. The chairs we paid 8 dollars to rent were not clean. Please clean your beach chairs so people and lay and sit on them comfortably. The bathroom situation was interesting, to say the least. The drinks were good. The lunch was great! lots of rocks on this island but some beaches have more rocks than others. This one was pretty rocky so wear water shoes. Overall, we had fun as a family because we always find the positives wherever we go. We played volleyball on the beach and the banana boat. I just wish we did not have to pay for almost everything on the beach and the quality was not nice.

Have a nice time!

The island is quite and peaceful, worth to visit. Also can do 30-40 minutes hiking to hill top, there is wonderful view at hill top. Love it. All team services good, lucky us can see some dolphins that day!

not worth the money , not enjoyable !

Very small little beach, not worth the money, and you need to pay extra $$$ for everything , check out other company such like Costacat there tour is included all fess such like beach umbrella/ beach chair / drinks / toilet fees ==> YES ! haha.. if you join this company you need to pay for toilet !!!! makes not enjoyable !!! this tour company didn't notify the pickup time until very late night 1 day before.. no one from there company answer phone calls.. they do have WhatsApp message, but takes few hours to get someone reply to you..

Nice experience

Enjoyed the island nice tour and helpful took care of everyone highly recommended hope they email or send text on pick up time in the.morning

Best trip ever

Greatest experience ever great tour guilds who helped me a lot since I didn’t understand Spanish. I recommend if you visiting Costa Rica you use them for the greatest experience ever 😁

Okay beach, great tour company.

This was the tour and spot I was most looking forward to before my trip to Costa Rica, but it was my least favorite part outside of the boat ride to the island. The tour leaders were amazing, but I didn't really like the beach and found it dirty. In their defense, we were warned if the weather wasn't great (raining, etc.) it wouldn't be clear and snorkeling would be affected, but I just didn't get the hype of the island. I much much preferred Manual Antonio Beach and found that one to be one of the best in the world. I did have a great boat riding experience and had great conversations, but the area itself was bleh. The tour company was great, though. I just wouldn't recommend a trip to Tortuga island on short time in CR.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because of Joel Carrillo and his amazing cooking/service this tour deserves 5 stars.

10/10 recommend the best drinks and food & people! Joel Carrillo is an amazing cook with the best customer service!! Highly recommend this tour!!

Day in Paradise

First and foremost, the day was amazing. The only thing that wasn't 5 stars was the food. It wasn't bad just the typical tour rice, beans, chicken or fish. For me it was fine considering everything else was perfect. The ride out is not on a party boat. It is a regular 30-40ft dual engine boat. I loved the ride out. You are right on the water and we were able to see dolphins and even spotted 3-4 different whale breaches. I wasn't expecting this part and it added a nature aspect to what is basically a tourist tour. The snorkeling was good. Visibility was decent you can see lots of small colorful fish and even some medium sized as well (9-12"). After snorkeling you go to the beach and it is truly paradise (watermelon and pineapple provided). My daughter and I spent most of the time exploring the rocks and swimming out to the point just for the incredible views. If you are a good swimmer I highly recommend. You will feel like you are in the middle of a tropical paradise. You do have to pay for everything on the island (drinks - lounge chairs - kayak), but I didn't care. The day was perfect and Diana did a great job of keeping up with 30 people by herself. Diana stays in one location while on the island so if you want to walk around or venture out and don't feel safe leaving your valuables she will watch them. Even with 30 people in our tour we were able to make it feel like it was a private tour and that was great. FYI they do stop for a sit down breakfast on the way from San Jose so don't worry about eating so early in the morning. You will get a chance on the way and the souvenir shop there is great as well. There was also a quick stop on the way back for snacks at some local street vendors.

Exciting beach day!

I had a great time on the trip. Our tour guide Percy managed the group well, and Manuel was a great driver. On the boat ride over, we saw mating turtles and a glimpse of a dolphin. Although it was raining when we arrived and couldn't see anything during snorkeling, the weather improved as the day progressed (which is the opposite of San José during the rainy season). We hiked up the trail in the afternoon and got some nice photos. The boat ride back was very choppy, but also exhilarating. The best advice I can give is to bring a full change of clothes and limit how much you take with you since the boat is relatively small. Thanks for a great experience!

Do not book with this vendor

I actually never went on trip because I made at least 5 attempts to reach vendor to find out what time I needed to be at checkpoint. It is now august 20 and I never did hear back from them. I contacted my credit card provider and disputed the charge. Capital One found in my favor so at least I’m not stuck paying for my nonexistent tour. NEVER EVER use this company!!

Fun in the sun

We really enjoyed this excursion. The tour guide was very friendly and helpful. Lunch way great. We got to see dolphins and sea turtles for the first time. Great memories

The ride to the island...

The ride to the island was a little tougher than what I expected and I was disappointed with the lunch offered. The bathroom on the island is not free and there was no section to rinse off the salty water while there. However, the tour guide was very nice.

Breathtaking

An amazing experience with breathtaking scenery. Our tour guide, Percy, was very professional, knowledgeable and fun.

Buyer beware

I booked they afternoon prior to the trip. Bad move. The tour operator didn’t send the pickup time until 10-11pm. Well after I’d gone to bed after a long travel day. I’m currently fighting them for a refund.

Cool place, poorly organized trip.

Cool place but tour was poorly ran. Had me meet the bus at 4:30 then wait 30min for the next group. Driver didn’t seem to know where he was going and drove in circles a lot. Better organization probably could’ve had us meet at 5:30 and make just as good time with an extra hour of sleep. First stop was breakfast (extra $10, not a big deal) at a neat tourist spot. Gave us 30min to get breakfast, change clothes and buy water. Barely enough time, could have used 45min to look at the store a bit and we probably had it since everyone rushed to the bus to make it in time then had to sit and wait while the driver chatted with a clerk. Got to the boat, very cool ride, stopped to see crocodiles and dolphins. Got to the island for snorkeling. This was the best part of the trip but was limited to 20min for some reason. Next was beach time, 4hrs… WAY too much, 2hrs would have been fine. Lunch was fine but portioning was all over the place, my piece of fish was less than half the size of the people before me. On the way back we stopped at a fruit and snack stand that didn’t seem to be able to handle a small bus full of people at once and apparently didn’t have working bathrooms. Struggled to get an employee to take my order, seemed more interested in helping bus driver with his avocados. They ran out of decent hot food pretty quickly. Got on the bus at the time the guide told us then sat and waited while he ate one of the only empanadas available and chat with the employees. Had to make multiple stops on the way back to find a bathroom. Finally got back after 7:00, tired, hungry and sunburned.

Memories made today!

Although this tour began with a long drive, I am so thankful I had the option to be picked up from my hotel in San Jose. We stopped for a break along the way where some people chose to get a quick breakfast; I enjoyed wandering through the souvenir shop. Then we were back on the road to Puntarenas to get on board a boat to the island. While on the boat ride, the captain stopped to point out some dolphins in the area and then later we slowed to see two sea turtles. Such fun! We got to the island and snorkled for 30 minutes; I saw several different kinds of fish and enjoyed this quick experience. We then were taken to the island where I rented a beach chair ($8) and then bought a fantastic fresh pineapple drink ($10). The beach is beautiful white sand and there was a wonderful breeze. A delicious lunch was included with this tour (choices of chicken, fish, or vegetarian). We stayed on the island until 3:00 and then headed back to Puntarenas on our travel bus. We made a quick stop in downtown Puntarenas and were introduced to the most refreshing ice cream treat. Yum! Again, the drive back to San Jose was long (traffic was almost stopped for an hour), but I was safely delivered to my hotel with many wonderful memories of this perfect tour in Costa Rica.

Beautiful but a bit disorganized

This was a great trip, it was beautiful and a lot of fun, I would say there was a bit of disorganization with the buses. They had two groups and two buses we ended up on the wrong bus back because they split up the groups on the boats. So when we got back it was raining and we ran on the bus because we were told to and then ended up on the wrong bus. It was a easy fix tho cause they switched us on the stop at the cafe on the way back, but it was a bit frustrating because they made it seem like it was our fault. The lunch was good and the fruit was okay, they left it out in the heat for awhile but there’s really no other option on this island. The guide Dayana was very nice and helpful as well would recommend her.

Amazing from start to...

Amazing from start to finish bus ride is lengthy because we were first to get picked and and last to get dropped off,but worth it very helpful and informative loved everything about the tour.

Really great tour

We really had a good time! We saw dolphins and crocrodiles on the way to the island and we did snorkling and banana boat on the island. The view was insane qnd the guide was perfect! I sure recommand!

I had such a wonderful time!!!

Just pretend picking up everyone did not happen..because it happens to everyone who chooses to take this tour and probably many other tours with large amounts of people. This is the long and hard part..good things come to those who wait and Tortuga Island is worth the wait!!! After picking everyone up the bus took us to Orotina which is around the half way point. In Orotina you can choose to have a wonderful breakfast that’s not included. The breakfast was very good and affordable. Get the fresh squeeze orange juice. Super fresh!!! After breakfast we headed back to the bus to drive another 40-45 minutes to the dock where you will catch a boat to Tortuga Island. It took about 35 minutes to get to Tortuga Island from the dock. When you get to Tortuga Island you can snorkel (which is included) in the tour at no extra cost. I did not snorkel since I don’t know how to swim or care for snorkeling. I rented a chair on the beach to sunbathe. The chair cost $8 per chair. They also have pina coladas, coco loco, mojitos, and other drinks you can buy while you relax. Some bars take only cash..some bars take card and cash..so bring both cash and card to be safe. I HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME. I did not feel like any activity or stops were rushed. Throughout the tour I felt like Diana made sure everyone in the group was okay. She was awesome!!! I will definitely do this tour again when I am in Costa Rica!!!

Beautiful island worth visiting. Tour leader and boat captain were excellent. Hint: pickup times were very early.

Island worth visiting, tour leader and boat captain were excellent. Beware of morning pickup. Very early 4:15 (we were first) and made 15 stops over 2 hours before departing for beach. Suggest finding out last pickup and Uber there. We did this upon return.

Lovely experience!

Beto was great! He was helpful, personable and informative. The tour was peaceful and fun. We loooooved Tortuga Island and the vegan lunch they served us. I would recommend the tour to anyone visiting Costa Rica! Thanks again Beto!

Beautiful island!!

Tortuga Island is the kind of place that makes you want to build a hut, grown your own food, fish in the sea and stay forever! Beautiful!!! Our tour guide Hector was a very respectful nice guy and did his best to accommodate everyone. The lunch was delicious! I saw a few in our group that forgot to bring cash to the island and that is very important! Only downside…it is a very very long day of travel! I got picked up at 4:45 am and didn’t make it back until around 8-9 pm. It is a holiday weekend, so traffic was crazy.

Great trip and an amazing value!

This trip was so much fun! The island didn't disappoint...beautiful beach, views, great waters, excellent lunch and breakfast (breakfast is not free), and amazing pineapple and coconut drinks available for purchase. Bring towels, soap, shampoo, and sunscreen.

In Love with Tortuga Island

Our tour guide Gaia was phenomenal, and very knowledgeable. She was a pure delight and really cared for each of us . I lost my phone somewhere on the beach and she was able to locate it !!!!!!!

Great Tour Operator ! Small Island - Many People !

Wonderful tour Guide and Chauffeur - Great Team ! All very well Organized and very Kind vibe! The Island is very Touristic (Many ! People) but if you ok with that this is a Great day tour! Snorkeling was amazing! Only wished the trip to the Island was by catamarán (with more time and less soeed) and Not by Motor Board. Maybe you could offer this versión (as Alternative). Keep on the Great work and wonderful Spirit!

TOUR THAT WAS NOT

The most memorable leaving me in a hotel and not picking me up, waited from 5:00 AM to 6:30 AM. The most unorganized company I have ever dealt with. Then had to come back stop the charge to the credit card, so I wouldn't get ripped off. I negotiated to take another tour with the operator and Chargeback would not respond to the credit card card company, I negotiated in good faith. Trying to release the credit card company. Good luck getting paid, I will fight.

Great time, lots of...

Great time, lots of activities available for cheap at the island and lots of affordable drinks available for purchase

Great for Beach-Loving Families!

I recommend this excursion for families with children who love the beach. No other day trip will allow you so much beach time! Our day began with a pickup time around 5am. My daughter (5) and I were greeted by our guide April, who, in addition to being incredibly beautiful proved to be very kind and caring and informative. The bus we rode in was super comfortable and it took about 2 hours to get to the dock. We stopped halfway at a restauant for breakfast (not included, but it was only $9 for my daughter and I) and to change into our swimsuits. When we arrived at the dock, our boat Emergente arrived and we were taken to the island. The ride was about 30 minutes and very beautiful! On the way we saw dolphins and turtles! We arrived at the island at about 8:30 am and immediately went snorkeling which lasted about 40 minutes. I will say that while we enjoyed the snorkeling, the water was way too dark to see anything. All we saw was water.... The crew on the ship were very friendly and courteous too. After snorkeling we enjoyed the beach for several hours! There were places to purchase a pina colada in a pineapple or a coconut drink in a coconut, there was a shaved ice stand, and a bar. The servers actually came out into the water to hand-deliver drinks, collect empty drinks, and take orders! For those interested you could also rent kayaks or ride a banana boat. Lunch was served at 12:30; there was an option of grilled fish or chicken with rice and sauteed vegetables. There were only 3 things I didn't like about the beach: 1) They charged $1 per person to use the restroom. We were there for 7 hours so we had to go twice and it cost us $4. 2) There were a ton of rocks everywhere! When playing in the water I hit my foot on several large rocks, and also the sand itself was super rocky and rough. 3) The water was sooooo smelly! I had to wash my swimsuit twice to get the fishy smell out. We got back on our boat and left the island at 3:30pm and once back at the dock we were able to shower and change before getting back on the bus. We arrived back at our hotel around 7pm.

Full Day Isla Tortuga

April was so kind and sweet. She explained everything very well. The driver was awesome as well. I believe his name was JR. I really enjoyed the trip!

Yosef was the best tour guide including everyone involved!

The drive from San Jose to Puntarenas then the boat ride to Isla Tortuga was absolutely smooth. It was planned perfectly with enough time to soak up all the sunshine then leave when there was a storm in the late afternoon. Yosef was entertaining and checked in with everyone. The shuttle driver and crew that helped get us on and off the boat were all so impressive. I wish I brought cash to tip them all but I failed them, I hope my words will make the same impact. Truly such wonderful people filled with good company. I would do this tour again when I come back to Costa Rica! Thank you Yosef & entire crew!

Must-see Turtle Island

Excellent tour, saw monkeys, snorkeled, gave us lunch and accompanied us to the hike that can be done on the island with extra cost, highly recommended Excellent tour

Good organization

Beautiful place, we managed to see dolphins and spider monkeys, the weather was quite favorable. Good organization and on time.

The comfort and kindness of the people in charge was the best

Very good experience and quite comfortable price. It was great fun and very good service from Josef, Derman, Steven and Joel

Linda experiencia

Nos gustó mucho la experiencia, la playa es hermosa y está rodeada de la más linda vegetación de Costa Rica. Lo único que no me gustó fue que pongan música a todo volumen cuando uno quiere escuchar el ruido del mar y los pájaros. Y por otro lado, dicen que entre vecinos mantienen la limpieza espero sea así, porque ví una parte llena de botellas de alcohol y basura. Lo cual para los animales y la fauna del lugar no es bueno. (Y muchos miramos esos detalles)?