Gulf Island Tours: Experience Exceptional Quality on Tortuga Island Day Tours from San José

Embark on an unforgettable adventure with Gulf Island Tours. Discover the exceptional quality and highest standards on our Tortuga Island Day Tours from San José. Book now!

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Puerto Caldera - Muelle de Caldera and the Gulf of Nicoya along with the traditional ¨Chinamos from the Caldera area¨
  • Puntarenas - Panoramic view of the Puntarenense province, you can see the tourists’ walk, the cruise ship dock, the municipality and the old train station.
  • Isla San Lucas - View along the Isla San Lucas National Park…
What's Included
  • Carbonated beverages included
  • Complimentary breakfast
  • Assorted snacks available
  • Lunch provided
  • Climate-controlled vehicles
  • All taxes and fees covered
  • Tea and coffee provided
  • Access to island facilities and boats
What's Not Included
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
Additional Information

We are a pioneer company in the tours of the gulf islands, for which we have the highest quality standards, our boats being one of the largest in the country to mobilize tourists.
We have highly qualified personnel so that your experience is the best in the tours that the company offers you.
We have all the permits issued by the Costa Rican government…

Location
Bay Island Cruises
Pacific ramp dock in Puntarenas in front of the Coonatramar ticket office
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.1
(64 Ratings)
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1 star
Jose_o
Oct 4, 2024
Smooth Cruise, Let's Go - Lucho Speaking It was my fiances B Day and the crew took care of us as well as everyone us. I got lots of love from a crew member shouting "Lucho" big shot it to him if possible. The crew made the schedule smooth and the food was great. The ceviche was magical. Saxophone player lit it up. I'd recommend this cruise to anyone visiting Costa Rica. Thanks ya
Review provided by Viator
Marclorenz_p
Sep 4, 2024
Awesome people. Treated you like family. - The tour has been great.. The guides were friendly and attentive to needs. They worked tirelessly to address needs.
Review provided by Viator
Nakiella_s
Aug 24, 2024
Do it!! - This was a really cool trip but worth it! We were picked up at our hotel by a coaster bus with several passengers then driven a couple of hours to the catamaran. Breakfast, snacks and juice were provided. The island is remote and simple magnifique! The lunch was also very delicious 👌🏾
Review provided by Viator
Rosie_m
Jul 22, 2024
FUN - This trip was so fun and worth it! The lunch was great, the boat ride was fun and the tour guides were very attentive and professional!!! The best part for me was the snorkeling! We got to see a lot of beautiful fish and the tour guide was awesome! If you want to see tortuga island I would definitely recommend this tour! Oh and this tour company Bay Island Cruises picked us up from our hotel when other tour groups would not because we were 20 minutes from San Jose!
Review provided by Viator
Michelle_z
Mar 22, 2024
Great crew made it a super fun day! - Efficient hotel pick up and drop off, great crew and magnificent island! It was a really fun day. Snorkeling is a must!
Review provided by Viator
Denine_f
Sep 2, 2024
Birthday on Tortuga island - This was a fun and relaxing trip. The host and driver did a nice job in keeing the passengers comfortable and safe. My only issue is that the pick up was an hour late. The island was fun and beautiful. Boat ride long but entertaining. Professional service and staff. Would recommend. p
Review provided by Viator
Nick_t
Dec 31, 2023
Loooong day from San Jose - Staff was amazing, very friendly, always checking on guests, proving food, drinks and fun. I will tell you from San Jose this is a 15-16 hour day, I felt pretty defeated after. I would recommend this trip if you're closer to the coast. I was picked up at 530am and dropped off around 930pm. Keep that in mind when you book.
Review provided by Viator
E4581yhmichellel
Jun 4, 2024
Boat and island portion pretty good, but getting there and back ruined it - First, I have no idea why they say closed toe shoes are required— there’s no need for them, this is not enforced, and most people didn’t wear them. The time on the boat and Isla Tortuga was exactly as advertised. Pay extra for a beach chair with an umbrella; the others are crammed together (literally rows of touching chairs) in order to fit into the few shaded areas. Also, as a light drinker even I would say you need to use two drink tickets per drink because the ratio of soda/ice to alcohol results in a very weak drink. I also would not count on the breakfast they provide: the sandwich looked like it had some unexplained pink liquid in it so I didn’t eat it. Other than that it’s an apple and some off-brand Oreos. Just bring your own. On the plus side, the crew were exceptionally attentive and friendly. I cannot say enough positive things about them. The boat ride was lovely and my favorite part of the trip, but took 2+ hours each way rather than the 90 minutes advertised. Based on just the boat ride and beach, I would have given this experience 4 stars. However, the cons are what ultimately would make me only recommend this experience with caution if at all: Poor communication throughout, starting with the driver not arriving on time and an ability to connect with the main office in a timely manner, lack of clarity about when we should get on/off the bus to make connections (people near the front of the busy could hear the guide but she made no effort to ensure those of us further back could hear or knew what to do— I only figured out when to get off the bus based on knowing who I got on with; I got up when they did), I was under the impression when I booked that this would be a 13 hour experience but it was 15. There was no acknowledgement of this. They use connection drivers to pick up small groups and bring them to the main bus, which then takes everyone to the marina. I had an unprofessional driver and dangerous experience on these small connection legs of the trip: he was late, the car was not very clean, he blared his music, when it was only me and one other single woman left in the ride on the way home in the dark, he pulled over to talk to a friend he spotted for a minute, and I think the tour company should seriously consider not dropping off single women last (I was second to last and I was scared for her after seeing him stop to talk to his friend with no regard for us being way behind schedule or thinking about her and my position). For this reason I would not probably recommend it to women traveling alone, as I was. Also, the transition between the van and the bus is dangerous: they just both pull over on the side of a busy road and have you move from one to the other. At least on the way home in the dark, they pulled into a lighted hotel parking lot for this instead. These experiences, because they were about safety, clarity, and customer service, really detracted from the experience and on their own would make it a zero/one star experience. I almost bailed on my tour with another company the following day based on how much the negative parts of this one stressed me out, but I’m so glad I didn’t, as my experience with the other company was much better. Despite the lovely crew for the boat and island portion, I will not book with Bay Island in the future and can only recommend them if you aren’t a woman traveling alone and if you are okay with a very rough around the edges tour experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andresgb239lr
Oct 6, 2024
Rated over IS A VERY POPULAR PLACE - It is very overrated for what they offer: 1- the island is too ugly to pay so much money 2- the lunch menu is a single option you can not choose 3- the drink is a soft drink 4- charge you for bathroom service 5- offer you a catamaran which is not a catamaran 6- the snorkeling looks absolutely nothing. Worth 20 usd 7- the Premium plan only adds 3 beers or a cocktail. 8- Craft tables and chairs 9- Ugly sun beds or chairs Positive: Attentive employees at all times You don't miss things. On the bus you get a one-way snack You get to the famous catamaran and they give you water, coffee, fruit, cookies and a cold drink. Note: you can bring spirits, food and drinks Aaaa and it's a very popular place people of all walks of life aren't VIP or LUXURY
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marianadx5101uo
Dec 18, 2023
Edison Solis. Poor customer service - My friend and I booked a tour from San José to Isla tortuga. We paid for a pick up from San José and the operator Edison Solis refuses to pick us up from our hotel at 5am. Instead he wants us to go to a different hostel which is 3 minutes away because our hotel is OUT OF THE WAY?! We are paying over $200USD for this tour and they simply can’t pick us up? Poor start of the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $149
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).