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Tamarindo: ATV Beach Trails to Playa Piratas & Minas

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration2h 30m

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Ride ATVs from Tamarindo through rivers and villages to wild beaches

You’ll ride ATVs from Tamarindo with a local guide, crossing rivers and winding through small villages before reaching quiet beaches like Playa Piratas and Minas. Expect wildlife sightings—maybe monkeys or iguanas—and plenty of time to soak up sun or just listen to waves. Cold water and showers are waiting when you return, but you might still carry that wild feeling home.

2h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Use bathroom and showers on site
Take ATV test drive
Follow guide on secondary roads
Drive through villages, rivers, forest, mountains
Visit Playa Piratas, Playa Minas, Playa Puerto Viejo
Observe wildlife like monkeys and iguanas
Return to office for cold waters
Use bathroom and showers after tour

The Experience

I’ll be honest — I nearly bailed before we even started. My helmet kept slipping sideways and I couldn’t get the chin strap right, which made our guide Diego laugh (he fixed it in two seconds). The test drive was a relief — turns out, ATVs aren’t as intimidating as they look. Once we set off from Tamarindo, I could smell dust and something green, like wet leaves after rain. The engine noise faded behind us as we left the main road and bounced down a rutted track that definitely wasn’t on Google Maps.

Diego led us through these tiny villages where kids waved (one tried to race us on a rusty bike — he almost won). We splashed through a shallow river that soaked my shoes — cold at first, then kind of refreshing with the heat. When we reached Playa Piratas, there was nobody but a couple of fishermen mending nets under a crooked palm. The sand felt gritty and hot under my hand when I picked up a shell. We just stood there for a minute listening to the waves and some bird I couldn’t name. I didn’t expect to feel so far away from everything.

The drive up into the hills was bumpier than I’d guessed (my arms are still sore), but worth it for that view over Playa Minas — pale blue water, darker patches where rocks hid below. Diego pointed out some monkeys in the trees; one tossed something at us (nut? fruit? not sure). On the way back toward Puerto Viejo beach, we spotted an iguana sunning itself right in the middle of the path — nobody hurried us along, which I liked. By the time we got back to base, my face was streaked with dust and sweat but they handed out cold bottled water like it was gold. Showers never felt better.

What’s included

Your day includes your own ATV with safety gear, guidance from a local expert who leads you off paved roads through villages and forests to three distinct beaches near Tamarindo—Playa Piratas, Playa Minas, and Puerto Viejo—with cold bottled water provided at the finish plus access to bathrooms and showers before heading home again.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Discover Tamarindo