I want to share with you our great experience having Costa Rica ATV tours. It was a beautiful Costa Rican morning when we headed out to have our adventure in the Jungle.
We started out receiving instruction – how to start the ATV, how to stop, rules of the road and safety protocol.
The ATV’s would be loud, so they taught us hand signs. Gave a few tips and we were off!
You could choose if you wanted to be a single rider, or double rider. Our group was mixed with both. The couples had a great time riding together and the single teenagers loved the freedom. Many double riders switched drivers from time to time.
However, everyone driving must have a US drivers license with them. You do cross roads and so you need to have a license to be on the roads. So younger riders will need to double up.
If you are a seasoned ATV rider, you are likely going to be disappointed and will maybe want to book a private tour. The guides are dealing with a group of differing ability levels and want to keep everyone safe, so you follow one another, and unsafe behavior is not allowed.
However, novice or experienced it was a pleasant and fun way to explore the rainforest and it was fun to drive around on the trails. Though there were steep hills and times my heart was pumping (mostly because I was afraid my son would run into me) those looking for high adventure will likely feel it misses the mark. But fun? It definitely hit all those marks! This is an activity for young and old and all abilities.
We started out going down a descent hill. I’m pretty sure the guides were trying to see how we all did before they took us on more difficult terrain. We went up and down steep trails and over bumps and rocks. We even splashed through plenty of muddy spots and I definitely needed to wash my shoes and socks after, but that’s what added to the fun!
After about 20 minutes we stopped to learn about the indigenous Maleku tribe. They talked with us about their culture, their lifestyle, and things that were important to them.
I loved learning about their natural shampoo, their skills, and their homes. They had many handmade items that we could purchase and would be available for us at the end of our tour. They were beautiful and as a bonus took credit card. I was happy to support them and get some fun souvenirs!
After some fun hills and mud puddles our next stop was down by the river.
We were all able to get off and enjoy the scenic view of Costa Rica. It was incredible to be on this small path in the middle of the jungle. It was beautiful and we loved the magical new world it seemed that we had been transported to.
After a refreshing river stop where we all did a little hiking and exploring we then tackled some more steep hills and rocks to come up to the top and a great view of the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna area.
Once again, we splashed through mud thanks to our daily rains in Costa Rica and we all felt rugged as we got off and took some amazing pictures as the clouds around the volcano were beautiful!
We did a two hour tour but it seemed to go by in a flash as things always do when you are having fun! All too soon we were heading back to park our ATV’s. But we were left with good memories, good friends, fun pictures and a desire to come back soon to Costa Rica. It was great variety in our itinerary and a fun way to see and experience the jungle!
