Tortuga Island is actually two islands – uninhabited and picture perfect– that lie just off the Nicoya Peninsula. Characterized by palm-fringed beaches and lush tropical flora, Tortuga is pretty and peaceful and offers terric sheltered swimming and snorkeling in warm waters. Nearby, Curu Biological Reserve is small and privately owned. Easy walking paths within the forest might reveal an ocelot, an anteater, or a colony of capuchin monkeys. Isla Tortuga lies three kilometers offshore.