• From San Jose to Guapiles
• From San Jose take highway 32 toward Limon. After you cross Braulio Carillo you will arrive to Guapiles.
• From Guapiles to Cariari
• When you get to Guapiles turn left (north) at the Santa Clara gasoline station just a few hundred meters east of the Burger King. Approximately 8.1 kilometers north of the Santa Clara Gasoline station you will reach a cross road. Turn left so you do not cross the rail road tracks yet. Follow the train tracks west for approx. 0.7 kilometers and then turn right on the main highway (crossing the tracks) and continue north towards Cariari.
• From Cariari to la Pavona
• Set your odometer to zero at the only gas station in Cariari (200 meters past the single lane bridge coming into town). Drive straight for 7 kilometers and turn right onto the newly paved highway. There is a sign here indicating Campo Dos. Follow this paved road until you get to Cuatro Esquinas (approximately 14.5 km after the gas station). Continue straight on though Cuatro Esquinas. Here the pavement ends. Follow the gravel road (Do not make any turns at road junctions!) until you reach the general store ('Abast Palacio') in the tiny village of Palacios on the right (23.4 km after the gas station). 50 meters after the general store is a road going off to the left. There are signs directing you to Tortuguero. Follow this road for 5.7 km (29.1 km after the gas station) when you reach La Pavona. There is safe parking here for a fee ($10 per night, or $50 per week) which includes 24 hour security.
• At la Pavona
• Both Coopetraca and Clic Clic's boats will be awaiting (they leave for Tortuguero from Pavona at around 7:30am, 1:00pm and 4:00pm). You should arrive at least a half an hour early just in case the boats leave early. (They leave as soon as the public bus arrives.)
• Approximate driving time from San Jose to Cariari: 2 hours.
• Approximate driving time from Cariari to La Pavona: 1 hour.
• Another option is to fly to Tortuguero Airport with Nature air daily flight.