3 BEST ATV Tours in La Fortuna: Which One to Choose
Thinking about booking an ATV tour in La Fortuna? You totally should!
An ATV tour is a fantastic way to take in La Fortuna’s incredible scenery and get close to Arenal Volcano. Plus, riding a quad allows you to cover a lot of ground in a short time.
We’ve done a bunch of fun ATV tours in La Fortuna while living here. In fact, we couldn’t get enough of them! So we’ve rounded up our top 3 choices to help you decide the best one for you, whether you’re traveling alone, as a couple, with friends, or with kids!
Don’t miss out!
Our Top Choice
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our personal FAVORITE tour is this Arenal Volcano ATV tour! It takes you zooming along a private jungle trail to see Arenal Volcano and amazing valley views.
Tip: This tour is popular, so secure your spot now and access FREE cancellation before you go.
La Fortuna ATV Tours
- Our Top Choice
- 1. Family-Friendly Guided ATV Tour in La Fortuna
- Check out the HUNDREDS of reviews and book this tour here!
- 2. Arenal Volcano ATV Tour
- Book this tour here and get FREE 24-hour cancellation!
- 3. Half-Day Arenal Volcano ATV and Zipline Tour
- Check availability and book this combo tour before you go!
- Other Things to do While You’re in La Fortuna
- Where to Stay in La Fortuna
- Pura Vida!
- Why We Book Tours with Viator
- Getting Around Costa Rica
- AIRALO e-SIM Up To 15% Off With Code "DTRAVEL15"
- What’s an eSIM?
1. Family-Friendly Guided ATV Tour in La Fortuna
Tour Details
This 2-hour ATV tour is our top choice! Zooming along the private jungle trails was amazing and the views of Arenal Volcano and the valley were incredible.
This tour took us far away from the more crowded public areas, so it felt like the rainforest was our playground! It’s also a small group tour with a maximum of 12 people, so it feels close-knit and friendly. We loved admiring the volcano with total peace and quiet all around us. Overcrowding can really ruin an ATV tour, so this is a huge bonus.
Not only this, but the tour allows participants to visit a local Indigenous tribe and learn more about their way of life. We found this fascinating, and it’s a really valuable opportunity because tourists often miss out on the chance to discover Costa Rica’s heritage.
We think this tour is great for families visiting La Fortuna because kids as young as 5 are welcome to join in the fun! They won’t be able to drive, of course, but they will love zooming along as a passenger.
We’re also really impressed with the price of this tour. Two people can share an ATV for $108 USD, which is a real steal compared to a lot of other options around. So if you love a bargain, be sure to snap up this deal quickly!
Related Read: For even more great activities to add to your La Fortuna itinerary, check out our guide to the 10 best things to do here!
2. Arenal Volcano ATV Tour
Tour Details
Thrill seekers, do not miss the chance to book this exhilarating ATV tour!
I cannot stress how much of a blast we had exploring the muddy trails of a private farm right next to Arenal Volcano National Park. Seriously, the views were incredible. Your Instagram followers will be green with envy!
We loved zooming around the old impact craters which are leftover from the volcano’s infamous eruption in 1968. We also went to a river which is filled with volcanic mud, and even got the chance to rub it on our faces – who needs a high-end spa?
Another thing that impressed us was that our guides had a real knack for finding monkeys and sloths. It was like they had a sixth sense of knowing exactly where they’d be! So if you want to see a ton of wildlife on your ATV tour, don’t hesitate to book.
This tour is so much fun, and it’s really affordable, especially if two people are sharing an ATV. We both loved riding our own though, so we would recommend doing it that way if you’ve got the budget for it!
This is definitely one of the best ways to see wildlife and admire the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, but it’s very popular so we’d recommend booking it ASAP.
Related Read: Excited to explore Costa Rica’s prettiest volcano more? Check out the top Arenal Volcano National Park tours from La Fortuna here!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
3. Half-Day Arenal Volcano ATV and Zipline Tour
Tour Details
Struggling to decide between ziplining and quad biking?
Why not do both with this awesome combo tour? It’s the perfect way to make the most of your time in the outdoor playground that is La Fortuna because it combines a hair-raising ATV ride with a fun 8-cable zipline in the rainforest.
You could say that it’s the ultimate adventure experience! You’ll also save a good chunk of money by booking this tour rather than doing the activities separately.
Having gone ziplining all over Costa Rica, we can confirm that La Fortuna has some of the best ziplining that you’ll ever experience. We loved whizzing through the forest canopy and seeing Arenal Volcano and Cerra Chato, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat. Oh, and as if that weren’t enough, there’s also an epic Tarzan swing, which delivers even more of an adrenaline rush. Trust me, if the zipline doesn’t get your heart racing, the swing definitely will.
Meanwhile, the ATV route takes you to some incredible viewpoints to snap amazing photos of the Arenal Volcano in all of its glory. There’s also a chance to go swimming in a crystal-clear river, and to visit an Indigenous village, where you’ll learn about the Maleku tribe. This is one of the smallest Aboriginal tribes in the entire country, so this is a pretty rare opportunity!
In short, if you want to maximize your time in Costa Rica AND your travel budget, then you’ll definitely want to book this tour. It’s too good a deal to pass up!
Related Read: For more epic zipline adventures, check out our favorite zipline tours in La Fortuna here!
Other Things to do While You’re in La Fortuna
Of course, going ATVing is one of the best experiences, but there are so many other things to do in La Fortuna you won’t want to miss! These are just a few of our top picks:
- Go on a night walk – This night walk and dinner tour is a great way to spend an evening. Guides lead you on an easy hike through the rainforest, spotting all the critters that come out after dark. To finish it off, you’ll enjoy a traditional Costa Rican dinner prepared on a wood-burning stove.
- Drink great coffee – It’s no secret some of the best coffee in the world comes from Costa Rica! You can grab a cup of coffee at one of the restaurants in La Fortuna or take it a step further with a coffee tour. We had the freshest cup of coffee and tasted amazing homemade chocolate on this Costa Rican coffee and chocolate experience that takes place on a small family-owned plantation.
- Arenal Volcano – Arenal Volcano is the centerpiece of La Fortuna! You can wander the trails at Arenal Volcano National Park on your own or as part of a hiking tour. For more unique volcano views, try out a leisurely sunset cruise on Lake Arenal.
- Hot springs – One of the best free activities in La Fortuna is the natural hot springs! The Free Natural Hot Spring River is a public river running through the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort. It’s only 15 minutes outside La Fortuna and feels amazing after a day of hiking! If you don’t mind paying for a soak, there are tons of other amazing hot springs in La Fortuna to choose from too.
Related Read: Planning more than just an ATV adventure? Check out our 3-Day La Fortuna itinerary here to plan the perfect trip!
Where to Stay in La Fortuna
Because La Fortuna is such a big tourist town, there are a ton of amazing places to stay. We even wrote an entire blog about the best hotels in La Fortuna. However, to make it super easy, we’ve narrowed it down to our top places for each price point. So keep reading to find one that suits your needs (and budget!).
Luxury – $$$
Luxury travelers should stay at The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal, which is one of the most exclusive properties in La Fortuna! This five-star resort delivers a true tropical escape with sweeping views of Arenal Volcano and everything you could dream of for a relaxing getaway.
The highlight here is the network of 28 natural hot spring pools, each with different temperatures and tucked among lush gardens. It’s the ultimate place to unwind after a day of exploring. The resort also features a large main pool, a swim-up bar, a full-service spa, and several restaurants and lounges serving excellent Costa Rican and international cuisine. Plus, many of the rooms have private terraces overlooking the volcano.
Rooms typically cost $600 USD and up! Check availability and book your stay at The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal on Booking.com.
Mid-range – $$
Those with a medium budget should check out Casa Luna Hotel & Spa. I stayed here on my first visit to La Fortuna and loved it! The property is beautiful, with a large pool and four hot tubs surrounded by nature, as well as a tropical garden.
One of my favorite things about staying here was the fact that all the rooms have views of the volcano and the rainforest. The hotel also includes a delicious breakfast, which makes life nice and easy when you have an early start, as we do for days 2 and 3 of this itinerary!
Rooms typically cost between $150 and $250 USD per night. Check availability and book your stay here!
Budget – $
Hotel Villas Vista is our top choice for a budget-friendly stay! Located just slightly outside of downtown La Fortuna, giving you incredible views of Arenal Volcano. But, it’s still walkable to downtown, so it’s the perfect balance of serene escape and convenience!
You’ll have an entire villa to yourself, and while they are simple and rustic, they are comfortable and private. The grounds are lush and well-kept, and guests consistently rave about the breakfast.
Prices start at $85 USD per night, which is honestly a steal for this location and accommodation. See all of the options and book your stay here!
Getting Around Costa Rica
How you choose to get around Costa Rica is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your holiday here! How you do it depends on your budget, travel style, and comfort level.
Renting a Car
Without a doubt, the number one way to explore Costa Rica is in a rental car. We book rental cars on the Discover Cars website as we have had good experiences with them in the past.
One of the things you need to watch for when renting a car in Costa Rica is the mandatory insurance that the government requires you to have. There are a lot of very cheap rentals that don’t include this mandatory insurance (TPL) in the original booking price, but there are also ones that do. To avoid additional surprise charges when you pick up your rental car, be sure to rent a car that includes the mandatory insurance when you book.
Thankfully, on Discover Cars it’s easy to tell apart the companies that include the mandatory insurance and those that don’t. The trick is you can’t pick any car on their website. In the picture below, you can see this rental car, with pick up in Jaco, includes the TPL. That means the mandatory insurance is included in the price. Any cover you get above that is extra.
Of course, I still suggest getting the full coverage offered by Discover Cars, which covers you even more.
You can browse cars on Discover Cars here.
Book Shuttles
If renting a car isn’t in your budget, you don’t feel comfortable driving in Costa Rica, or you just don’t like driving, shuttles are the next best option. There are hundreds of shuttle routes available all over the country, and they are very affordable.
Shuttles in Costa Rica are specifically for tourists and often include pick up and drop off at your selected hotels and airports. The drivers also speak some English, and the vehicles have air conditioning. You’ll also be guaranteed a seat when you book a shuttle (which isn’t the case with the public bus system.)
To get the best price, use the website Bookaway. They compare all the offers and prices of shuttle companies in Costa Rica so you get the best price! Honestly, we have saved so much money using Bookaway!
You can search for shuttles online on Bookaway here.
Public Bus
Lastly, you can use the public bus system. On short journeys, such as from San Jose to La Fortuna or Uvita to Manuel Antonio, this system is great. However, the longer the journey the more hassle and time spent on a bus. It’s undoubtedly best to save the public bus in Costa Rica for short and straightforward trips!
The public buses are definitely the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica, but they are not always very reliable and schedules often change without notice and delays are to be expected. The buses can also be very crowded and hot – so just be prepared!
It’s also good to speak some Spanish if you plan on riding the public bus since most drivers and ticket booth operators don’t speak English.
AIRALO e-SIM Up To 15% Off With Code “DTRAVEL15”
What’s an eSIM?
An eSIM is a digital version of a SIM card. Instead of buying a little plastic chip and swapping it into your phone, you just download it. It connects your phone to a local network in whatever country you’re visiting — no stores, no waiting, and no fiddling with tiny cards.
In simple terms, it’s the easiest way to get data and stay connected while traveling.
We’ve tested a bunch of eSIMs in North America, and after a few frustrating experiences, we’ve found our favorite — Airalo. It’s fast, reliable, and incredibly easy to use. You can set it up in minutes (even my mom managed it solo on her first try!), and the prices are some of the best out there.
🔥 Hot Tip: Choose the Latin America-wide eSIM! It works across 17 countries, so you can hop from Costa Rica to Panama to Nicaragua without ever losing connection. One download, endless adventures.
Bonus: We’ve got an exclusive 15% discount for our readers. Use the codes:
Pura Vida!
La Fortuna is an outdoor playground, and ATVing is the most thrilling way to explore it! We have loved every single ATV tour we’ve been on in Costa Rica, so no matter which you choose you’re guaranteed to have a great time.
If you found this article to be helpful, check out our other Costa Rica blogs. We’ve tried just about every adventure activity out there, have traveled all over the country, and even called it home for a while! So we have quite a few resources to share – check out some related posts below.
8 Things to Know BEFORE Going Whitewater Rafting in La Fortuna
