Top Puntarenas 4WD Tours

Discover Costa Rica's enchanting Pacific rain forest from the air and water on this combo shore excursion from Puntarenas. Walk through the treetops on a series of hanging bridges at a private biological reserve, and then cruise down the Tarcoles River, home to a famous community of crocodiles. In between the eco adventures, enjoy time to shop and snack at a quaint replica of a Spanish colonial settlement.

Visit Carara Adventure Park on an action-packed day tour from Puntarenas. Travel by air-conditioned minivan to the privately owned reserve, which contains lush rain forest and sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Experience the rain forest canopy up close as you fly down the zipline course, which features 12 cables and three hanging bridges. Then take a 1-hour boat cruise to look for crocodiles, monkeys, and more.

This three-part tour makes for an excellent shore excursion. First, take a guided city tour as you make your way to Carara National Park, where you’ll enjoy a dune buggy ride through the rainforest and along scenic beaches. Finally, enjoy a eco-boat tour—look for aquatic birds, scarlet macaws, howler monkeys, massive crocodiles and other tropical fauna.

Get on an ATV and explore the Costa Rican countryside as you follow a guide around the area, and get to the river to splash around in and have some fun. You will have a bilingual guide, who will have your safety and security as the top priority, while making sure that you have a fantastic time riding through the countryside, stopping at a bridge, and splashing through the river.

Sail above the rainforest trails on this guided zipline canopy tour through the Monteverde Cloud Forest. The forest canopy rests 600 feet below you as you cruise down more than 4300 meters of zip line. Keep your eyes open for wildlife sightings or have fun by performing poses as you coast down the 3,400 long cable. You’ll tackle 15 cables with 18 viewing platforms through this two-mile experience. Kids as young as four can also attend.

Explore the Nicoya Península and Curu National Wildlife Refuge with this private guided tour from Santa Teresa. Visit secluded beaches and walk along nature trails to see all manner of wildlife that calls the reserve home. Your naturalist guide is there to help you spot creatures that range from howler monkeys and scarlet macaws to iguanas and coati. This private tour requires a minimum of two people.

Adventurous travelers who like to get off the beaten path will enjoy this three-hour private ATV tour to places that you wouldn’t otherwise reach. Ride beside a river to a scenic lookout point. Keep your eyes open for beautiful birds and animals along the way, including macaws, sloths, and monkeys.

Today, get into the Monteverde Cloud Forest for this private birdwatching and photography tour. Your professional guide will take you to three areas to observe birds like quetzal, trogons, toucans, and black-bellied hummingbirds. This is a small group experience, lasting around six hours. Use the telescope provided by your guide to take closeups of the wildlife on your cell phone.

Journey into the lush Costa Rican countryside aboard an ATV. This small-group tour takes you through forest and cattle fields, and past rivers, creeks, and small rural towns as you ride to a waterfall. At the 30-foot (9-meter) falls you can cool off by jumping into the refreshing waters of its pool.

An ATV tour of Carara National Park lets you explore off-the-beaten-path of this Costa Rican gem. After a safety and instructional briefing, take your ATV on a guided tour along rugged jungle trails, past teak plantations, and over 14 river crossings, stopping to admire views and beaches along the way. Then, head down the Tarcoles River on a boat tour for a chance to spot crocodiles, monkeys, and more.