Jaco always promises an unforgettable experience amidst dense rainforests, exotic critters, and an incomparable spirit of adventure! It may be known for its world-class surfing, pristine beaches, and lively nightlife, but one of the best ways to see Jaco is still on a good, old ATV!

I’ve gone ahead and carefully curated the top 5 ATV tours in Jaco, Costa Rica so you don’t have to waste your time with sub-par experiences. Each of these selections are well-organized and perfect for all ages and experience levels! Let’s get started!

Best Jaco ATV Tours

	3-Hour ATV Jungle Waterfall Adventure	2 Hour ATV Jungle Adventure Jaco	ATV Tour in Jaco
Location:	Hotel pickup & drop off	Hotel pickup & drop off	Hotel pickup & drop off
Start:	9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM	9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM	Between 8:30 AM & 1:00 PM
Duration:	3 hours	2 hours	1 to 8 hours
Includes:	Equipment Rental, Bilingual Guide, Waterfall entrance	Equipment rental, bilingual guide	Bilingual tour guide, gas included
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best ATV Tours in Jaco, Costa Rica For 2026

1. 3-Hour ATV Jungle Waterfall Adventure
2. 2 Hour ATV Jungle Adventure Jaco
3. ATV Tour in Jaco
4. 4-Hour ATV Waterfall & Delicious Rainforest Lunch
5. 2 Hour ATV + Waterfalls in Jaco Beach and Los Sueños

Best Jaco ATV Tour Reviews

1. 3-Hour ATV Jungle Waterfall Adventure

I don’t know about you, but when I think back to the most beautiful things I’ve seen in nature, they’ve almost always been off the beaten path.

With the 3-Hour ATV Jungle Waterfall Adventure Tour, that’s exactly where you’ll be, taking an adventurous ride through the lush rainforest to discover some of the most awe-inspiring sites the country has to offer.

After meeting up at the tour offices, we were warmly greeted by our guide and other staff who were more than happy to help. They gave us a briefing, helping us with our safety equipment and showing us how to ride an ATV safely before going on a couple practice laps.

All the ATVs looked very well-maintained, and they were a blast to drive around in this beautiful naturaleza! We started off right in the majestic mountains located behind Jacó, where we followed the guide up to the beautiful Cascada del Zorro!

After zipping through the humid rainforest, taking some time to splash around in the refreshing, 35-foot waterfall was more than welcome! We also had some time to take some photos and amazing videos slightly beyond this point, at a mirador that seems to never end.

We then hopped back on our ATVs to weave around the mountains to arrive at a second waterfall: the Pura Vida. If you didn’t take a dip at the waterfall prior, this one has a rock platform perfect for jumping into the pool that sits at the bottom!

After all that, we headed to a quaint, local restaurant where we enjoyed a well-deserved drink after all that adventuring! Even if you aren’t familiar with riding ATVs, you can rest easy knowing that you’re in good hands!

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2. 2 Hour ATV Jungle Adventure Jaco

I’m always up for an adrenaline-fueled adventure, and racing through the lush jungles and rugged terrain of Costa Rica is one of the best. The 2 Hour ATV Jungle Adventure Jaco Tour will take you to places that aren’t accessible via buses or other tour vehicles, putting all kinds of natural wonders on display.

Led by a local, experienced guide, this is the one to take for a deeper understanding of the country’s culture and ecology.

I’m someone who likes to have a packed schedule every day, as I really want to make the most of my time there. However, the tours I want to take don’t always work out due to conflicting start times.

That’s why I appreciated the multiple available start time options with this tour, ensuring we were able to focus on the tour without worrying about rushing to the next. After arriving to the tour offices, our guide gave us an informative briefing and quick lesson on how to use the ATVs safely.

The environment was so beautiful, and I loved the view from the top of the mountain, overlooking the entire city, Nicoya Peninsula, the Agujitas Mountains, and beyond.

We zoomed over the dirt and rock trails, over muddy puddles, and just went all over the place before stopping for some photo ops!

If you do happen to get dirty, you can just wash off in the refreshing waterfalls and the pools that sit below them! The trails themselves are quite beginner-friendly, so I feel safe recommending this tour to entire families with kids just as well as older individuals.

If you’re short on time and really want to explore Jaco to its fullest, don’t miss out on this tour!

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3. ATV Tour in Jaco

This next tour is one of the most customizable, allowing you to select between multiple tours, depending on your preferences. The ATV Tour in Jaco will show you places that the vast majority of tourists don’t get to see, with a local expert guide to lead the way.

If you’re looking for the perfect balance of adventure and safety, look no further than this excursion! Of course, the activities will vary a bit, depending on the tour length/option you choose!

However, every single one includes an ATV trip through the Costa Rican rainforest, to gorgeous waterfalls, up mountains, and through many different types of terrain! The Tarzan swing was so much fun – not to mention, the perfect opportunity for photos (our guide even offered to snap pics for us!).

We picked the longest option, which was the 4-hour tour, which included a stop at a family ranch where we got to kick our feet up and relax. This was a great way to lower the heartrate, enjoying some tasty refreshments amidst the fresh air and relaxed environment.

After this, we headed to a gorgeous swimming hole that are hidden right in the heart of the lush rainforest! Thanks to the small group setting, it felt like it was just us with our guide, who acted like a longtime friend rather than someone we’d just met a couple hours earlier.

Don’t forget to take some photos of the incredible Pacific Ocean views when you get to the top of the mountain on your ATV! If you’re looking for one of the best activities to do in Jaco, this tour should be at the top of your list!

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4. 4-Hour ATV Waterfall & Delicious Rainforest Lunch

Jaco certainly has a lot to offer, but if you’re looking for something different from the run-of-the-mill experiences, check this next one out.

The 4-Hour ATV Waterfall & Delicious Rainforest Lunch is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon, taking you deep into the Costa Rican wilderness to discover some of its hidden gems. From dense forests to muddy trails, there’s never a dull moment in this adrenaline-packed excursion!

If you’re on the hunt for an activity you can take the entire family on that won’t bore the kids, this is one of the best options. It’s perfect for all ages and skill level, so even if you or someone else in your group is inexperienced, there’s no need to worry.

Moreover, they even come and pick you up right from your hotel so you don’t have to deal with booking separate transportation! Upon arrival, we got acquainted with our ATVs with the help of our guide, before setting off through the mountains!

We got to see not only some incredible panoramic views of the city and mountains around us, but splashed in waterfalls and rivers, reveled in the expansive countryside, and even explored some small villages!

Halfway through the tour, we took a well-deserved stop at a local restaurant to enjoy an authentic local lunch of tilapia, veggies, and more.

We then continued to the top of the mountain and into the pueblo Bijagual, where we cruised by the church, soccer field, and central saloon. From the advanced safety training on the ATVs to the beautiful natural scenery, this was a simply perfect experience that I’d recommend to anybody!

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5. 2 Hour ATV + Waterfalls in Jaco Beach and Los Sueños

“Los Sueños” literally translates to “the dreams” in English, and this whole trip felt like a dream with its pristine natural beauty. With top-notch customer service, friendly guides, and great organization, this tour was a pleasure to take. The 2 Hour ATV + Waterfalls in Jaco Beach and Los Sueños tour was above and beyond what I expected, and I feel like this is one of the best tours if you’re short on time!

If you’d like to try an ATV ride for the first time but don’t want to commit to a longer tour, this is also a great option. It’s a little bite-sized taste of the others, while still providing insight into the surrounding landscapes of Jaco. After arriving to the offices, you’ll be given a comprehensive safety training to ensure everyone is comfortable before heading out onto the trails.

We headed up to the lush, green mountains that are brimming with life – we even spotted some critters along the way! I enjoyed how our guide made regular stops so we could take photos, and learn about the different points as we cruised along. We saw plenty of rivers, crystalline waterfalls, muddy paths, and lookout spots, or “miradores”.

After we spent an hour or two zooming around the mountain and rainforest, we then headed to a more tranquil spot so we could enjoy some drinks and snacks of fresh fruit. The only thing I will mention is that this is not the tour for you if you’re looking to really ride fast – it’s more of an exploration than a race. However, it was a super cool experience that’s great for people of all ages and experience levels!

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ATV Tours in Jaco: Getting Properly Dirty in the Jungle

Nobody warns you how much mud actually ends up on your face until you are three waterfalls deep and your guide is laughing at the state of your shirt.

That is the whole appeal of an ATV tour out of Jaco. You are not observing the rainforest from a bus window, you are riding straight through the middle of it, river crossings and all.

Jaco sits right at the edge of some of the best off-road terrain on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, and the tour operators here have turned that into a genuinely good half-day or full-day activity. Here is what is worth knowing before you book one.

Why This Beats a Regular Jungle Tour

A hiking tour gets you into the rainforest at walking pace. An ATV tour gets you to waterfalls that most hikers never reach, since the trails run deep into private river valleys that are not set up for foot traffic.

You also cover a lot more ground. A three-hour tour can string together two or three separate waterfalls plus a mountain viewpoint, distances that would take a full day on foot.

The tradeoff is obvious. You get less quiet contemplation and more adrenaline, mud spray, and the particular joy of gunning an ATV up a muddy incline while your guide shouts encouragement.

This is not for anyone hoping for a peaceful nature walk. If that is what you want, book a canopy hike instead and save the ATV for a day when you want your heart rate up.

When to Go

Dry season, roughly December through April, gives you the firmest trails and the clearest water at the waterfalls. This is when most of the photos you have seen online were taken, with blue pools and packed dirt trails instead of standing mud.

Rainy season, May through November, is when the terrain gets genuinely wild. Trails turn to proper mud, river crossings run higher, and more than a few travelers say the rainy season ride is actually the more fun one, just messier and occasionally with brown, silty water at the falls instead of the postcard blue.

Either season works. Just set expectations accordingly, since a rainy season tour photo is not going to look like the dry season marketing shots.

What the Ride Actually Involves

The Safety Briefing and Practice Track

Every legitimate operator starts the same way. A short safety talk, a walk-through of the ATV controls, and a few laps on a practice track before anyone heads for the real trails.

No prior riding experience is required, and guides genuinely mean it when they say the practice laps are enough. That said, the minimum age to drive is 18 with a valid driver’s license, and younger travelers ride as passengers behind an adult instead.

The Trails

Most Jaco ATV routes run through the Bijagual region or the private river valley around Vista Los Sueños, both a short drive inland from the beach. Expect mountain switchbacks, river crossings, and stretches of jungle canopy so thick it blocks out the midday sun.

Guide names vary by operator, but the pattern is consistent, ride to a viewpoint, ride to a waterfall, swim, ride to another waterfall, repeat. Some routes cover close to four miles of trail across an 800-acre river valley, enough ground that no two loops feel identical even on a repeat trip. A few operators name their stops directly, like a Sutton or Tortuga waterfall, and the tallest ones on the route often come with an optional jump into the pool below for anyone with the nerve.

The Waterfalls

This is the actual destination, not just a rest stop. Most tours build in real swim time at one or two falls, and a couple of the taller ones offer an optional jump of ten to fifteen feet into a natural pool.

Bring a swimsuit under your riding clothes. You will regret not having one the second you see the water.

Tour Lengths and What They Include

A standard three-hour tour is the most common option and covers a solid loop with one or two waterfall stops plus a viewpoint. This is enough adventure for most travelers without eating your entire day.

Four-hour versions add another waterfall or a longer stretch of trail, and some include a stop at a small local spot for a beer or soda along the way. Full-day combo tours pair the ATV ride with ziplining or horseback riding, which makes for a genuinely packed day if you want to hit multiple adventure activities without booking three separate tours.

What to Wear and Bring

• Closed-toe shoes with real grip. Sandals or flip-flops are a hard no on slippery trail sections.
• A swimsuit under clothes you do not mind getting muddy, since you will be swimming at some point.
• Sunscreen and a towel, since the sun at the viewpoints is stronger than it feels in the jungle shade.
• A change of clothes left back at your hotel, because whatever you wear on the ATV is not coming back clean.

What It Costs

A standard three-hour tour runs roughly 70 to 90 dollars per person for a single rider, with a passenger seat on the same ATV typically adding 20 to 30 dollars. Four-hour tours to a private waterfall run higher, often around 130 dollars for the driver’s seat.

Most operators require a small deposit online with the balance paid in cash the day of the tour, so keep some colones or dollars on hand. Combo packages that add ziplining or horseback riding for a full day generally land in the 130 to 200 dollar range depending on how many activities are stacked in.

Hotel pickup within the Jaco area is commonly included, which saves you the hassle of arranging your own transport out to the trailhead.

Pairing It With the Rest of Your Jaco Trip

An ATV tour eats up half your day, so build the rest of your time in Jaco around it rather than trying to cram in a beach day on the same schedule. Morning tours work well if you want the afternoon free for the beach or a nap, while afternoon departures let you sleep in after a late night in town.

Jaco itself is a small, walkable beach town, and the ATV trailheads sit a short drive inland, usually twenty to thirty minutes depending on which operator and river valley you book. If your tour includes hotel pickup, confirm the pickup window the night before, since Jaco’s main strip gets busy and a driver running late is not unusual.

If you are the type who wants every adventure activity Costa Rica offers packed into one trip, this is a good base to work from. Jaco sits close enough to Manuel Antonio National Park for a day trip, and the same operators running ATV tours often run zipline, horseback, and waterfall rappelling trips out of the same office, so bundling two activities into back-to-back days is easy to arrange once you are on the ground.

One thing worth flagging honestly. This is a bumpy, physical ride, not a scenic cruise, and travelers with back or neck issues, or anyone pregnant, should sit this one out and pick a gentler tour instead. Everyone else, including total beginners, tends to come back grinning and covered in mud, which is really the only outcome that matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need ATV experience to book a tour in Jaco?

No. Every reputable operator runs a safety briefing and practice track before heading out, and guides are used to complete beginners.

What is the minimum age to drive an ATV in Jaco?

18 years old with a valid driver’s license. Younger riders can still join as a passenger behind an adult driver.

Is the rainy season a bad time to book an ATV tour?

Not necessarily. Trails get muddier and river crossings run higher, which some riders actually prefer, though the waterfall water tends to run brown and silty instead of the clear blue you see in dry season photos.

Will I get wet and muddy on this tour?

Yes, completely. Expect mud spray on the trail and full submersion at the waterfall swim stops, so dress accordingly and do not bring anything you care about keeping clean.

Should I book a single or double ATV if traveling as a couple?

A double ATV lets one person drive while the other rides as passenger, which is cheaper than two single ATVs but means only one of you gets the actual driving experience. Book two singles if you both want to drive.

Are ATV tours in Jaco safe?

Reputable operators run mandatory safety briefings, provide helmets, and keep guides in the group throughout the ride. Waivers are standard, and riders with back or neck injuries are typically advised not to participate given the rough trail conditions.