Isla Tortuga VIP from Jaco: Small Groups, Monkey & safari tour
Badge of Excellence
Jaco, Costa Rica
- 7 to 10 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Spend a full day exploring the beauty of Isla Tortuga on this small-group tour from Jacó. First stop at the Tarcoles River to watch crocodiles from the bridge, then visit Negritos Island to see spider monkeys and dolphins. Enjoy a snorkeling tour at a secluded spot and end the day with a delicious local lunch with fruits.
- Use the provided snorkeling equipment on board
- Snacks, soda, coffee/tea, water, and lunch are provided
- Dolphin watching included during the tour
- This is a full day of fun on the water and in nature
What's Included
- Snacks
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Bottled water
- Soda/Pop
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Lunch
- Dolphins watch
- Safari tour
- Alcoholic BeveragesAlcoholic beverages are allowed (only for city councilors) and alcohol is prohibited for minors
- Ground transportation Jaco- Puntarenas price (USD$20.00) per person roundtrip
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We have available the pick up service directly on your hotel or airbnb located on Jaco to Puntarenas (round trip), this service have an extra cost.
Start time.7:00 am
Itinerary
1
Tarcoles Bridge
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Puntarenas
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Islas Negritos
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Tortuga Island
5 hours • Admission Ticket Free
5
Gulf of Nicoya
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 22 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
We enjoyed this trip! I definitely recommend for anyone in Costa Rica! Our driver, captain, and tour guide was very helpful. They gave us all the details before our tour and we had no troubles at all. Thank you so much :)
Reviews
4.6
based on 149 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
This day was everything we hoped for and more!
Isabella, Micheal, and Captain Marcus were incredible!! She gave us history of islands, we saw monkeys, crocs, and other incredible wildlife on Tortuga! We also hiked the island, the views were breathtaking!
Lunch was amazing, we had yellowfin tuna and chicken options and they provided lots of water, pop, and we even had an afternoon coffee and cookies!
Don’t hesitate, just book this tour! Pura Vida 💕
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for booking with TM Tours! We are absolutely thrilled that your day trip was everything you hoped for and more! Pura Vida! 🇨🇷It was an honor to host you on our Isla Tortuga tour. We are glad you enjoyed exploring the island, hiking to those breathtaking viewpoints, and learning about the rich local history. Spotting the island's wildlife, including the crocodiles and monkeys, is always a massive highlight for our guests!
Awesome day. Isabella and her crew did everything to make our day. We the spider monkeys, which the kids loved, snorkeling and lunch at the island was also nice and relaxing.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for choosing TM Tours for your family adventure on isla tortuga! We are thrilled to hear that Isabella and the crew made your day so special. It’s great that the kids loved meeting the spider monkeys—it is truly a highlight of our nature tours.
We’re also glad you enjoyed the snorkeling and the island lunch, as we strive to provide the perfect balance of excitement and relaxation for our guests.
We look forward to welcoming you back for another unforgettable boat tour soon!
This was one of the most magical experiences of my life. The snorkeling was fantastic and our guide took so much care in helping our young daughter through it. The island was a dream!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are thrilled to hear that your snorkeling tour with TM Tours was one of the most magical experiences of your life. Providing a safe and family-friendly snorkeling environment is our top priority, and we’ll be sure to share your praise with our guide for taking such great care of your daughter. We agree—the island is truly a dream destination! We can't wait to welcome your family back for another unforgettable island boat trip soon. Pura vida!
Nice boat! It got to the island fast compared to other boats. We stopped to see spider monkeys. The young man helping on the boat brought mangos to toss to the monkeys. It was fun to watch them scramble for the mangos. We stopped for a bit of snorkeling before heading to the island. This tour company had a large canopy with picnic tables under it which provided shade when needed. A nice lunch was served along with fresh fruit snacks and refreshments. The crew was very accommodating, friendly and helpful. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed how fast and smooth ride we have onboard our new boat, that special moment with the spider monkeys; it’s one of our favorite parts of the tour! 🐒🥭
We’re so glad that the lunch and our shaded area on the island made your day more comfortable. Our team always strives to be friendly and attentive, so knowing you felt well taken care of means a lot to us."
We had an incredible time and cannot thank Veronica, Felipe, and Carlos enough! I highly recommend booking them for your excursion! We saw crocodiles, dolphins, monkeys, and had an amazing lunch on tortuga. We especially loved all of Veronica’s fun facts about the wildlife and nature.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much! We're thrilled you had such an incredible time with Veronica, Felipe, and Carlos. It was a pleasure showing you the wildlife and sharing Isla Tortuga with you. Hope to see you again soon! On the best isla tortuga tour with our TM tours crew
The tour was run by a local family rather than a large company so that was refreshing. On the way out, we saw some crocodiles sunning on a sandbar right next to the boat. Tour included a stop to see some monkeys and then snorkeling. Snorkeling was good as the guides were feeding the fish so we were completely surrounded by colorful fish. The only downside was the number of people in the water at the same time because there were so many different tour boats. This was not unexpected because it is the busy season, but it wasn’t optimal. We were then taken to the beach and fed a delicious lunch. Again, there were a lot of people there but we were able to rent some chairs and enjoy the sun. We had a great time. If going during busy season, have the proper expectation about it being busy and you’ll be good.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for your review! We love that you enjoyed that personal touch only a local family business can provide. 🌴
We’re thrilled you got to see the crocodiles and monkeys, and of course, that magical experience surrounded by colorful fish!; as you noted, this past weekend was the final stretch of school holidays, which always brings a peak in visitors.
Thank you for sharing those tips! For anyone looking for a quieter vibe, we recommend avoiding Saturdays during Spring Break (Semana Santa), as those are the busiest days for local families.
We hope to see you again on your next adventure!
We were contacted the evening prior to the trip and notified the trip had been cancelled due to weather. The weather was the same the next day as we had experienced all week. Be prepared to have a backup plan if you book excursion.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We are sorry you feel that way. However, as a responsible company, we are not willing to run an expensive tour under high winds where you wouldn't be able to enjoy the trip and your safety will be compromised. Our policy is protect our guests, even if that means a last-minute cancellation.
For transparency, above is the link to the official wind alert issued by the government:
We invite you to read reviews of companies that do not follow these safety protocols; you will see many experiences where passengers felt unsafe or unable to enjoy the tour due to the rush conditions. We prioritize your well-being over a sale.
Strong wind alert by the IMN Costa Rica
https://www.imn.ac.cr/en/web/imn/avisos-meteorologicos/-/asset_publisher/Xx7ByS9pazx5/content/aviso-meteorologico-imn-010226-0610pm?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imn.ac.cr%2Fen%2Fweb%2Fimn%2Favisos-meteorologicos%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_Xx7ByS9pazx5%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-2%26p_p_col_count%3D4
Started on friday trying to contact the tour via phone and Viator text for our tuesday trip information. No response until night before on a Viator app text.
When I woke up for the 7am pickup, a text had been put in my Viator box that the tour was cancelled 10 hours before the tour with no phone call or email. Reason lack of people!
Looking at other reviews this seemed to be a repetitive complaint.
The boat motors were in need of maintenance to the point we had to stop 20-30 times for
the captain to get them to work.
The island is worth going to. Consider going, but with a different company and one with boats that are newer and taken care of.
Viator should remove this company from their platform
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your feedback. It is essential to clarify that the tour you attended was not operated by our company, as you mentione your booking with us was canceled and the reason was due to weather conditions (strong winds) for safety reasons.
We regret that the experience with the other provider did not meet your expectations. So your review contain information about other company not our service, our boat is equipped with brand-new engines and undergoes top-tier maintenance.
As you can see from other reviews, we are recognized for having the best boat in the area.
Veronica our tour guide was great,Marco & Phillip the boat driver and helpers were great as well. We saw dolphins, spider monkeys and whales. Lots of fish during snorkeling and one of our tour guides brought us a star fish. Lunch was decent and the beach was beautiful.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your fantastic feedback! We're thrilled to hear that Veronica, Marco, and Phillip provided a great experience, and you enjoyed seeing the dolphins, whales, and monkeys. We're glad that had such a memorable day with us!"pura vida!
The experience was great. We saw monkeys, herons, pelicans and underwater coral and fish. Our captain stoped when turtles were sighted and our tour guide gave a lot of historical background for the areas we traversed on the way to Tortuga Island. The food that was served on the Island was very good and the tour operators were extremely courteous and service minded. Communication with the tour operator was not as good as it could have been. No one was at the port to meet us or tell us where to wait. The tour started and ended 30 minutes late. Also the amount of tourist traffic was extremely high and the Island was very crowded as multiple tour companies operate to and from Tortuga. But overall we enjoyed the day.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your review! We are thrilled to hear you had a great experience overall and enjoyed the wildlife sightings, historical information, delicious food, and the courteous service from our crew. New Year's Eve is usually chaotic on the island and at the dock, but our guys work hard to make your experience a very pleasant one, and we will share your comment with them so they get excited knowing they succeeded. Pura vida!!
This tour was overall a very fun and positive experience for my family and I. The tour staff was friendly and kind. We were able to see dolphins, reef fish, monkeys and wild pigs throughout the day. The snacks and drinks were plentiful, and the lunch served on the island was fresh and very tasty. The bars on the beach offer a variety of drinks and there are souvenirs and snacks available for purchase if you need more than what’s already provided with the tour.
A couple of negatives that should be pointed out:
1. If you’re staying in Jaco Beach and booking this tour, be prepared. The transport to the meeting point is over 1.5 hours of winding roads and heavy traffic (especially at the end of the day). That does not include the additional hour plus on the boat, to get to the island. It’s a lot of less than ideal travel for someone who has family members that sometimes struggle with motion sickness, even for a full day excursion, but ultimately worth it.
2. When you’re on the island there are washrooms available, but you have to pay the facility attendants to use them. This seems pretty misguided.
3. There is a pretty heavy current around the area where the snorkelling occurs. You’ll want to be a confident swimmer. The tour provides mask and snorkel, but no fins. If you have your own it would be helpful to bring them.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We are thrilled that your family enjoyed the wildlife sightings, our friendly staff, and the fresh lunch on the island.
Regarding ride times, a regular ride usually takes 45 minutes to an hour, travel times can increase during major holidays like New Year’s Eve. This heavy traffic is unique to these special dates and is not typical of our everyday service.
Since the island has no running fresh water or electricity, local residents, not the tour company collect a small contribution of $1 used to bring water from the mainland, to keep the restrooms operational in such a remote location. However we offer free washrooms on our boat and marina.
We had a great experience with this company. Our tour guide Joel was great a friendly, made us feel very welcomed! They were very accommodating , especially with me being pregnant. Very family friendly and the food was great. Would recommend :) we saw monkeys, dolphins, hogs etc
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your lovely review! We are so glad to hear that you had a great experience and that Joel made you feel so welcome.
We take great pride in being family-friendly and are happy we could accommodate you during your pregnancy to ensure you were comfortable. It’s wonderful that you enjoyed the food and all the wildlife sightings, from the monkeys to the dolphins! We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you and your family again!
Emanuel, captain Jo and Filipe were excellent, fun, safe, and respectful guides offering much knowledge and consideration on a FUN filled excursion! The people in Costa Rica are beautifully kind and this group of young men exemplified that characteristic! The food was delicious and safety was a top priority. Thank you for a great time!!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad Emanuel, Captain Jo, and Filipe made your excursion fun, safe, and memorable. It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed the food and felt well cared for. We truly appreciate your review and hope to welcome you back soon!
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY FOR YOUR TOUR!
Our guide and chef were excellent, but the tour itself was a huge disappointment. I originally booked for Friday, but the operator canceled less than 12 hours beforehand via text due to low numbers. No alternative arrangements were offered, and I was lucky to even see the message as my phone was in airplane mode. I had to rearrange my trip and practically beg to be accommodated on Saturday instead.
Even then, the replacement tour only went to Isla Tortuga — none of the other advertised stops (Tarcoles Bridge, Puntarenas Lighthouse, Islas Negritos, Gulf of Nicoya) were included. I paid for a full multi-stop adventure and got only a single destination. Beautiful island, but not what was sold.
I asked only for a partial refund, yet the tour company has ghosted me. Viator was no help either — they showed no empathy and simply sided with the operator, which makes me question how carefully they vet their partners. Next time, I’d rather book directly with local operators.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
We're glad to hear you enjoyed our service and our unbeatable lunch. Our team works hard to provide a unique experience.
we regret that you didn't enjoy the multiples stops indicated on our tour. Upon reviewing your experience, we discovered that you traveled on our land and water transportation, and to get to the island, we need to pass by each location described unless we travel by air. The islands, the bridge, and the lighthouse are currently unavailable for relocation. Next time, we will require our team to wake up passengers. Once again thanks so much for your recomendation as local operators we highly appreciate.
We had an amazing time! they were so kind and accommodating! We saw monkeys, we snorkeled, saw some amazing views, ate a delicious meal... What's not to love?
Trip was amazing Veronica our host was very easy going n went above n beyond to make experience memorable! We seen spider monkeys(feed them fruits), whales, dolphins, turtles, peacocks, n wild boar snatching ppl unattended food on the beach. It's an all day trip so make sure you're well rested, wear comfy clothing, hats, n lotttt of sunscreen. BYOB n snack although decent lunch is serve complimentary. small intimate group trip my family of 4 were paired with family of 8 and another group of 4 and that basically max capacity for that boat. Although small boat you get a wonderful experience. Thanks again for the wonderful memories pura vida🇨🇷🍻
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Your review means a lot to us! Thank you for choosing our family company TM Tours, we’re so glad to hear about what made your visit special. Hope to see you back soon!! pura vida!!
This tour was great. The operator provided everything mentioned in the description and took us to great spots to see whales, dolphins, and spider monkeys. The guide, Veronica, was so nice and professional. I booked this tour because one of my kids wanted to do it, but I wasn't wild about being gone all day. But I'm glad we did this. The day actually went quickly with the beautiful boat ride, sights, and time at the beach. Also, we were picked up on time, and the driver was waiting upon our return.
Regarding the island, bring water shoes because there are a LOT of sharp shells in the water. The island is a tourist trap, because you have to pay $1 for the bathroom and $10 to rent a chair unless those are included in your tour cost. But anyone who doesn't expect tourist traps in areas heavy with tourists is naive. I avoided either fee by going to the bathroom before we left port and sitting at the picnic table under the pavilion assigned to our tour operator. I think each tour operator gets an assigned area. The food was delicious. Costa Rica has the most tender and moist chicken I've ever had. So, take this tour with this operator, and you won't be disappointed.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Pura vida!! mrs. Lori, thanks so much for your kind words! We love seeing our passengers enjoy their time with us—it truly makes our day!.
I traveled with a party of 12. We had a wonderful time on this excursion. Communication was wonderful, and Veronica, the tour guide, and Joh, the captain, were great. We saw dolphins, spider monkeys, wild pigs, crocodiles, and a sea turtle. The beach was beautiful and the food was delicious. We had a good time on the boat ride listening to the music. My only complaint would be that the snorkeling was very crowded, but I understand that the company can not control that. We are a family of avid swimmers, and being stuck around so many people who could not swim was frustrating, so Veronica gave us the option to head to the beach sooner than we planned. That worked out well for us. I would recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
pura vida!! Thanks for the lovely feedback, your experience means a lot for us!. Vero love to share her office.
We paid the $10 per person transport fee and it was well worth it. They picked us up right on time at our hotel and got us to the marina. We were paired with another group of about six, which was totally fine because there was plenty of room on the boat. The crew did a great job of showing us wildlife like a crocodile, monkeys, dolphins, sea turtles and a ton of fish on our snorkeling adventure.
Water and fresh fruit were provided and much appreciated.
Once we got to the island we paid the $20 to rent 2 beach chairs and started enjoying the beach. Lunch was served about 45 min later and was very tasty.
The teenagers enjoyed a ride in the banana boat for $10. We all enjoyed the water.
Boat ride back was smooth except for the monsoon type rain that started about 10 min before we got to the dock. That was no one’s fault though.
We had a wonderful time and would 100% recommend.
They canceled our reservation the night before at 11:30 PM—when we were scheduled to meet the next morning at 7 AM. I had reached out multiple times starting 11 days in advance with no response.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Pura vida mr. Carlos, we regret the cancellation of your booking, but as we explain you Quepos is located 4 hour from our marina. Since we knew you won't be on time, in order to help you, we took the time to advise you to look for a closer company and we comunicate on time that your booking would be cancelled to avoid you loss money. Other companies would have simply charged you the reservation and taked your money cause they are not google map employees. but that's not our case we always look for the best for our passengers, even if is not appreciate. we are happy cause we have help you to avoid you a loss of your money. pura vida!!
The experience with Emmanuel and his team was amazing, fresh food, grand sights and soft beaches are what to expect when you travel with this extremely professional crew. He was gracious enough to show us wide nosed crocodiles, fish lipped dolphins, an assortment of tree hanging monkeys and needle toothed sharks to give you that extra thrill.
Overall I’d rate the Experience a whopping 20/10 and I’d highly recommend that you stop on by and pay him a visit! Thank you, Emmanuel, the Captain, and our shuttle driver Bryan who all worked incredibly hard to create the greatest experience ever.
We had such a lovely time on this boat tour, especially since it was our last day in Costa Rica! It was a relaxing day on the boat and island and we really got to do what we wanted! Snorkeling was super cool before hitting the island which had different activities to pick from if you chose to. Everything on the island is additional (bathroom, chairs, etc) but worth coming for sure. Emanuel and Captain Jo were great, super attentive and encouraged us to do have fun!
Cancelled at last minute. Didn't go . Very poor communication. I had to message multiple times for a answer
Response from Host, Mar 2025
I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of our tour but for us your safety is our priority. We understand how frustrating this can be, and thats the reason that when we have this conditions we notify prior the cancellation. All our team strive to provide an amazing day, however when we have this conditions we prefer your safety despite the money value. Once again sorry for not being able to provided the tour.
Book it! We saw crocodiles, had lovely ride to Isla Tortuga. Saw dolphins, spider monkeys, pelicans, and a wild boar. Our guides were all friendly. The beach was lovely. The fish lunch was DELICIOUS.
My kids loved the variety of activities - boat cruise, snorkeling, watching monkeys and spending time on a beautiful island. The adults enjoyed learning more about the history of the protected islands and peninsula as well as the activities.. The crew was welcoming and helpful.
The tour was fantastic, everything was perfect and the time of the first fruit platter was impeccable. The boat ride and the scenery was beautiful. The snorkeling was well organized and they had all the equipment you needed. Emanuel and his crew were great hosts, Emanuel was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, he shared some great facts and gave us an unforgettable experience. Thank you very much! Merry Christmas 🎄
This tour was educational and super fun!! Emanuel and his crew were exceptional!! Friendly and attentive service, we felt like we were on a tour with friends!!
Veronica and our Captain C were great! Such good service and knowledgable. The lunch was yummy. The island was beautiful. We would recommend this tour!
Manuel was extremely dedicated to his work, his kindness and enthusiasm was above and beyond. While we were snorkeling, he made sure everyone was safe and also having as much fun as they could. He never runs out of fun facts and awesome stories about the islands. If you are debating whether or not to take this trip, this is your sign !! Book with Manuel and you’ll be feeling pura vida mae 🤙🏼🐢🏝️
The tour was so great, and Emmanuel was an excellent guide. He did a great job of pointing out wildlife and sharing knowledge of the area and species with us. There wasn’t a dull moment, the day was filled with activity and fun.
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$109.25
per personWas $115.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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