This Blog is part of our Costa Rica Retirement Travel series.
If you’d like to catch up on our earlier Costa Rica adventures, visit Pink Bear’s Retirement Journey. For all our adventures and tips, go to:
Pink Bear’s Retirement Journey
What do spider monkeys, tropical fish, white sand beaches, and retirement travel have in common? We found all of them on a memorable day trip to Tortuga Island off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
Since she was already rather pink, Pink Bear decided not to risk a sunburn and spent the day researching other travel destinations for us.
Pink Bear selected Subwing tours for this excursion, based on the tour description and reviews. This tour was reserved through TripAdvisor. Both Tours by Locals and TripAdvisor are excellent sources of information, and Pink Bear utilizes both extensively in her research.
Subwing Costa Rica is a tour company based in Jaco, Costa Rica. They offer various types of water-based tours from the bay in Herradura. Pink Bear chose the Tortuga Island private tour for us, based on our retirement strategy.
The communication with Robert, the owner, was handled through WhatsApp. It was very good. We set off for the meeting point in Herradura, following Robert’s instructions, and he was there waiting for us when we arrived.
Robert is originally from the Netherlands, but after a visit to Costa Rica many years ago, he decided to move here. He has now been here for about 17 years. There is no dock in Herradura, and a transport boat takes people to their boats in the little harbor. He called for the transport boat, and after a few minutes, we waded into the water toward the board the boat.
Heading on to the transport boat
Robert’s boat was a comfortable bow rider. Soon we were speeding toward Tortuga Island with the wind in our faces. It was a very bouncy and exhilarating ride. As the Costa Rican shoreline receded, we relaxed and prepared to experience our next adventure.
Tortuga Island is often considered one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful island destinations, known for its white sand beaches, turquoise water, and tropical scenery. While many visitors arrive on large group excursions, we appreciated experiencing it through a smaller private tour.
Spider Monkey Spotting:
Our first stop at Tortuga Island was to see spider monkeys. Four species of monkeys are native to the forests of Costa Rica: the Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), the Panamanian white-faced capuchin (Cebus imitator), the mantled howler (Alouatta palliata), and Geoffroy’s spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). We saw white-faced monkeys in the mangrove. On Tortuga, there are spider monkeys and howler monkeys. We only saw the spider monkeys. As we cruised the coastline, we scanned for the monkeys. Soon they began descending toward the shoreline, and it quickly became one of the highlights of the day. Watching them leap effortlessly across the rocks and forage along the water’s edge was fascinating
Snorkeling:
Next stop was a spot off the coast to snorkel. Subwing provides all the equipment needed to snorkel, but I did bring my own full-face mask. I am claustrophobic, so the full-face mask is the only way I can snorkel. It is the most up-to-date version, and there are no issues with carbon dioxide inhalation with this type of mask.
The water was not like the Caribbean; it was much murkier. I did see some colorful fish and was surrounded at one point by a big school of little fish, but it was hard to take pictures. I got a few.
After snorkeling Robert offered to let us play on the Subwing, but this group of retirees declined for safety reasons. I am known for being accident prone, having broken various body parts on my adventures, I felt it necessary to decline, even though it seemed quite safe.
Soon we set off for some relaxation on the beach of Tortuga Island. On the island we were provided with comfortable beach chairs and umbrellas.
There were water toys and sports available to keep everyone busy. The beach is wide and level and the water was relatively calm and warm providing a great opportunity to swim and relax.
As the sun began to set, it was time to leave our beachside paradise and head back to the mainland.
One of the things I love most about retirement travel is having the time to truly experience a destination rather than rushing through it. Tortuga Island gave us the chance to enjoy wildlife, snorkeling, beautiful beaches, and a relaxing day on the water all in a single excursion.
Watching spider monkeys along the shoreline, floating among schools of tropical fish, and relaxing beneath the palm trees reminded us exactly why we chose this retirement lifestyle.
If you are staying in Jaco or the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica, I would highly recommend adding Tortuga Island to your itinerary.
Retirement Tour Rating:
⭐ Retirement Comfort Level: 10/10
⭐ Adventure Level: Calm/Moderate
⭐ Pink Bear Approved: Yes
Tips for a Tortuga Island Day Trip
- Wear a bathing suit and cover up
- Bring towels, sunscreen and sunglasses
- Bring an underwater camera if you plan to snorkel
- Private tours offer great personalized service and flexibility