Tortuguero National Park protects the rainforest, canals, lagoons, and nesting beaches around the village. The classic trip is an early morning canoe or quiet motorboat ride through the narrow waterways, when monkeys are active and birds work the banks.
Go with a good guide. Much of the wildlife is close but hard to spot: caimans lying still in muddy water, night herons in shadow, basilisk lizards on branches, and howler monkeys high in the canopy. The park also has short forest trails near the village, but the canals are the heart of the place.