Snorkeling in Tamarindo: ATV, Banana Boat & Beach

Ride off-road to hidden beaches, then snorkel the coastline by boat

A three-hour activity combining ATV or UTV off-road riding with snorkeling at Conchal Beach near Tamarindo. You explore secluded beaches inaccessible by car (Puerto Viejo, Pirates Bay, Minas Beach), then board a Banana Boat for a 15-minute coastal ride with snorkeling gear and life jackets. A bilingual guide leads the whole thing. You choose single or shared ATVs, or 2- or 4-seater buggies. Pickup from Tamarindo-area hotels is available on some options for an extra charge from certain resorts.

Step-by-step itinerary

ATV tour and Banana Boat ride

• Explore secluded beaches by ATV
• Enjoy 30-minute Banana Boat ride
• Snorkel near Playa Conchal

The experience

The off-road part runs about two hours. Your guide takes you through mountains and along rivers to reach beaches that don't show up on maps, and the number of stops shifts with tides and seasons. You'll ride a fully automatic Honda buggy or a semi-automatic ATV depending on which option you pick: single rider, shared with one passenger, or a four-seater for families. A practice area at the start lets you get comfortable with the machine before heading out.

After the ride comes the Banana Boat: a 15-minute run from Puerto Viejo Beach out to Conchal, staying close enough to see the shoreline without landing. When conditions allow, you'll snorkel from the boat with goggles, a life jacket and a guide watching the group. The ride itself is the point: speed, spray, the view of the coast from the water. Bottled water and seasonal fruit come along.

You'll need at least moderate fitness for the ATV portion. The ride is bumpy and demands balance, but no prior experience is required. Helmets, goggles and life jackets are provided. The guide speaks English and Spanish. If you're staying at a Tamarindo-area hotel, round-trip transport is included in some options. If you're at JW Marriott, Las Catalinas or Palm Beach Grande, add $15 per person for pickup. Meet-at-office options skip the hotel run entirely.

What’s included

• Fully trained bilingual guide (English and Spanish).
• helmet and goggles.
• semi-automatic Honda ATV or fully automatic Honda buggy (single, shared or multi-seater depending on your choice).
• pre-tour practice area.
• 15-minute Banana Boat ride with life jackets.
• guided snorkeling with goggles and life jackets if conditions permit.
• bottled water and seasonal fruit.
• round-trip hotel transport from Tamarindo-area hotels on select options (extra charge applies from certain resorts).

Options for this experience

6 options

ATV tour, with meeting at the officeGuide in English, Spanish or French · 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00Duration: 2 hours. This is the best choice if you have a rental car. You can find us on Waze or Google Maps as 506 Transfers, Tours & Rentals. Important: If you are an adult who wants to ride as a passenger on a Double ATV, please choose the KID option. The minimum for a tour is 2 ATVs. IMPORTANT: Adults who want to ride as a passenger on a Double ATV should select the KID option. The minimum for a tour is 2 people.

UTV tour, with meeting at the officeGuide in English, Spanish or French · 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes. This is the best choice if you have a rental car. You can find us on Waze or Google Maps as 506 Transfers, Tours & Rentals. Important: Our Buggies (UTVs) seat 2 or 4. IMPORTANT: Our Honda Buggies seat 2-4 or 6. Please select 2, 4 or 6 people per Buggy. The minimum for a tour is 2 people. Pickup is included.

ATV tour departing from the Tamarindo areaGuide in English, Spanish or French · 08:30, 11:30 and 14:30Duration: 3 hours, with round-trip transportation from Tamarindo & Conchal Hotels & Vacation Rentals. IMPORTANT: If you are an adult who wants to ride as a passenger on a Double ATV, please choose the KID option. The minimum for a tour is 2 people. Pickup is included.

See 3 more options

UTV tour departing from the Tamarindo areasGuide in English, Spanish or French · 08:30, 11:30 and 14:30Duration: 3 hours, with round-trip transportation from Tamarindo & Conchal Hotels & Vacation Rentals. UTVs: Our UTVs seat 2 or 4. IMPORTANT: Our Honda Buggies seat 2-4 or 6. Please select 2, 4 or 6 people per Buggy. The minimum for a tour is 2 people.

ATV tour departing from RIU HotelsGuide in English, Spanish or French · 08:00 and 11:00Duration: 4 hours, with round-trip transportation from Riu Guancaste & Palace. Important: If you are an adult who wants to ride as a passenger on a Double ATV, please choose the KID option. The minimum for a tour is 2 ATVs. IMPORTANT: Adults who want to ride as a passenger on a Double ATV should select the KID option. The minimum for a tour is 4 people. Pickup is included.

UTV tour departing from RIU HotelsGuide in English, Spanish or French · 08:00 and 11:00Duration: 4 hours, with round-trip transportation from Riu Guancaste & Palace. Important: Our UTVs seat 2 or 4. IMPORTANT: Our Honda Buggies seat 2-4 or 6. Please select 2, 4 or 6 people per Buggy. The minimum for a tour is 4 people. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 15:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (16 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 8 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by 506 Transfers & Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the ATV option if you want to drive yourself and control the pace through the hidden beaches. Pick the UTV buggy if you'd rather have a passenger ride along or prefer an automatic transmission. Pickup from your hotel saves the trip to the office, though meeting at the location works fine if you have your own transport or prefer to skip that leg.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 8 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I ride as a passenger on an ATV instead of driving one?

Yes, but only if you're a child. Adults riding as passengers should book the double ATV option labeled "KID" at checkout. It seats two adults, one driving and one as passenger.

What happens if the snorkeling conditions aren't good that day?

The Banana Boat ride always runs, but snorkeling is provided only when conditions allow. The guide makes that call on the day based on water and weather.

How many beaches will we actually visit on the ATV part?

It varies. You'll see spots like Puerto Viejo, Pirates Bay and Minas Beach, but tides, seasons and how comfortable you are on the machine all shift which ones are reachable on any given day.

Do I need to know how to ride an ATV before I book?

No. The guide will walk you through the controls in the practice area at the start, and the semi-automatic and fully automatic options mean you don't need prior experience.