Tortuga Island Private Boat Tour from Jaco with Snorkel, Meals
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Jaco, Costa Rica
- 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Skip the crowded group sightseeing boat tours and enjoy a private and personalized cruise to Tortuga Island. This private boat tour from Jaco takes care of the logistics while giving your group the freedom to enjoy the island at your own pace. Cruise across the Gulf of Nicoya, look for dolphins and other marine life along the way, and hop off board to swim, snorkel, and relax on the beach.
- Beat the crowds: Arrive at your snorkel site before other tours
- Stay fueled with breakfast, lunch, snacks, and beverages
- Enjoy hotel pickup and drop-off for a seamless experience
- Relax on the beach with provided chairs and shade
What's Included
- LunchA fresh cooked hot lunch with Fish , chicken or vegetarian lunch will be served in shaded picnic area
- BreakfastA breakfast snack from our local bakery with a drink
- Alcoholic BeveragesWater, some beers and Rumpunch during the day are served, juice for minors
- SnacksAt your beachchairs Fresh cut tropical fruit will be served
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Subwings will be included and a stand up paddleboard
- beachchairs with shade provided
- Private transportation
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Start time.7:30 am
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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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
Robert is a very easy-going expert sailor. He was flexible with our start time. And provided tasty empanadas and a very nice lunch provided by his lovely fiancé!. He had plenty for us to do without rushing our timeline and was flexible to our wishes. Avoid the large crowds on the tour boats and go with a smaller group and customize your experience on the water and out at Tortuga Island. I highly recommend Robert, when I go back, I’ll be signing up for the tour again!
Reviews
5.0
based on 84 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
We had an amazing trip and would highly recommend this experience! Everything from pick up to drop off was extremely convenient and easy. We enjoyed all of the activities. The sub wings, in particular, were a unique and fun experience for everyone. The breakfast and lunch were delicious and we enjoyed the
homemade Costa Rican food. Robert was a great guide and made sure that we were entertained and happy the entire day! There’s no better way to see Tortuga Island, and this was one of the highlights of our entire trip in Costa Rica.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much Brittany for choosing us and your lovely words. Its always a pleasure to have such happy people on board.
Our trip to Tortuga Island stared out with some very unfortunate weather however we made it to the Island safely with Robert as our captains. Fortunately it cleared up and we were able to try snorkeling and sub winging which was fun. On the beach we enjoyed a nice meal made by Robert’s wife and we had a much nicer ride back to the main land. Would definitely recommend this excursion!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you Krista for your nice review and confidence in me and the weather. Kind regards Robert
Highly recommend Robert and Subwing Costa Rica. We had the perfect day. Really enjoyed the personal touch. Homemade empanadas for breakfast and homemade hot lunch that was amazing. Loved the boat ride, beach, Subwing and snorkeling. This is so much better than a big group tour. Was so nice could specialize to us. Thank you so much, Robert. We will see you next trip. Pura Vida.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Carla thank you so much for your excellent review and for choosing us. It was my pleasure having you, warm regards capt Robert
Rob was a wonderful individual it was the best experience of anywhere I've ever been in my life.
He was very kind attentive and a wonderful guide and person
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for one of the best reviews I have ever received. It was great having you with your daughter Ella and friend Rene.
I will cherish the full face mask you gave me after the tour.
Hope to may receive you again.
Warm regards Robert
Robert is a very easy-going expert sailor. He was flexible with our start time. And provided tasty empanadas and a very nice lunch provided by his lovely fiancé!. He had plenty for us to do without rushing our timeline and was flexible to our wishes. Avoid the large crowds on the tour boats and go with a smaller group and customize your experience on the water and out at Tortuga Island. I highly recommend Robert, when I go back, I’ll be signing up for the tour again!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for the 5 stars review Christine and your beautiful words. Hope to receive you some next vacation again.
We had a good day in the island. Robert, our captain, made us feel safe all the time despite the weather conditions. It was warm and sunny, but pretty windy, and we arrived completely soaked to the island. Due to the conditions we only managed to do some snorkeling from the different possible activities. At the snorkeling we saw many different colorful fishes. The food cooked by Robert’s partner was delicious and we had also plenty of drinks. We did not manage to see any animas on the way to the island but saw wild pigs and lizards in isla Tortuga.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for your excellent review Nieves, I wish I could control the weather conditions but I cant.
Thank you for your confidence in me and the boat. It was nice hearing your kids say that the ride was funny.
Warm regards Robert
Captain Robert and Jordan took care of everything. We literally just showed up. Great boat ride. Beat some other outfits to snorkel spots, which meant we had the spots to ourselves, which we enjoyed.
We saw a pod of humpback whales on our boat ride out. We saw white tip reef sharks at a snorkel spot. Lunch was great. The only downside was the crowd at the beach on Tortuga Island. But, we went on a Saturday. And we had our own space. It was just pretty crowded. Homemade empanadas for breakfast and homemade arroz con pollo for lunch. It was a great day.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you Stuart for your excellent review.
We were blessed with a nice Whale show.
And yes weekends can get a bit crowdy. We can also visit the neighboring beach which is more private, but no beacchairs though over there.
It was our pleasure having you warm regards Robert and Jordan
Very friendly tour guide who kept us abreast about weather conditions and water visibility. We didn’t get the boat advertised due to technical issues, but the padding on the boat they used was very comfortable for the pumps. We were able to see and feed the spider monkeys. We used our leftover empanadas to feed the fish as we snorkeled and the fish were everywhere. Then we traveled to a beach were we spent the rest of the day. They had a paddle board, soccer ball and football for our enjoyment. The beach chairs were reserved for us and we truly had the best seats on the beach with umbrellas. Fruits and drinks were brought to our chairs and lunch was fish, potato, salad, and rice and beans. Then around 1420 we headed back. It takes about an hour each direction and you get pretty soaked from the waves. Jordan did offer to take some group photos. Wish there was more to do on the beach, but it gets crowded and the sand is very rocky. But the day was still enjoyable and very relaxing.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi Tonja thank you for your review, sometimes the golf can get choppy but we always do our best to get you back in the most comfy way. I m glad you enjoyed Jordan s care on the beach.
We have our own comfortable boat operating again.
Warm regards Robert
This is a great day for everyone in your party!
Snorkeling, lounging, sub wing, a delicious lunch-and spider monkeys. Captain Robert is a solid dude, and when you see the boats crammed to the brim with people you will be so grateful to have your own boat, to spend the day as you wish.
We saw monkeys, dolphins, sea turtles, and whales while we were out. Perfect activity for our party of seven, including teenagers.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your 5 star review and your visit onboard our boat.Its always our pleasure to have happy people onboard. We were lucky with all the marine life we saw.
Warm regards Robert
This was a fantastic day! Not only did we see a whale, we also snorkeled, subwinged, relaxed, and ate well! I highly recommend Captain Robert and his tour. How ever you want to spend your day, he’ll make it happen.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much Hanna for your nice review.
Great captain great time boat ride. We had a blast. The food was good and they had a store there and pop up bars for all the necessities lol
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you Juan for your visit and thank you for your excellent review.
Great day on the water and at Tortuga. We got a bit foiled by some patches of red tide which was definitely not Robert’s fault but did interfere (a bit) with the sub wing and snorkeling and even time on the beach. We all made the best of it. Robert was great and when we saw the masses loading and unloading from the giant ferries at the island, having the mellower, private experience was definitely worth it! Monkeys did not show for us but we ended the day with something even better than monkeys…. A sighting of a momma whale at its calf. Amazing!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you Richard for your nice words and 5 stars, it was nice having your family.
If you love a boat ride on the ocean and white sandy beaches this is for you.
I have been on a number of catamaran rides but having your own smaller boat that allows you to customize the tour around the islands is the best.
Robert our guide waa awesome! Ready to cater to all our needs. Yummy empenadas for breakfast and delicious rum punch throughout the day.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for your excellent review and your visit with us. It was my pleasure having you.
We had the best day with Robert! I highly suggest booking this tour if you want a more tailored experience. My son has a hard time with large groups of people so I switched last minute from the catamaran and was so happy I did. We all had lots of fun! I highly recommend this experience, it was a highlight of our trip!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for choosing us over the Shared busy catamaran tour. It was my pleasure having you and doing all the activities together. Warm regards Robert
Great experience for the whole family. We really enjoyed the day. Tortuga Island is beautiful and the weather cooperated nicely. Robert is a fantastic guide and took care of all of us. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave an excellent review. It was my pleasure having you.
Boat Disclaimer:
While the service itself was excellent, the speedboat transportation was unexpectedly rough. We trusted the 5-star reviews and did no further research of our own and quickly realized how intense crossing the Pacific Ocean in a speedboat could be. One of our group members has a severe neck injury, and this was definitely not the calm, scenic ride we had envisioned. If anyone in your party has spine, neck, or back issues, please know this is not a leisurely cruise to Tortuga Island. Robert is a skilled and attentive captain, it just wasn’t the gentle journey we were expecting.
That said, we thoroughly enjoyed our day with Robert. He is incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and made sure everyone felt taken care, especially my sister, who is celiac. Seeing the monkeys and relaxing at the beach were unforgettable highlights. This experience is amazing for the right group, just be sure you’re physically fit for the ride.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you so much for your 5 star review and your detailed review. It is always a pleasure to do my utmost to give you all I can, Unfortunately the Ocean can be a bit rough every now and then. On the way back when I knew the condition of your sister I tried my utmost to make the ride as smooth as I could, going slower is not always the best smoothest, I have to find the right speed to get in rhythm with the waves.
Once again I thank you for your visit and thank you for your confidence. regards Robert
Wonderful! Highly recommend this tour. We say monkeys on Monkey Island, snorkeled, used subwings which is awesome, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch on Isla Tortuga.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your 5 star review Brett, It was my pleasure having you and great to hear you had a wonderful day. regards Robert
We had a wonderful time with Captain Robert! Two snorkeling spots with an effort to find some sharks, sub wing, SUP, and relaxing on the beach. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a more personalized experience than the large “cattle boat” style tours.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Hi Catherine , thank you for choosing us over the Cattle boats, haha, and thank you for your 5 star review. Its always a pleasure to have happy people onboard.
This experience was adrenaline pumping but yet the most amazing experience. Our Captain was so fun and friendly, made the trip very special. It was so relaxing, and just an overall beautiful experience . The monkeys were absolutely my favorite, we enjoyed them so much!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you Stanassia glad we found the monkeys for you, and you enjoyed the adrenaline rush. haha. Yes I love the new powerhouse on the boat myself. regards Robert
Absolutely stunning day & Robert our host was very friendly & went out of his way to make sure we saw everything possible & great activities
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you so much for your visit and your excellent review. It was my pleasure having you.
Great day on the water. Roberto was very accommodating. The snorkeling was amazing. Everything was setup for us in advance.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you so much for your 5 star review and your visit. we are happy when you had an amazing day.
Robert is an excellent communicator and does a great job of making guests feel welcome right away. This tour is a great choice for groups with a mix of experienced snorkelers/divers and older kids/first timers. Great job finding spots that balanced the current, visibility, and things to see. Robert went out of his way to stay close to the kids added safety when the current pushed their limits. Great way to experience Tortuga Island for lunch as well. Robert and his crew have the whole process dialed in. There were only 4 of us but paying for the 5 person minimum was well worth it for amenities that were organized for us. Lots of fish on the snorkeling spots with a chance to see white tip reef sharks.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you Dan for your excellent review, it was my pleasure to have you onboard and show the Fishies to you and your daughter.
Nice boat, and Robert and Jordon were gracious hosts. The monkeys didn’t show up for us, but the snorkeling was world-class with plentiful reef fish, starfish, sharks and a turtle. The lunch was good, and beach time was very relaxing and comfortable.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
thank you so much for your excellent review Daryl, it was excellent having you and yes I enjoying the snorkeling myself a lot too. warm regards Robert
Wonderful experience for a private tour to Tortuga Island! Snorkeling was great! It was a must having reserved chairs for shade on the island. Drinks, fresh fruit, and lunch were great. We would definitely do again!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
thank you so much Kayla for coming on our tour. it was excellent having you and your family.
We were fortunate to have a lovely clear blue sky day for our all day boat and beach adventure. Our guide and skipper, Eric, was professional and knowledgeable, and a very nice person. For example, Eric unexpectedly stopped our boat in front of an island. There were several other boats floating near us.
Suddenly, Eric flung peeled bananas at the rocky shore and to our surprise and delight, monkeys hustled to the beach to nab those banana treats. We were delighted. And the people on the other boats who were also hoping to see "wildlife" got lucky because of Eric.
As we motored across the sea, Eric told us about the local fish and fishing, about the sea life we would see at the snorkel spot and about some of the marine history of Costa Rica.
There were lots of boats at the famed snorkel spot. But unfortunately, the ocean currents were very strong and most people were not comfortable in the water or hurrying to get out of the water. I was very disappointed. I would have liked a "plan B" snorkel spot in a more protected area. Though it might not be as fabulous, at least we would have all been able to spend time under the water watching the sea life.
Lunch on the beach was delicious. We hung out on chaise lounge beach chairs with umbrellas. We also saw wild pigs, birds, iguanas.
However, we were not offered the promised opportunity to use stand up paddle boards. I'm a big SUP person and was disappointed. But, we tried out the Subwings. And when Eric gunned the boat's engine, we felt like we were flying under the water.
In my view, this was a lovely, relaxing and thrilling experience.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
hi Vandy thank you for your detailed review , great you had a nice experience, very little time there are stronger currents here, sorry Eric didnt try to look for other spot but probably would have been the same. I think there was a problem with the airpump for the supboard, i m sorry you couldnt do that, we have a new supboard and airpump since. Pura Vida
Absolutely perfect day on the water with Robert! 10/10 recommend. We saw spider monkeys, javelinas, and even a whale! The whale was a very nice surprise.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Hi jenna, yes we were so lucky to see the whale in the end that was very cool, the first one of the north migration I saw this year, thank you so much for choosing us it was a great pleasure having you. warm regards Robert
Experience consisted of boat ride, monkey island, snorkeling (beautiful fish), and time at Tortuga Island beach with lunch (very tasty). Water, beer, juice, and rum punch included. Captain very nice and knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you Courtney for your excellent review and thank you for choosing us. it was our pleasure having you.
Our captain, Eric was phenomenal. From start to finish, he made the trip perfect. He pointed out almost a dozen whales on our boat ride, which we got to see play, splash and jump! We saw sting rays and the famous monkey island!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you Christa for your excellent review, that day you were blessed with lots of whales.
Thank you for your visit.
Both the owner and the tour guide were super friendly. The entire day trip was fun and exciting for all ages!
It was an action packed day with time to relax as well!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your review Chava, it was our pleasure having you.
I booked our group of 8 a few months before our trip on June 17, 2024. Very easy to book and reliable communication all the way to the morning of our trip. Capt.Robert and Eric were great hosts to us on the boat! We had breakfast, drinks and a great lunch with tuna, rice and salad while we were on the beach! Rum punch was very good! We fed monkeys from the boat and went snorkeling for as long as we wanted! The beach at Tortuga island was beautiful with lots of palm trees etc. Capt. Robert had beach chairs so we could relax on beach. A nice boat ride and wonderful day! All 8 of us would highly recommend Capt. Robert and Eric. They were very personable and knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you so much for your nice review, we have a great day when we our guests had a great day.
Thank you for your visit
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$190.00
per personWas $200.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Tortuga Island Private Boat Tour from Jaco with Snorkel, Meals
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