Cerro Tortuguero Hike, Tortuguero

Hike to the summit of Cerro Tortuguero for views over Costa Rica's Caribbean lowlands on this two-hour guided adventure. After a boat ride to the trailhead, follow your naturalist guide along a rainforest trail within a wildlife refuge, keeping watch for monkeys, sloths, poison dart frogs, and other tropical wildlife. As you climb, learn about the diverse ecosystems that characterize this watery corner of Costa Rica and the local conservation efforts helping to protect them. Then, once at the summit, take in a rare 360-degree panorama of the surrounding jungle and waterways before returning to the trailhead and your lodge.

After breakfast at the lodge, meet your bilingual naturalist guide and fellow hikers at reception, then board a boat for the ride to the Caribbean village of San Francisco. From here, you'll set off toward Cerro Tortuguero, part of the sprawling Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge. Covering more than 200,000 acres (81,000 ha), this protected area encompasses rivers, lakes, wetlands, flooded forests, and low-lying hills, creating an especially rich habitat for wildlife.

Follow a well-maintained trail beneath the dense rainforest canopy as your guide introduces you to the plants and animals of Costa Rica's Caribbean lowlands. Keep watch for howler, capuchin, and spider monkeys swinging through the trees, sloths tucked among the branches, colorful poison dart frogs closer to the forest floor, and if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a wild cat slinking through the underbrush. Your guide will help you spot signs of the hundreds of species that inhabit the refuge while sharing insights into this diverse ecosystem and the conservation efforts of nearby communities.

At 390 feet (119 m), Cerro Tortuguero is modest in height, but its summit—the last stretch a steep climb up 400 steps—offers a great bird's-eye view in these otherwise flat Caribbean lowlands. Enjoy all-around vistas of seemingly endless rainforest and the intricate network of rivers and waterways stretching toward the Caribbean Sea before retracing your route through the forest and returning by boat. The two-hour hike is considered intermediate and takes place in hot, humid, and potentially rainy conditions, so wear sturdy hiking shoes and lightweight protective clothing, and bring a sun hat, insect repellent, and rain gear.