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Tortuga Island Day Trip from Jaco: Catamaran, Snorkeling & Lunch

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/21

Duration12h 30m

GroupUp to 180

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Twelve nautical miles to an island that's been protected for five years

You board a catamaran in Puntarenas and spend the day on Tortuga Island's private beach, where you snorkel for 45 minutes in protected waters, eat a full lunch with wine, take a banana boat ride, and hike the island's trails while drinking unlimited margaritas and punch. Hotel pickup from Jaco and all meals are included, so you show up and the day is already arranged.

12h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day tour to Tortuga Island

View Puntarenense province panorama
Pass Isla San Lucas National Park
Pass Muelle de Caldera and Gulf
Arrive Tortuga Island beach area
Enjoy lunch and beach chairs

The Experience

"The water here, it doesn't get dirty," our captain said as we pulled away from the dock in Puntarenas, nodding toward the turquoise stretch ahead. He wasn't being poetic—Tortuga Island holds the Ecological Blue Flag, which means the Gulf of Nicoya waters around it stay clean enough to swim in without thinking twice. The catamaran itself is built for the journey: air-conditioned main cabin, a bow area where you can watch the coastline unfold, and an upper deck with a jacuzzi if you want to float while floating. From Jaco, it's about an hour's ride out, and the boat fills with a mix of families, couples, and solo travelers all heading toward the same 120-hectare protected forest island.

Once you land on Tortuga Island, you're in the company's private beach area—not the crowded part tourists photograph. Lunch happens here: two salads, meat, chicken, fish, white rice, sautéed vegetables, and a glass of wine, all served while you're still in your beach chair looking at the bay. Before that, there's a 45-minute snorkeling tour, which is where the water's clarity actually matters. After lunch, a banana boat ride takes you back out, and the trails on the island let you walk through the forest if you're not ready to sit still. The unlimited margaritas and rum punch flow the whole time, along with natural drinks and sodas, so you're never thirsty. It's a lot packed into one day—snorkeling, hiking, water sports, food—but the structure keeps it from feeling rushed.

The catamaran also passes Isla San Lucas National Park on the way, where you can spot wildlife from the water, and swings by the traditional fishing boats (chinamos) from the Caldera area. The morning starts with a panoramic view of Puntarenas itself—the cruise ship dock, the old train station, the tourist walk—so you see where you're leaving from before the island takes over your attention. Pickup from your Jaco hotel is included, and the vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters on the drive to the dock.

What’s included

Hotel pickup in an air-conditioned vehicle.
catamaran transport to Tortuga Island.
breakfast (ham and cheese sandwich, fruit, coffee or juice).
45-minute snorkeling tour.
beach access to the company's private area.
lunch with wine.
banana boat ride.
island hiking trails.
unlimited margaritas, rum punch, natural drinks and sodas.
GST tax.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Bay Island Cruises / Isla Tortuga

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a full island day without arranging transport, meals, or activities separately—the catamaran, snorkeling, food, and drinks are all locked in, so you just show up at pickup and the day unfolds on schedule.