Hot Springs La Fortuna Costa RicaATV and Hot Springs Tour in La Fortuna
This ATV and hot springs tour in La Fortuna pairs a private quad ride with a soak at a rustic, non-commercial spring inside the rainforest. You ride your own 500cc automatic ATV with power steering and power brakes, on a route the operator adjusts to your experience, then finish in a simple natural spring far from the resort pools most visitors see. The price is $160 per person, the tour runs 4 hours, and the spring entrance fee is bundled in. It carries a 5.0 rating from 162 verified bookings on Viator and Tripadvisor. This page covers what the price covers, what the day looks like and who should book something else among the La Fortuna hot springs options, and it sits alongside La Fortuna, Costa Rica hot springs.
About This Tour
Centaura runs this as a private, customized combo with a bilingual guide. Every rider gets their own 500cc 4x4 automatic ATV, and the operator picks easier back roads for beginners or families and harder trails for experienced riders. The spring at the end is the selling point for many people: it is not one of the big commercial pool complexes, but a simple, rustic spring submerged in rainforest, described by the operator as pristine and natural.
The trade-offs are real. All sales are final, so there is no refund if your plans change, and no transport from your hotel is stated in the listing, so you need to arrange your own way to Gate #2. The soak is not a resort day either, with no towels, lockers, bars or meal options mentioned anywhere in the listing. If those limits bother you, a day pass at a resort is the easier product.
$160 per person, and the hot springs entrance fee is bundled in. Extra payment applies for each additional adult or kid riding along.
4 hours total, combining the ATV ride and the soak. The listing gives no separate minutes-in-water figure.
An unnamed rustic hot spring in the rainforest, not a commercial resort. Simple pools, no slides, no crowds and no resort facilities.
The spring entrance fee and a bilingual guide. No meal, no drinks, no towel and no locker are stated as included.
Not stated. The 4 hours cover both the ride and the soak with no split given, so ask the operator at booking if soak time matters to you.
No free cancellation. All sales are final and no refund is available, so fix your dates before paying.
Check Dates and Availability
This is a private tour, so departure times are arranged around your booking. Because every sale is final, confirm your date is fixed before you pay.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
The private ATV and hot springs combo costs $160 per person, runs 4 hours and includes the entrance fee to a rustic, non-commercial rainforest hot spring. Each rider gets their own 500cc automatic ATV with a bilingual guide. All sales are final, so there is no refund for cancellation.
Key takeaways
- One person per ATV, with extra payment for additional riders of any age. See what the price covers.
- The spring is rustic and simple, nothing like the resort pools at Tabacón.
- Not recommended if you are pregnant, have a spinal injury or poor cardiovascular health. See who it rules out.
- Want a refundable option? The Los Lagos ticket allows free cancellation up to 24 hours out.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $160 covers less than a resort day pass in terms of facilities, but you get the machine, the guide and the spring entry in one booking. Here is the line by line from the listing.
Included and Excluded
The listing states one inclusion: the hot springs entrance fee, bundled into the ATV tour price. Everything else you might expect from a springs visit, such as towels, lockers, meals or drinks, is not mentioned at all in the listing, so plan as if you get none of it. Hotel pickup and transport from town are not stated either. The ATV itself, a 500cc automatic 4x4 with power steering and power brakes, plus the bilingual guide, are part of the deal.
The listing's exclusions section is empty, which is not the same as saying nothing costs extra. What is explicit is the per-rider pricing: one person per ATV, and additional payment per additional adult or kid. If your group wants two people sharing, budget for the extra rider rather than assuming a two-seat rate.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ATV ride | Yes | Private 500cc automatic 4x4, one person per ATV, bilingual guide |
| Hot spring entry | Yes | Entrance fee bundled into the tour price |
| Route tailoring | Yes | Easier trails for beginners and families, harder routes for experienced riders |
| Extra riders | Paid on top | Additional payment per additional adult or kid |
| Transport from town | Not stated | No hotel pickup or shuttle mentioned, arrange your own way to Gate #2 |
| Towel, locker, food, drinks | Not stated | Nothing beyond entry is mentioned, bring your own |
Where the Money Goes
You are paying for privacy and access rather than facilities. A commercial pass such as the Baldi day pass buys you 25 constructed pools, waterslides and a swim-up bar for $60, but it is a shared venue with fixed hours. Here the $160 buys a private guide, a serious machine and a spring you will likely share with nobody outside your group.
Whether that trade is worth it depends entirely on what you want from the water.
Sources: Tabacón hot springs, Baldi Hot Springs day pass and Arenal Volcano on Wikipedia.
Arenal Volcano seen from Kioro. Photo: Manuel Velazquez, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing does not print an hour by hour itinerary, so this follows the structure the operator describes in its own text.
Arrival and Setup
You arrive at Gate #2 on your own. There is an intercom on the left column of the gate, you press the button, and the gate closes automatically behind you. No pickup window or start time is stated in the listing, so confirm your departure time with the operator when booking.
- Use Gate #2 and the intercom on the left column
- The gate closes automatically
The Ride
The tour runs on 500cc automatic ATVs with real 4x4, power steering and power brakes. The operator describes the machines as heavier than the lighter style used on conventional ATV tours, so expect a substantial vehicle rather than a toy. Routes are customized: easier back roads and trails for families with kids or first time riders, and more demanding routes for adventure seekers.
The whole experience is private, so your group sets the pace.
- Private and customized routing
- Suited to beginners and experienced riders alike
The Soak
The ride ends at the hot spring, which the operator is explicit about: not the big crowded commercial springs in La Fortuna, but a spring submerged in the heart of the rainforest, simple and rustic, described as pristine and natural. No pool count, water temperature or soak duration is published. The 4 hour total covers both the ride and the soak, and the listing gives no split between them, so treat the water time as unconfirmed and ask the operator directly if a long soak is the point of your booking.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing carries three hard health warnings and one age band. Take them seriously, because there is no refund if you cancel after booking.
Health Warnings
The listing is explicit that the tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers, or travelers with poor cardiovascular health. ATV riding over rough trails is the obvious reason. Physical fitness is not a barrier, since the operator states the tour is suitable for all fitness levels, and the adult age band runs 16 to 70.
If any of the warnings apply to you, a pool-based pass is the safer pick. The Paradise Hot Springs ticket at $47 gets you capped-capacity pools and jacuzzis with no quad involved, or compare every La Fortuna, Costa Rica hot springs option on the homepage.
Travelers Who Want Certainty
The no-refund policy rules out anyone with flexible or uncertain plans. Most day passes around town, including the Ecotermales day pass, offer free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, which matters in the rainy season when weather turns fast. If you cannot commit, book a refundable pass and skip this tour.
- Not recommended: spinal injuries, pregnancy, poor cardiovascular health
- Adult age band 16 to 70
- Suitable for all fitness levels, from beginner riders up
- No refund under any cancellation
What to Settle Before You Book
A final-sale booking deserves a checklist. Work through these points before your card is charged.
Cancellation, in Plain Terms
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations, full stop. The one softening in the listing is that the tour can be cancelled for bad weather, so a weather washout is handled by the operator rather than out of your pocket.
Everything else, a changed flight, a sick child, a hungover morning, costs you the full $160. If that risk is uncomfortable, the alternative is a refundable pass such as the Los Lagos ticket, which allows free cancellation up to 24 hours out.
Confirm in Writing
Three things are not stated in the listing and deserve a message to the operator before you pay. First, your start time, since none is published. Second, how much time you actually spend in the spring, since only the combined 4 hours is given.
Third, the exact extra charge for each additional rider, since the listing says only that additional payment applies per additional adult or kid. Get all three in writing, then book.
What to Bring
The listing includes no towel, so bring your own. Bring a swimsuit to wear under your clothes, closed shoes that can get muddy for the ATV portion, and dry clothes for after. No locker is mentioned, so leave valuables at your hotel rather than on the quad.
Bring cash for anything on site, since no card facilities are stated. No meal or drink is included, so eat beforehand or pack something for after the ride.
Getting There from La Fortuna Town
The listing states no hotel pickup, no transport and no shuttle, so you need your own way to Gate #2. It does note that public transportation options are available nearby, which is the only transport clue given. Ask the operator for the exact location and whether a taxi from town is practical.
No parking information is published, so confirm the parking situation when you confirm your start time.
The Route, Step by Step
No clock times are published for this tour, so the steps below follow the sequence described in the operator's listing. The total runs 4 hours.
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Arrive at Gate #2
Reach the gate on your own, press the intercom button on the left column and wait for it to open. The gate closes automatically behind you.
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Meet your guide and quad
Your bilingual guide briefs the group and hands out the 500cc automatic 4x4 ATVs, each with power steering and power brakes. One rider per machine.
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Ride the back roads
The route is customized to your group. Families and beginners take easier back roads and trails, while confident riders can take more demanding routes.
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Reach the rainforest spring
The ride ends at a rustic hot spring inside the rainforest, away from the commercial pool complexes in town.
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Soak
Time in the water is not stated separately. The 4 hour total covers ride and soak, so confirm the split with the operator before booking.
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Return to the base
The listing gives no return time or transport afterward, so plan your own way back to town.
Honest Pros and Cons
Weigh these before paying, because the booking cannot be undone.
What we genuinely like
- Private tour with one person per ATV, so no strangers set your pace
- The spring is rustic and uncrowded, the opposite of the big resort pools
- 500cc automatic machines with power steering and power brakes, suited to beginners and experienced riders
- Hot spring entrance fee is bundled into the $160 price
- 5.0 rating across 162 verified Viator and Tripadvisor bookings, with a Highest rated badge
The honest downsides
- All sales are final, no refund for any cancellation
- No hotel pickup or transport is stated, you reach Gate #2 on your own
- No towel, locker, meal or drink is included or mentioned
- The soak time is not published, only the combined 4 hours
- Extra riders cost more, and the exact surcharge is not stated in the listing
Who it's NOT for: This is not for pregnant travelers, anyone with a spinal injury or poor cardiovascular health, or anyone who might need to cancel.
ATV and Hot Springs Tour Questions
How much does the ATV and hot springs tour cost?
It costs $160 per person, and the hot springs entrance fee is bundled into that price. Additional payment applies for each extra adult or kid rider. For a cheaper pool-only alternative, the Paradise Hot Springs ticket runs $47.
Can I get a refund if I cancel?
No. All sales are final and no refund is available for cancellations, though the operator can cancel for bad weather. If you want flexibility, the Los Lagos ticket allows free cancellation up to 24 hours out.
What kind of hot spring does the ride end at?
An unnamed rustic spring inside the rainforest, not a commercial resort. The operator describes it as simple, pristine and uncrowded. It is a very different product from the constructed pools and slides you read about in the Baldi hot springs guide.
Is the tour suitable for beginners?
Yes. The operator states the tour suits beginners and experienced riders, with easier back roads for less confident groups and harder routes for adventure seekers. The machines are 500cc automatics with power steering and power brakes. The full context is in what the day is really like.
Does the tour include hotel pickup in La Fortuna?
Not stated. The listing mentions no pickup, no shuttle and no transport, only that public transportation options are available near the meeting point at Gate #2. Tours that do include it, such as the waterfall, volcano and hot springs tour, pick up from your accommodation.
How long do I get in the hot spring?
Not stated. The listing gives a combined 4 hours for the ride and the soak with no split between them. Ask the operator for the breakdown in writing before you book, since the sale is final.
How does this compare to a resort day pass?
A pass buys facilities, this tour buys privacy and access. The Tabacón day pass at $180 gets you a full resort with a natural thermal river, while this gets you a private ride and a rustic spring with no facilities. Compare the whole day, not just the headline price, across the La Fortuna, Costa Rica hot springs listings.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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