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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 the Arenal Volcano. It’s such a unique way to see the area, and riding a quad bike allows you to cover a lot of ground in a short space of time. What’s not to like?
We did a bunch of fun ATV tours in La Fortuna when we lived 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!
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Tour
Don’t have time to read the full article?
Our personal FAVORITE tour is this Arenal Volcano ATV tour! Imagine zooming past volcanic craters and exploring the vast jungle on a thrilling ATV ride.
Check out the numerous 5-star reviews and book this exciting tour here.
Tip: This tour is popular, so secure your spot now and access FREE cancellation before you go.
1. 2-Hour Arenal Volcano ATV Tour
- Price: $105 USD for a single, $138 USD for a double
- Duration: 2 hours
- Time: 7:30 am, 11 am, 2:30 pm
- Highlights: riding through a private farm, epic views of the Arenal Volcano, lots of photo ops
- Inclusions: guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, bottled water, safety equipment and briefing
- Pickup from: La Fortuna
- Rating: 4.5 Stars (check 180+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: yes
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.
Book this top-rated tour in advance here and get FREE cancellation 24 hours before you go.
Related Read: Excited to explore Costa Rica’s prettiest volcano more? Check out the top Arenal Volcano National Park tours from La Fortuna here!
2. Family-Friendly Guided ATV Tour in La Fortuna
- Price: $91 USD for a single, $108 USD for a double
- Duration: 2 hours
- Time: 8 am, 10 am, 1 pm, or 3 pm
- Highlights: riding along private jungle trails, visit a local Indigenous tribe, views of the Arenal Volcano
- Inclusions: safety equipment, local guide, bottled water, hotel pickup and drop-off
- Pickup from: La Fortuna
- Rating: 4.5 Stars (check 200+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: yes
This 2-hour ATV tour is our top choice for families visiting La Fortuna together 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.
The tour zooms along private jungle trails, far away from the more crowded public areas, so the rainforest is your 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’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!
Check out the hundreds of positive reviews and book this tour in advance 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:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
3. Half-Day Arenal Volcano ATV and Zipline Tour
- Price: $145 USD for a single, $195 USD for a double
- Duration: 4 hours
- Time: 8 am
- Highlights: quad biking through private farmland, volcano views, ziplining in the rainforest, spotting wildlife
- Inclusions: hotel pickup and drop-off, snacks, bottled water, all admission fees
- Pickup from: La Fortuna
- Rating: 5 Stars (check reviews here!)
- Free cancellation: yes
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 (and the world), 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 the 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 of a deal to pass up!
Check availability and book this combo tour before you go here!
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Visit a rope swing – El Salto, or “the rope swing,” is a hidden paradise with a swimming hole, waterfalls, and a local vibe. You can easily walk to El Salto and swing into the refreshing waters – or ask the locals where it’s safe to jump!
- 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, take to the sky aboard the Sky Tram, fly by on an ATV ride, or take a leisurely sunset cruise on Lake Arenal.
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!).
The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal – $$$
For arguably the most luxurious hotel in La Fortuna, check out The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal. While the rooms don’t come cheap ($600 USD+), it’s a bucket list place to stay that’s perfect for visiting Costa Rica on a honeymoon!
You’ll find 28 hot spring pools here, making the resort the perfect place if you really want to relax. There’s also a resort-style pool, a fitness center, a swim-up bar, hot tubs, and a spa and wellness center. You can reserve a room at The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal on Booking.com.
Casa Luna Hotel & Spa – $$
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. You can also enjoy the tropical botanic garden at the hotel.
Casa Luna Hotel & Spa is near Arenal Volcano National Park, and all the rooms have views of the volcano and the rainforest. The hotel also includes a delicious breakfast, and rooms run about $200 USD a night. Casa Luna is located a short drive from town, and you can reserve a room online on Booking.com here.
Selina La Fortuna – $
One of the go-to budget options is Selina La Fortuna. I’ve stayed in Selina hostels around the world and this is a great one. It has a fun party atmosphere and a great co-working space where we spend a lot of time.
Selina Fortuna is located right in the middle of town, so you have easy access to great bars and restaurants nearby. Rates begin at $26 USD for a one-night stay in a dorm and $124 USD for a one-night stay in a private room. You can check availability and book on Booking.com or through Hostelworld.com.
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.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind.
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