Until the 1960s, travel along the Caribbean seaboard was virtually impossible. Rough waves and the lack of bays precluded safe passage and anchorage, while the vast swamplands that extend far inland thwarted the construction of roads. Then, during the Trejos administration (1966-70), a canal was dredged parallel to the shore, linking the remote hamlets of Barra del Colorado and Tortuguero with the port of Moín and Puerto Limón. Today a journey along the Tortuguero Canal is one of Costa Rica's most rewarding journeys—thrilling, too, as your boatman canes your craft with the throttle wide open.

*Bolded names and numbers in the text below correspond with our map of this canal tour.

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The narrow, 70-mile-long (113 km) Canal de Tortuguero links the various lagoons and major rivers along the northern Caribbean plains and runs a few hundred yards inland of the surf-pounded shore. The canal is a liquid highway of commerce and the rhythmic throbbing of weary engines is its mantra. Most of the lodges at Tortuguero and Barra provide their own speedy watercraft for guests opting for the slow, scenic route. Watch for cayucos—motorized dugout canoes carved from a single log and traditionally used for ferrying bananas and other agricultural produce—and public water-taxis, usually fast-paced lanchas. These small river boats are not built for comfort; a waterproof poncho is recommended. (Bear in mind also that this boat ride can be done in either direction.)

It is a three-and-a-half-hour trip from Moín (1), 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Limón. Private boats leave from the JAPDEVA dock (tel +1 506 758 1106, $$$$$ round-trip). Within minutes you are enveloped in the deepest verdure, with patches of rain forest towering over the river. Egrets and numerous other stilt-legged waders stalk the grassy banks in search of tasty tidbits while kingfishers skim like low-level jet fighters over black waters.

Twelve miles (19 km) from Moín, the canal opens into the Boca del Río Matina (2), a broad estuary whose sluggish river deposits silt from the mountains; the tides spin this into long, brown-sand beaches. Female green, hawksbill, and leatherback turtles favor these warm sands for their nests, as well as at Playa Barra de Matina, where 4 miles (6.4 km) of shoreline backing the beach are protected within the Pacuare Nature Reserve (3) (tel +1 506 233 0451), where scientists conduct turtle research; trails run parallel to the beach and to an inland lagoon amid rain forest.

Public water-taxis depart for Tortuguero from Caño Blanco Marina (reservations tel +1 506 259 8217, $$), at Barra del Matina Sur, 2 miles (3 km) upriver.

In all these miles there are no settlements to speak of, although occasionally you will pass a ramshackle hut made of wood and bamboo, raised on stilts to guard against flooding and snakes. The cimaronnes (literally, "wild ones" in reference to people of mixed-blood) who live along the riverbank subsist on fishing, the sale of bananas, and cattle that graze in clearings cut from the grasslands and sedge.

The canal opens into the wide estuary of the Río Parismina (4), a popular location for sportfishing, particularly during the spring run of tarpon, which can be hauled in from the surf; and for snook, notably mid-August through November. Three sportfishing lodges cater to anglers. The silt that the river brings often clogs the canal—do not be surprised if your boat grounds. Beyond the river, the canal penetrates Parque Nacional Tortuguero, indicated by a sign beside the Jaloba (5) ranger station. No fee is charged for passage via the canal.

Northward, the overriding sense is of swamp and jungle. In places the rain-forest canopy merges overhead, forming dark glades that explode with the roar of howler monkeys. Great stands of bamboo rise in feathery, heraldic clusters. Freshwater turtles and small caimans sunning themselves on logs will plop into the waters as you putter past. Toucans are noisy and numerous. And with good luck, you might even spot an endangered green macaw flying overhead.

After 49 miles (79 km) you will arrive at the village of Tortuguero (6), facing a broad lagoon that opens northward to the azure waters of the Caribbean. Most passengers end their journey at Tortuguero.

South of the village, the canal cuts inland and zigzags through the wetlands of Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Barra del Colorado (7). Playful river otters are often seen along this 21-mile-long (34 km) section that slices through the aquatic wilderness, where raffia palms hang over the waters. Farther north, water hyacinths clog the channel. Eventually you come to a broad reach near the mouth of the Río Colorado, where crocodiles bask on the mudflats of the wide, soupy river.

Three and a half hours from Moín, the village of Barra del Colorado (8) marks the end of your journey.