Leaning on the railing of the observation deck at the top of Cerro Tortuguero, you will marvel at the beauty of the scenery below. Caribbean Sea, narrow strips of forest covered lands and couple of lagoons lay next to each other forming a remarkable topography. A sight of the lush forest canopy below, extending till the horizon.
On the canvas of this forest canopy, suddenly appear flashes of vivid light green and blue in motion, accompanied with loud sounds. This is normally a group of elegant Great Green Macaws in flight.

Cerro Tortuguero is a small inactive volcano that was formed around 1.8 billion years ago. You can follow the clearly laid out hiking trail to reach the top of this inactive volcano that has an altitude of 390 feet (119 meters).

Cerro Tortuguero Sector: Hours, Entry Fees and Booking Process
Cerro Tortuguero of Sector Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge is open all days of the week, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Entrance ticket is included. All included.

When booking please mention names and identification numbers of the visitors since it is required by the National Park.

Cerro Tortuguero Hiking Trail
The hiking trail of Cerro Tortuguero is an elevated platform in the initial section. It leads to a series of flights of stairs which will take you up to the top. The hike is not tremendously strenuous. But climbing a few hundred steps while handling the Caribbean heat and humidity can be challenging. So remember to carry a bottle of water with you. There are couple of resting platforms along the staircase trail. So, during the hike, you get the chance to pause for a bit and enjoy the surrounding forest while you catch a breath.

View from the Top
The view from the top is the best part of Cerro Tortuguero. There is an observation deck from where you can enjoy the scenery. If you pan your vision from left to right, your eyes will meet the sights of Caribbean Sea, Barra Tortuguero and Tortuguero town, Tortuguero lagoon, San Francisco town, Penitencia Lagoon and Sierpe hills, all positioned perfectly next to each other, with the Tortueguero National Park forest canopies extending till horizon.

Wildlife
It is not just the incredible views that you get rewarded with at Cerro Tortuguero. Keep an eye for wild creatures as you hike along the trail, as well as when you reach the observation deck at the top.

While walking on the trail, you can spot howler monkeys and macaws up in the trees, blue jeans poison dart frogs, butterflies, iguanas, and agoutis next to the hiking path. As you reach the top, you are very close to the forest canopies of the Tortuguero Mountain (Cerro Tortuguero). So, you can see the monkeys from much closer and enjoy observing their playful interactions with each other.