Hotel El Icaco Tortuguero

Costa Rica , Caribbean Coast / Tortuguero
TORTUGUERO, 200 M South Of Plaza De Deportes
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50 reviews shown

8/10

Excellent

18 Mar 2026

Lars

Great location, but you can’t swim in the water.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

12 Nov 2025

George

Was Ok

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

23 Dec 2024

Becky

A basic and quirky hotel; great hospitality.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2024

Andrew

Super nice people. Close to the ocean.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

25 Oct 2024

Lynn

Nicely located hotel.

Nice hotel, very close to jaguar trail and the beach. Was a 5/10 min walk into town for restaurants. As it is slightly outside the town it was nice and quiet.Room basic but had hot water and wi fi.Staff great and helped me navigate paying my park fees online.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Aug 2024

Linda

Tortuguero is such a cute town! We weren’t sure we wanted to make the drive but we loved it. The boat ride from La Pavona is beautiful and the town is great for walking around and shopping. We took a guided night hike and saw a turtle laying eggs on the beach! The staff were very nice and helpful and the air conditioning in the rooms was nice. Only stayed one night but loved it!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2024

Verified traveler

Excellent

Amazing staff. Great location. I really recommend it :)

Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2021

Verified traveler

Perfect spot. Right on the beach . Very clean. Comfy bed.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

Position good basic facilities. Tour information good and tours taken excellent.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

The people here were incredible. Even with the mix up on our room, the service and amazing staff made our stay here awesome!

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

11 Feb 2020

William

The charm of a remote area

The room was spacious enough with a nice bathroom and shower. No aircon but a powerful fan mounted on the ceiling. We had a big rainstorm and wind the first night. The power went out and I couldn't see a thing. Bring a flashlight as the power also went out almost every day for a shorter time. The beach on the Caribbean coast was right across the street. I loved it as it was nearly deserted and unspoiled (natural). Seemed like 2 places when it was stormy or sunny. Had a nice restaurant for breakfast and good help with arranging canoe trips and guided walks. The town was a short walk but a bit tricky. I got lost coming back in the dark (again a flashlight is helpful) The place is absolutely charming with great places to eat in town.It was hot when the sun came out and steamy when it rained.

Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

The staff were very friendly and it was helpful that we could use the pool at a sister restaurant. The hotel is at the less touristy, more residential side of town, which may be off-putting for some people. The only real downside was the lack of air conditioning. Instead, I spent a lot of time in the hammock which benefited from the sea breeze. Fantastic pancakes.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

The community hammock area was great. The location in the ocean was great. Hearing the waves st night was perfect.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 May 2017

Verified traveler

Nice hammock area with sea views.

Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Mar 2017

Good hotel

The hotel is by the beautiful beach. The hotel is very clean and all staff are nice. Breakfast is very good! If I will visit this place next time, I will stay here again.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2017

Ella

Next to beach and the hammocks are great!

This is likely one of the best hotels in Tortuguero but it's still a Costa Rican hotel in a small town so don't be expecting the Hilton. And have you seen the price! A great deal! Tortuguero is a tiny town and at the boat dock in LaPavona a representative from the hotel, named Curly, met us and made sure we were on the water taxi. He spoke great English and walked us through town us to the hotel when we arrived. He was also our guide on an early morning canoe ride the next day.He paddled us all around the lagoon, which was fantastic! Tons of wildlife...Capuchin Monkeys nearly jumped in our boat, they were so close. He had a great eye and a clear love for his town.

8/10

Excellent

14 Dec 2016

Verified traveler

Pretty, clean, simple but all you need.

Only had 1 night but did the job nicely for a low price in great location.
Pool is a public one down the street.
Pretty and colourful location.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2016

Norma

Nine days in Tortuguero

Stayed in Tortuguero for 9 days. I had been there before, but it was a quick trip and couldn't do much. So I decided to stay longer this time. I took a canoe trip in the National Park and got to see so many kinds of animal. I got lucky!
I also visited the Conservation of Turtle Museum, it was great. Walked in the pouring rain which was awesome. In California we don't get much rain. Hung out with the locals, listened to Reggae and ate at all the restaurants. The hotel has hammocks available for the guest facing the ocean. Hearing the waves crash while on the hammocks was so relaxing. The hotel also has a pool but it's located on their other property, which isn't to far away.There are many other activities to do such as kayaking, zip lines, fishing and in season Turtle watching. Just ask the hotels staff and they will help you with all your activity needs. Overall I had an awesome trip.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2015

Verified traveler

Great value

Great location, right by the beach! The hostel is very colorful and looks nice from the outside. The room we stayed in had 3 beds, not the most comfortable but good enough to spend a night or couple while traveling. We contacted the hotel a day before our stay and asked about transportation from the Tortuguero Airport. We had a water taxi come and take us to town, someone greeted us there and walked us right to the hotel. There was a kitchen available for breakfast (eggs and toast with fresh fruit and coffee/tea, pretty good and not expensive) but payment for the meals was not managed well, we ended up paying twice because the person we gave our money to the first day didn't write it down. Overall great value for the price!

Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2015

Verified traveler

Nice place by the sea

This is a good value for money hotel right by the beach. Everything is about right for the price you pay here. Maybe a little breakfast included would be nice. We tried to eat there but they were so busy and we had to go for our tour so no breakfast for us that day :(

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2015

J and M and O

Very close to beach and awesome view

Very nice accommodation. Breakfast good for the price, and included juice and coffee too. We stayed 2 nights and enjoyed Tortuguero. Do not forget to take the recommended canoe tour.

8/10

Excellent

23 Feb 2015

orly

good for the money

good for the monney, close to the sea

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

09 Apr 2014

Alice

OK place to overnite in Tortuguero

We were fortunate to have linked up with a guide, who took us to the hostel after we got off the river boat. It would have been quite hard to find otherwise. The hostel is close to the ocean side, which made for nice surf sounds and a breeze, and looks nice. The rooms are clean but very basic and the fan just took the edge off the heat. We unfortunately had a very loud group of drinking and smoking Dutch people (old enough to know better) staying in the next few rooms and, as there is only screen on the windows, this was unpleasant.

Mabel was very nice and helpful and I loved seeing the children of the family running the hostel playing around the nice gardens.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2014

Susanne

perfect for this price

Great hostel directly across the beach! Has even a terrasse to sit outside, and some hammocks. The Reataurant part is not bad and very inexpensive.Go for it!

Partner

4/10

Poor

20 Jul 2013

Jeong J

Way overpriced!

I honestly don't get what all the super positive reviews are all about...
It's not a bad place by any means...hammocks are cool, proximity to the beach is nice (even though you can't swim in it)...I just had to knock my rating down to poor because it is NOT a good value for the dollar...we paid $82 a night (with taxes and all through hotel.com) for a triple room...the room is basically a budget hostel room, barely enough space for the 3 of us to move around and a shower with water that is not cold (not even close to warm)...I get that Tortuguero is remote so I did not expect the Ritz Carlton, but I feel about half of what we paid would be a fair price for this place...
as for the \"friendly\" owner Calixto...when we checked in he says \"everything is taken care of\" (referring to my PRE-paid hotel.com reservation...then all of a sudden, the night before checking out, he tells me I have not paid for the room...\"100%, you did not\"...not sure how friendly he was to other people but that was pretty much my only interaction with him...pretty far from bend-over-backward friendly as everyone else put...
I do have to give props to Leonardo, one of the guides affiliated with the hotel, he knows his stuff, and I loved kayaking in the canals with him...
Bottom line, there are better places...or at least better value places in town...pretty much any place other than the Icaco will be a better value...

Family

6/10

Pleasant

06 Mar 2013

Verified traveler

Simple place close to town

Keep in mind that you are in a really remote location. The upscale hotels in that area are in general not in walking distance to the town of Tortuguero and you need to use the boat shuttles to get their. The B&B Icaco is in walking distance to the town center with Restaurants and Supermarkets. The team is really lovely and do their best to make you comfortable and the tour provider they work with did a really good job. They are right on the beach, which is nice. Breakfast is standard. But this is a simple place, don't expect any luxury.

6/10

Pleasant

18 Feb 2013

Verified traveler

rustic but adequate

landscape was excellent , rooms were clean, help was very friendly,beds were comfortable, bathroom was very small for someone my size. breakfasts were good , fruit was very fresh and delightfull. price was very fair.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2013

Verified traveler

People were great, loved the outdoor kitchen and would tell all my friends about it

6/10

Pleasant

29 Oct 2025

Pia

Sehr grelles ungemütliches Licht,

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Sep 2024

Marco Antonio

Es un lugar sencillo como todo en la isla

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jan 2024

Francois

Très bien

6/10

Pleasant

19 Nov 2023

Geneviève

The beds were uncomfortable, and there was no hot water in the shower.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

28 Oct 2019

Gunilla

This is the place idag you want to feel like a VIP guest on your first arrival.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Aug 2019

Sally

Nice and clean hotel with very friendly staff

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Pas bon accueil

L hôtel est sommaire et surtout le jeune homme de l accueil n est pas du tout accueillant

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2018

Driss

Un séjour très positif

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2018

Driss

Je recommande cet hôtel très convivial avec un personnel bien chaleureux. Driss.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Aug 2018

Laurence

sehr gute Lage, ruhig aber im Stadtzentrum.
das Appartment ist gross und hat eine Küche. Leider hat es zu wenig Küchengeräte.

8/10

Excellent

03 Apr 2018

Michael

Godt gemt

Venlig personale, er sted man vælger for at være tæt på havet, gemt bag et lokalområde.
Lidt nedslidt og ikke alt fungerer hele tiden.
Men med lidt pura vida kan meget ordnes.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2018

Ada Laura

Buena estadia

Alojamiento tranquilo, el lugar para desayunar es muy agradable con vista al mar y el desayuno es rico. La habitación es cómoda y limpia pero 1 ventana no cerraba y no había mosquitero en 3 de las 4 ventanas. Para llegar el que nos fue a buscar al puerto nos llevó al hotel por un camino de barro y charcos con la maleta y después descubrimos que hay un camino de cemento!
El servicio de lavandería es confiable.

Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Schönes Hotel direkt am Strand

Schönes Hotel direkt am Strand mit einfachen, aber sauberen Zimmern. Im Vergleich zu andern Hotels in Tortuguero sehr gut gelegen. Die Touren würden wir beim nächsten Mal allerdings nicht mehr über das Hotel buchen.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Super fantastic!

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2017

Mare

Divertido

Tienen lo exacto para que estés bien. El desayuno fue muy bueno, la locación del lugar es excelente. El personal súper divertido y accesible. Recomiendo hacer los tours directamente con ellos, te hablan con honestidad y los precios completamente costo-beneficio. Me hicieron reír mucho y la pase muy bien.
Gracias

10/10

Exceptional

17 Aug 2017

CLODOALDO

Personal y guías muy agradables. Pasamos unos días geniales con suerte de ver tortugas poniendo huevos.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2017

Emmanuel

Hôtel bien placé et bon rapport qualité prix

Nous avion la cabane qui donne sur plage. Sympa et bon rapport qualité prix. Personnel bien. Chambre à rafraîchir un peu.

Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Jan 2017

Günther

Dem Preis einfach angemessen

Bei dem Preis kann man einfach nicht viel verlangen. Es ist sauber, ein Bett ist vorhanden, wlan funktioniert - will man mehr ist es nicht das richtige. Freundliches Personal und schöne Hängematten. Meeresrauschen inklusiv. Der Pool ist 150m entfernt und nicht sehr einladend.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Nov 2016

Pascale

Pas la peine de chercher ailleurs a Tortuguero

le meilleur rapport qualite/prix de tout notre voyage au CR. Tres grande chambre, pas de clim mais ventillateur largement suffisant pour le mois d'Oct, tres bien entretenu, merci pour les hamacs a l'exterieur devant la plage. Comptez 5-10 mn du port ; qqn est venu nous attendre a La Pavona et nous a conduit jusqu'a l'hotel. Le chemin du port ne permet pas de faire rouler des valises. L'hotel propose des guides certifies sur place pour les differentes randonnees, ce que nous avons fait avec Adrian (ponte tortues de nuit) et Roberto (jungle la nuit et tot le matin) et els 2 etaient parfaits.L'hotel nous a aussi propose gratuitement une rando sur la plage pour voir les petites tortues faire leur voyage du nid a la mer ; juste incroyable. Pas de petit mais Miss Myriam (le long du terrain de foot) fait tres bien l'affaire.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2016

Ara

Lindo, limpio y comodo

El personal es muy amable, quiero felicitar a Erick porque fue muy atento y de mucha ayuda en nuestra estancia en el hostel, esta limpio cerca de la playa y la reserva natural, definitivo me volvería a quedar ahí.

8/10

Excellent

02 Sep 2016

Christian

ois easy...

Einfaches günstiges Hotel, sehr entspanntes Management.

Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Sep 2015

peli

es un buen hotel cerca de la playa