Jaco Waterfall Tours: ATV Rides, Hikes and Rappel Days from Jacó
Nine of the 20 tours are ATV rides, typically 60 to 120 EUR for 4 hours. Across all 20 the typical price is 60 to 120 EUR for 3 hours, only 5 include lunch, and one hike costs under 30 EUR.
Nine of the 20 Jaco waterfall tours are ATV rides, and one ATV operator holds 46% of all the reviews on this page. On those rides the waterfall is a swim stop reached after an hour or two on a mountain trail. If you would rather walk to the falls, there are five hikes from under 30 to 120 EUR. If you want ropes, there are three adventure parks. The typical price is 60 to 120 EUR for 3 hours, only 5 of the 20 include lunch, and half include pickup. Jacó is the base for a stretch of coast, not a waterfall: the falls are in the hills behind it, in a private valley at Ocean Ranch, around Bijagual to the north and, for one 10-hour listing, as far south as Nauyaca. The Costa Rica page compares the country's other waterfall areas.
Two listings are not what the category name suggests. The 3.5-hour zip line over 11 waterfalls meets at a hotel in Miramar, a different town from Jacó. The 10-hour Waterfalls Adventure from Jaco drives south: its description says the Osa area and five waterfalls in three places, while its itinerary names Nauyaca. Both are counted in the numbers here and described where they belong below. The operator's page has the final word on what a booking includes.
10-Hour Small-Group Waterfall Trek from Jaco Walk to Osa: 5 Falls, 3 Locations
Small group of up to 12 leaves Jaco Walk for the Osa area: five waterfalls in three places, a traditional Costa Rican lunch and a choice to swim or jump in.
3-Hour ATV Ride South of Jaco to a 30-Foot Waterfall and Swimming Pool
Starts at an ATV station 15 minutes south of Jaco, with a 5-minute jungle walk to the falls and a stop at El Tigre lookout. Transport from Jaco on request.
3-Hour Herradura ATV Tour with Waterfalls, a Private Beach and Ocean Views
Three hours on an ATV off the beaten path from Herradura, with waterfalls, a private beach and ocean views. A Visa or Mastercard is needed on the day.
4-Hour ATV Ride to the Private Jaguar Waterfalls, with an El Tigre Lookout Stop
Ride to a private estate with three waterfalls, swim in one, and stop at the El Tigre lookout and restaurant. The ATV station is 15 minutes south of Jaco.
4-Hour Jaco ATV Ride: Swimming Waterfall and Lunch at a Bijagual Tilapia Farm
Half-day ride from the Adventure Tours base in Jaco with a swim at a 30-foot waterfall and a Costa Rican lunch at a Bijagual tilapia farm where kids can fish.
5-Hour Jaco Adventure: ATV, 180-Foot Waterfall Rappel, Zipline and Tractor Ride
ATV ride through the forest to El Encanto waterfall, a 180-foot rappel, then a canopy zipline near Jaco. Directions to the park from the Costanera included.
ATV Ride in a Private 850-Acre Park to El Encanto Waterfall and Ocean Views, Jaco
Off-road ATV ride in a private park away from the highway, ending at the rancho with fresh pineapple and juice. El Encanto waterfall is 180 feet high.
Bijagual Waterfall Walking Tour from Jaco: Forest Trails, Rivers and Pools
Walk forest trails past rivers and pools to Bijagual Waterfall, among the most majestic in Costa Rica. Meet at the falls, 1 km from Jardine Pura Vida.
Finca Los Solis Hike near Jaco: 10 Waterfalls and 8 Natural Pools, 2.5 to 3 Hours
A guided hike through Finca Los Solis that opens with sugar cane juice, crosses rivers and ropes, and leaves time to swim or jump in eight natural pools.
Full-Day ATV Ride from Jaco: Waterfalls, Tulin River Lunch and a Pacific Beach Run
A full day on an ATV with a bilingual guide: Cascada del Zorro, ridgeline views, lunch by the Tulin River and a 2 km beach run along the Pacific Ocean.
Garabitours Hidden Canyon Hike near Jaco: Waterfalls, Cliff Jumping and Farm Stops
Hike a hidden canyon with waterfalls and pools for swimming or cliff jumping, passing banana, cocoa and sugar cane. Meets 10 minutes from Jaco town by car.
Guided 4-Hour Jaco Waterfall Hike from Jaco Walk with Trailhead Transfer
Meet in front of Taco Bar at Jaco Walk, ride to the trail head and hike into the forest above Jaco Beach to a waterfall. Bookings need 2 to 15 travelers.
Guided Jaco Rainforest Hike to 10 Waterfalls with Cliff Jumping and Waterfall Climbing
A moderate guided hike to 10 waterfalls near Jaco, with swimming, cliff jumping and waterfall climbing, plus bottled water, fresh fruit and a snack at the end.
Half-Day 4x4 Jungle Safari from Jaco: Pura Vida Falls and Lunch at Paz del Campo
Half-day 4x4 safari with a bilingual guide from the Adventure Tours Costa Rica office in Jaco: a swim at Pura Vida waterfall and an included Costa Rican lunch.
Horseback, 180-Foot El Encanto Rappel and Zipline Day at Ocean Ranch Park, Jaco
Ride to El Encanto on horseback, rappel its 180-foot face with professional guides, then zip over 2,000 feet of cable to the rancho in an 850-acre valley.
Horseback Ride to the 180-Foot El Encanto Waterfall at Ocean Ranch Park, Jaco
Horseback through jungle shade and a river valley to a 180-foot waterfall, with white-faced monkeys, toucans and macaws along the trail. Park setting near Jaco.
Horseback Riding Tour to Bijagual Waterfall near Jaco, Meeting at the Falls
Horseback riding to Bijagual Waterfall, among the highest in Costa Rica. Riders meet at the falls, 1 km from Jardine Pura Vida in Bijagual, near Carara.
Jaco ATV Tour to Two Jungle Waterfalls: Cascada del Zorro and Pura Vida Falls
Ride your own ATV above Jaco to Cascada del Zorro and Pura Vida Falls, with an optional 15-foot jump. Drivers need to be 16+ with a valid driver's license.
Miramar Zipline Tour at Adventure Park: 18 Cables over 11 Waterfalls, 3.5 Hours
Zipline above 11 waterfalls from Adventure Park and Hotel Vista Golfo in Miramar, with a bilingual guide, all equipment and a swim in a natural waterfall pool.
Vista Los Suenos Waterfall Canyoning near Jaco: Rappels, River Beds and Pools
Rappel waterfalls, trek river beds and jump into natural pools at Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park, 1.5 km east of the Herradura and Los Suenos intersection.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
The hills behind Jacó
The waterfalls near Jacó are in hills within a short drive of the beach. The Finca Los Solis listing puts its trail about five minutes from the sand, with 10 waterfalls and 8 natural pools. The Park at Ocean Ranch sells a private river valley of 850 acres next to Jacó and Playa Hermosa. Bijagual lies to the north, and the ATV listing names Carara National Park at the end of its loop. On the map Carara is about 20 km north of Jacó, and Herradura and Playa Hermosa are each about 6 km away. Distance is not the problem here. What changes from one listing to the next is how you get up the hill.
In Jacó the waterfall is usually the reward at the end of something else: a trail, a rope, a quad bike.
Nine ATV tours, and what a quad ride includes
The top-reviewed listing, a 3-hour ATV ride with 908 reviews, climbs a mountain trail to a lookout and then to two waterfalls. The operator names the first as Cascada del Zorro, 35 ft by its own count, and the second as the Pura Vida fall at Bijagual, where you can jump 15 ft into the pool. The waterfall entrance and local transport are included, pickup in the Jacó area is available on request, and the ride operates in all weather. Prices across the nine run from the 60 to 120 EUR band for 2 hours to the 120 to 250 EUR band for a private 6-hour day, and the 60 to 120 EUR band for 3 hours is the common one.
The license, the age limit and the deposit
ATV drivers must be 16 or older with a valid license. Unlicensed riders and anyone under 16 ride as passengers, and passengers cannot outnumber drivers. Children under 4 cannot ride at all.
At ATV Adventure Tours, the operator behind four of the nine ATV listings, you leave a refundable hold on a card that grows with the number of quads you take. It must be Visa or Mastercard, and it is released when the quad comes back in the condition it left. Jaguariders, the other ATV operator, also asks for a hold, a larger one for groups of five or more, by credit card or cash. Bring the card. Closed shoes are required, and the listing warns of mud in the rainy season and dust in the dry.
The chart shows a crowd at the bottom left. Nearly everything in Jacó is a short, cheap outing, and the price only climbs with hours. The table puts the formats in order.
Jaco waterfall tours: the formats compared
| Format | Tours | Price band | Typical price band | Median length | Lunch included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATV rides | 9 | 60 to 250 EUR | 60 to 120 EUR | 4 hours | 3 of 9 |
| Hikes on foot | 5 | Under 30 to 120 EUR | 30 to 60 EUR | 3 hours | 1 of 5 |
| Rappel, zip line, canyoning, horseback | 5 | 60 to 250 EUR | 60 to 120 EUR | 3 hours | 0 of 5 |
| Full day to the south | 1 | 120 to 250 EUR | 120 to 250 EUR | 10 hours | 1 of 1 |
Hikes: three listings that each say ten waterfalls
Three hike listings sell ten waterfalls, at roughly 30 to 120 EUR, and we could not tell whether they walk the same trail. The one that names its ground is Finca Los Solis: 3 hours in the 30 to 60 EUR band, including a typical lunch, fruit, a dry bag, photos and showers, but no transport. You meet the guide in the parking lot. The dearest of the three starts at Jacó Walk with a 30 to 45 minute hike to the first fall and offers water, fruit and a snack. The cheapest is Bijagual, under 30 EUR for a trail map and, in the listing's words, all sales final with no refund. It is a ticket, not a tour.
Zip lines, rappels and the Ocean Ranch valley
The Ocean Ranch combo is in the 120 to 250 EUR band for 5 hours: a horseback ride through the valley, a rappel from 180 ft down the waterfall called El Encanto, and more than 2,000 ft of zip line. Pickup is free within Los Sueños, Jacó, Herradura and Playa Hermosa for two or more people. Villa Caletas, Tárcoles, Punta Leona and Esterillos each carry a surcharge, so ask what yours is. Those are the extras that turn a cheap day into an expensive one.
The Vista Los Sueños canyoning run is in the 60 to 120 EUR band for 3 hours and asks for a high level of fitness: you swim, you rappel, you get wet to the skin. The minimum age is 8, and it meets 1.5 km east of the Herradura junction.
The map shows why pickup is so common. The three beach towns are a few kilometers apart, and the hills are behind all of them. The distance that costs money is the one to San José, which no listing here sells.
The listings that leave Jacó
The 10-hour Waterfalls Adventure is in the 120 to 250 EUR band for a small group of up to 12, meeting in front of a taco bar at Jacó Walk. It promises five waterfalls in three places, a traditional lunch in the rainforest and a private vehicle, and the guide says you can swim or climb up and jump in. The description says Osa, the itinerary says Nauyaca. If Nauyaca is the point, read the Nauyaca and Manuel Antonio page, where the two entrances and the hours are laid out. The zip line in Miramar, in the 60 to 120 EUR band for 18 cables over 11 waterfalls, meets at a hotel there, not here.
When to go
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Mistakes people make when booking
Arriving at an ATV check-in with no way to pay the deposit is the classic one: the hold is required (by Visa or Mastercard at the biggest operator, card or cash at Jaguariders). Booking a hike without checking the transport is the second: the Finca Los Solis and Jacó Walk listings both leave it out. The third is reading a private price as a group price: two listings are truly private, the Jaguariders exclusive ride and the full-day ATV, and Viator lists both per person. The chart also marks three listings that only mention a private park or beach. The fourth is treating ten waterfalls as one product, when three listings sell it under different names and prices.
Questions about Jaco waterfall tours
Do you need a license for the ATV tour?
Drivers must be 16 or older with a valid license. People without one, and children under 16, ride as passengers, and the number of passengers cannot exceed the number of drivers. Children under 4 cannot ride. The listing also asks for closed shoes.
What is the card hold on an ATV tour?
ATV Adventure Tours asks for a refundable hold on a Visa or Mastercard, and the amount rises with the number of vehicles. Jaguariders asks for a hold too, a larger one for five or more riders, by card or cash. The hold is released when the vehicle returns in the condition it left.
Do the tours run in the rain?
The ATV operator says its tours operate in all weather, with mud in the rainy season and dust in the dry. Hikes and canyoning depend on river levels, so ask the operator if a storm has been through the day before.
Which of the ten waterfall hikes is the real one?
We could not tell. Three listings, at roughly 30 to 120 EUR, each sell ten waterfalls. Finca Los Solis is the one that names its meeting point, its facilities and what the price includes, and it is the one we would book first.
How tall is Bijagual waterfall?
We found no measurement. Blogs give heights from about 180 m to 280 m and none cites a source, so we publish no figure. The cheapest listing sells the trail, not a height.
Want a bigger waterfall day?
The Nauyaca and Manuel Antonio page compares a seven-hour trip to the two-tier fall near Dominical with the shorter days from Quepos.
Data verified on . 20 listings read on 22 October 2026. ATV rules, hold and pickup extras from the operators' listings; Bijagual height not confirmed. Distances read from the map.