How the trip works
Your driver picks you up in Puerto Viejo, Cahuita or any address on the southern Caribbean coast and drives north past Limón to La Pavona, the dock where the road ends — about 195 km from Puerto Viejo. From there, boats cross the canals to Tortuguero Village in about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Shared boats leave La Pavona about every hour from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Leave the coast by about 8:00 AM to be sure of an afternoon boat; if you leave later, add a private boat and go as soon as you arrive.
Private car, shuttle or bus?
A private car is the fastest way: door to dock on your own schedule, with stops when you want them. Shared shuttles run on fixed times, often once a day, and a few go by boat from Moín near Limón instead of La Pavona, a longer ride on the water.
Public buses are possible but slow: there is no direct bus, so you change in Limón and again on the way to Cariari and La Pavona, and the trip takes most of the day.
What it costs
The car is priced by the driving distance from your pickup point to La Pavona, and the booking form shows the total before you pay. The boat is added per person on the shared boat (₡6,000 one way, ₡10,000 round trip) or as a private boat for ₡50,000. The car (and a private boat) is paid by card when you book; the shared boat is paid on the day.