Jacó ATV Tours: 10 Rainforest & Waterfall Rides Compared (2026)

A Jacó ATV tour starts in town on the Central Pacific coast and takes you, driving your own quad bike behind a bilingual guide, up the dirt roads and river crossings into the hills behind the beach. The rides stay outside any national park, on rural trails and farm roads, and the longer ones reach small mountain villages such as Bijagual. The payoff on most tours is a jungle waterfall where you can swim, and on the best-reviewed routes, a lookout over Jacó Beach and the Nicoya Peninsula. Wildlife is a frequent bonus: toucans, scarlet macaws, monkeys and the odd sloth turn up in dozens of recent reviews, and guides stop to point them out.

Two hours or three? The two-hour rides are a loop to the ocean views with a small trailside waterfall. The three-hour rides add a stop at a swimming waterfall and, usually, a snack at a mountaintop restaurant. Two recent reviewers of ATV Adventure Tours Costa Rica's three-hour ride go out of their way to say they were glad they did not pick the two-hour one, and three hours is our pick for a first ride.

Which one should I book?

Below we compare ten tours from four operators on price, length, who can drive and what is included. Prices are live per-person rates checked on 20 October 2026. Riding elsewhere in Costa Rica? See our Manuel Antonio ATV tour guide and our La Fortuna ATV guide.

Grouped by what you get for the money, with the top pick highlighted. Prices are per driver unless stated.

ATV tours in Jacó cost $85 to $199 per driver. Most operators price per rider, so two adults on two ATVs pay double, while a child on the back of a parent's ATV costs far less. Tips are not included on any tour here. The biggest difference between operators is how children are priced: a child on the back costs $29 to $54 with ATV Adventure Tours Costa Rica, while The Park at Ocean Ranch charges $160 at every age.

• Bring a Visa or Mastercard with room on it. Holds range from $500 per two ATVs to $1,500 per buggy. A guest who brought a $500-limit card to Vista Los Sueños paid $25 for insurance instead. Most people don't realize the hold counts vehicles, not riders, so doubling up on one ATV lowers it.
• Bring your driver's licence. Most operators require drivers to be 16 or older with a valid licence; AXR Jacó's minimum is 18. Teenagers without one ride on the back.
• Expect a hike to the waterfall. The swim stops sit below the trail, down rocky paths or steep steps, and guests with bad knees flag it. Guides do help: one guest with a knee replacement was walked down safely, but you can also wait at the top.
• First time on an ATV is fine, but the hills are real. Nervous first-time drivers regularly say they relaxed within minutes. The upper trails are steep, rocky and narrow in places, though, and one guest who did not feel safe there saw her partner slide into a ditch. If that worries you, ride on the back or take the buggy.
• Cover your face in the dry season. From roughly December to April the trails are very dusty. Helmets have visors, but several guests recommend goggles and a neck gaiter or mask.
• Wear a swimsuit under old clothes. Closed shoes are required, and a towel and dry clothes for the drive home help, especially after rain.
• Take your own photos. Guides film the ride and offer a paid photo package, but at least four guests in the past year never received theirs. Hand the guide your phone as well, in a waterproof pouch, and ask for extra stops if you want them: the guide sets the pace, and a couple of guests felt they rushed past views.
• Book three hours, not two, for the waterfall. The swim and the jump are on the three-hour route, and two recent guests who did it said the two-hour version would have missed the best parts.
• Bring water and some cash. Midday rides are hot, and guests recommend starting early to beat both the heat and other groups. The mountaintop restaurant stop and tips are not included.
• Check where you start. ATV Adventure Tours Costa Rica and AXR Jacó leave from Jacó itself; Vista Los Sueños and The Park at Ocean Ranch are parks outside town, and transport may cost extra. Vista Los Sueños has lockers and showers, which helps if you are heading somewhere afterwards.
• Visiting in February? Our Jacó in February guide covers the driest weeks of the year, when the trails are firm but dusty and the hilltop views reach Tortuga Island and Manuel Antonio.
• Visiting in May? Our Jacó in May guide covers the start of the green season, when the trails swap dust for mud and morning rides beat the afternoon storms.
• Visiting in September? Our Jacó in September guide covers one of the wettest months, when the trails are at their muddiest and morning rides are the safest bet.
• Riding elsewhere too? Compare with our Manuel Antonio ATV tours, and for a quieter morning in Jacó, our Jacó surf lessons guide. Prefer to explore on foot? Our Jacó waterfall hike guide covers the river hikes in the same hills, and our Jacó food tour guide covers the afternoon food walk in town.
• Planning the rest of your trip? Our best things to do in Jacó guide ranks the top nine experiences and covers the free ones, from the beach to the crocodile bridge. Travelling with kids? Our best things to do in Jacó for families guide adds minimum ages and prices for a family of four.