Beset by great swaths of Costa Rica’s coastal rainforests, and only accessible by air or river, the tiny little village of Tortuguero has become a top contender for the country’s prime eco-tourist hub. Famed across the globe as one of the top places to spot endangered sea turtles, thousands of which clamber up the shores here between July and August, Tortuguero also reigns as the perfect base point for exploring its eponymous national park. Here, sweeping mangrove swamps hug crystal-clear lagoons and jaguars stalk with spectacled caiman between the brackish backwaters. The town itself is a cluster of brightly coloured cottages and soulful bungalows with something of an artsy, Carib flavour, where Cuban ditties echoing from the cafes and sugarcane juices flow from the street stalls. Tortuguero tour guides offer a variety of different excursions from the center, ranging from hiking expeditions into the jungle to turtle spotting tours, and canoe trips on the murky natural canals all around.