Travel Advisory

When travelling to Tortuguero thru Pavona be aware that you do not need to pre buy your boat ticket. Yesterday July 15th I took the 9:00A.M. bus from San Jose to Cariairi and then the local bus on to Pavona to catch the boat to Tortuguero.

Before the San Jose bus departed there was a gentleman that boarded and was going to the tourist trying to sell them tickets for the boat portion of the trip To Tortuguero. He was implying/saying that you had to buy from him and that he was cheaper ect. This was/is not true.  

When buying my ticket for the Cariairi to Pavona bus I was pressured to buy my boat ticket as well. I had to insist on bus only fare.

Upon arriving in Pavona and as soon as I departed the bus I was aggressively set upon by several people selling tickets for the boat. I was able to bypass these and while walking to the ferry landing a fellow approached me and I told him I was taking the CKIK CLIK boat and would not be buying a pre sold ticket. I should mention CLIC CLIK collect on the boat and do not pre sell tkts. He then told me that the CLIC CLIC boat had mechanical problems and would not be going and I should quickly buy my ticket from the “other” company while they still had room. This was a lie. And it made me mad. I got on the Clic Clic boat and made the trip into Tortuguero in a new boat with a 100HP+ 4 stroke motor while the rest of my fellow travelers (that I met on the bus) went with “other” company in a leaky overloaded boat with a 40HP 2 stroke motor.

I have been coming to Tortuguero for 3 years now and have watched this company go from “aggressive marketing” to straight out lying. I feel obligated to tell my fellow tourist/travelers that you do not and IMO should not pre buy the boat tkt. If you do you will pay more and be on an older/slower and probably leaky boat.

The reason that I post this is that I do not want people’s first impression of this absolute piece of paradise to be tarnished by a “questionable” operator. I have deliberately not mentioned there name because I don’t want to give them even negative publicity.

If anyone tells you that you have to pre buy the boat portion of the trip they are lying to you.

Here is the Tortuguero Village web site and there is some very good info on getting to Tortuguero …..As well other neat stuff.  And remember it is now Turtle season.  www.tortuguerovillage.com