Laguna Lodge is one of Tortuguero’s longest-running hotels, open since 1990 on the narrow strip of land between the Tortuguero lagoon and the Caribbean. Its 110 wooden rooms are spread through about six hectares of gardens with their own botanical trail, and because the property reaches the beach, you can step out at sunset in hatching season without needing a boat.
At a glance
| Location | Sandbar between Tortuguero lagoon and the Caribbean Sea, Tortuguero, Limón province |
|---|---|
| Style | Large, long-established lodge with 110 simple wooden rooms, pools and riverside bars |
| Setting | About six hectares of tropical gardens with a botanical trail and beach access |
| Best for | Groups and families who want a full Tortuguero program with gardens to explore between tours |
| Getting there | Road and river from San José on the lodge’s own boats, or a flight to the Tortuguero airstrip |
| CST status | Not in the official CST directory on 2026-Oct-21 |
Where it is
The lodge’s own overview places it between the Tortuguero lagoons and the Caribbean, and its location page describes the strip of land as only about 600 feet wide, with sea on one side and lagoon on the other. The country-brand program Esencial Costa Rica, whose profile of the lodge is published on its official site, gives a similar figure of about 650 feet. In practice that means a riverbank on one side of the grounds and the turtle beach on the other.
Like every Tortuguero hotel, Laguna has no road access, and the lodge runs its own fleet of boats with four-stroke engines for transfers. It doesn’t publish a step-by-step route online, so call or message the lodge to arrange the road and river trip from San José or a pickup at the airstrip.
Rooms and grounds
The rooms page counts 110 rooms built of wood and offering basic comforts. The site doesn’t break them down by type or list fittings, so if a particular bed setup or a room near the beach matters to you, ask when you book.
The gardens are the lodge’s signature. Its gardens page describes six hectares planted with native trees, plants and flowers, crossed by trails where you may see birds and iguanas. There’s also a botanical garden with plants grouped by family and signs explaining their medicinal, pharmaceutical and commercial uses, which you can explore on your own.
There are pools for the hot afternoons, and the reception building also houses a meeting room that the lodge offers for workshops and presentations.
Food and drink
Meals are served as a buffet three times a day in a restaurant on the riverbank. According to the lodge’s restaurant page, there are three bars: the main one on a deck over the water, and two smaller ones beside the pools. The lodge doesn’t detail its approach to special diets online, so mention any needs when booking.
Tours from the lodge
The activities page splits tours into a core program and optional extras:
- National park canal tour: about two hours early in the morning with a naturalist guide and a local boatman, looking for monkeys, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
- Village visit: a boat transfer and guided walk around Tortuguero, taking in its schools, park offices, churches, shops and the community recycling plant.
- Nature awakening tour: an optional dawn boat ride starting around 5:30 to 6 am.
- Kayak or canoe tour: a two-hour paddle through calm park waterways.
- Tortuguero hill walk: forest trails and a climb to the 119-meter summit of Cerro Tortuguero.
- Jaguar Trail: a two-hour guided hike on natural paths and boardwalks through primary forest, with glimpses of the beach.
- Turtle nesting tour: a guided night walk during the nesting season.
- Hatchling beach walk: from September to November, guided at sunset or on your own from the lodge’s beach access.
Turtles and wildlife
The beach in front of the lodge belongs to what SINAC calls the largest green turtle population in the world. SINAC’s park page records around 22,500 female green turtles nesting each year, laying about 100,000 nests along roughly 25 km of protected beach, with leatherbacks and hawksbills nesting in smaller numbers. The lodge’s own Tortuguero page credits the community, hotels and park staff with the recent rise in turtle numbers.
Park rules apply to the beach outside the lodge too. The visitor information page closes the beach from 6 pm to 6 am during the March to October nesting season to everyone except groups led by certified local guides, and prohibits flash photography and lights at night. Away from the sand, the lodge’s canal guides look for monkeys, birds, reptiles and amphibians, but no lodge can promise particular animals.
Sustainability and community
The lodge says its reputation rests on conservation and its ties with the local community, and that it has grown gradually since 1990. It is a member of Esencial Costa Rica, the national brand program for companies that meet its requirements on sustainability, innovation and excellence. Its village tour includes the Tortuguero recycling plant, and the lodge highlights the role of local people in protecting turtles.
What it doesn’t do is publish detail. There’s no sustainability page with energy, water or waste practices, and Laguna Lodge isn’t listed in the official CST directory, so treat its environmental claims as the company’s own.
Who it suits
Laguna Lodge is a practical choice for groups and families who like space: the gardens, pools and beach give children room to roam between tours, and the size of the property absorbs a lot of guests. Travelers interested in plants will appreciate the signed botanical trail.
With 110 rooms it’s a busy, sociable place rather than a hideaway, and rooms are simple. For a much smaller hotel compare Manatus Hotel, which has 12 rooms, or look at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens. Browse the rest of our Caribbean eco-lodges, and read our sea turtle nesting guide before planning a night on the beach.
Frequently asked questions
Does Laguna Lodge have direct beach access?
Yes. The lodge sits on the strip of land between the lagoon and the sea, and its activities page mentions its own beach access for watching hatchlings.
When can I see turtle hatchlings at Laguna Lodge?
The lodge runs hatchling beach walks from September to November, either guided at sunset or on your own from the lodge's beach access.
How old is Laguna Lodge?
It opened in 1990, which makes it one of the longer-established hotels in Tortuguero.
Is there a meeting room?
Yes. The lodge has a conference room in the reception building that it offers for meetings, workshops and presentations. Ask the lodge about capacity and equipment.
