Every ATV and quad rental shop in Santa Teresa and Mal Pais compared on 2026 daily and weekly prices, deposits, insurance, helmets, delivery, and what goes wrong.
A quad in Santa Teresa costs $60 to $90 a day plus 13% tax in 2026, or about $420 to $525 for a week, with a $500 card deposit. Buggy Blue is the best all-round shop for a first rental, ATValerios publishes the clearest weekly rates, and Pacific Dirt Road has the biggest fleet and free delivery.
The short version
Six shops rent quads within a few minutes of the cruce, and they charge within $20 of each other for the same Honda 420. What separates them is the fine print: whether the deposit is a card hold or cash, whether the card price is 13% higher than the cash price, how many helmets you get, and how fast they answer WhatsApp when the thing will not start on a hill in Mal Pais. Buggy Blue is the safest pick for most people, ATValerios is the one to price for a week or more, and Pacific Dirt Road is the biggest operator at Playa Carmen, with a review history that says read the deposit terms twice.
This guide is about renting a quad and driving it yourself. If you want a guided run to the Montezuma waterfalls, read ATV and quad tours in Santa Teresa instead. And if you are not sure you need four wheels at all, getting around Santa Teresa without a car covers scooters, bikes, and the shared e-bikes.
Buggy Blue
Buggy Blue has rented in Santa Teresa since 2019 and now runs a fleet of more than 50 vehicles: Honda quads, four and six seat Pioneer side by sides, Talons, golf carts, Navi scooters, and motorcycles. The office is 50 metres northeast of Super Costa in central Santa Teresa, open 8am to 5pm every day, and they deliver to your hotel or villa anywhere from Mal Pais to Montezuma.
Published 2026 rates, all before 13% tax: Honda quad $75 a day cash or $85 by card, four seat Pioneer $220 cash or $250 card, six seat Pioneer $300 or $340, Talon $250 or $285, four passenger golf cart $100 or $113, Navi scooter $50 or $60, motorcycle $60 or $70. Weekly discounts exist but are quoted on request. Every booking needs a deposit, fuel is not included, and in high season they can impose a minimum number of days.
Google reviews sit at 4.8 from 127, and the recurring theme is the staff, with Jazin and Jose named repeatedly for sorting out delivery and swaps. Who it suits: families and groups who want a golf cart or side by side rather than a quad. The caveat: paying by card adds roughly 13% before tax, so bring dollars if you want the lower number.
Pacific Dirt Road
ATV Rental at Pacific Dirt Road is the biggest rental operation on the coast, with more than 120 quads and motorcycles, and it is the shop most visitors end up at because the office sits at Playa Carmen in front of Taco Corner, next to the MegaSuper. Hours are 8am to 6pm daily.
The 2026 booking calendar prices a 300cc Kymco or 420cc Honda at $70 for 8 hours and $80 for a full day, the 520cc Honda at $80 and $90, and the five seat 1000cc Pioneer higher on request. Motorcycles run from $45 for a Navi scooter to $80 to $90 for a 250cc or 300cc Honda. Every rental includes a helmet and a lockable storage box, delivery and pickup are free anywhere in Mal Pais and Santa Teresa, and you can book online with no payment and settle on site. You need a passport, a licence, and a Visa or Mastercard for the security deposit.
Google reviews sit at 4.3 from 145, lower than the other shops, and Tripadvisor has a thread of one star reviews about deposits taking a long time to come back and a 13% surcharge when you pay by card. Regulars say the machines are fine and the trail knowledge is real, since the same company runs the guided tours. Who it suits: anyone who wants a quad delivered the same afternoon, or a bigger motorcycle. The caveat: photograph the vehicle from every angle before you sign, and ask in writing when the deposit is released.
ATValerios
ATValerios is not in the Onda directory yet, but it is the shop I point people to when they want a week or more, because it is the only one that publishes seasonal weekly prices. The office is 300 metres north of the public school in Santa Teresa, and every rental includes helmets and delivery.
The 2026 price list, all plus tax: Honda 420 semi automatic $70 a day and $455 a week from July through October, rising to $80 a day and $525 a week from 2 November 2026 through April 2027. The automatic Kymco 270 is $70 a day and $420 a week now, $75 and $490 in high season. The Kymco 250, the easiest quad for a beginner, is $65 a day and $385 a week now, $70 and $490 in high season. A four seat Honda Pioneer starts at $210 a day. A surfboard rack is $10 for the whole rental if you book it in advance, $25 if you ask at delivery.
The terms are stricter than the others. Minimum age is 21, the deposit is $500 to $1,000 per vehicle on a credit card only (debit cards are refused), and the optional theft coverage reduces your liability to a $1,500 deductible. Without it you owe the full value of the machine if it is stolen. Nothing covers liability, medical, or collision damage. Note that ATValerios closes for the whole of October 2026 for fleet maintenance, so if you arrive in October you will be renting elsewhere. Who it suits: monthly renters, digital nomads, and anyone comparing weekly totals. The caveat: no credit card, no rental.
TRX Santa Teresa
TRX ATV Rentals has rented quads in Santa Teresa for more than ten years from an office next to the Banco Nacional, open 8am to 5:30pm every day. The fleet is Honda 420 and 520 quads from $80 a day and a Honda 700 side by side from $150 a day. They also run their own tours to the Montezuma waterfalls ($200 per quad) and to Playa Hermosa and Manzanillo ($180 per quad), which are covered in the tours guide.
The rating is the lowest of the shops here, 3.7 from 17 Google reviews, though the reviews on the company site talk about quads arriving at the hotel on time and fair prices. Who it suits: someone who wants a 700 side by side for two people without paying Pioneer money. The caveat: with so few reviews, message first and ask exactly what is included, because the site does not list the deposit or the helmet count.
Royza ATV Rentals
Royza is a small local shop 50 metres north of Super Ronny 1, at the entrance to Calle Buenos Aires next to Kojis restaurant. Hours are 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday, and there is no website, so everything runs on WhatsApp.
It holds a 5.0 Google rating from six reviews, which is too few to lean on but consistent with what people say about small family run shops here: the owner answers the phone, and the price is negotiable for longer rentals. Royza does not publish rates, so expect the local going rate of roughly $70 to $80 a day for a 420 and ask for the weekly number. Who it suits: Spanish speakers and anyone who wants to deal with the owner directly. The caveat: no published terms means you must ask about the deposit, the helmet, and what happens if the quad breaks down.
Santa Teresa Extreme Center
Santa Teresa Extreme Center is a surf school first, 150 metres north of the football field on the main road, and it rents ATVs, UTVs, scooters, and dirt bikes by the day and by the week alongside the lessons. Hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday. The 4.7 Google rating from 390 reviews mostly reflects the surf side, so read the rental reviews separately.
Rental prices are not on the site, and the rental page is a WhatsApp number, +506 6389 2822. Who it suits: people staying at the north end of town who want a quad and a surf lesson from the same counter. The caveat: the surf school is the main business, so ask who to call if the quad has a problem on a Sunday afternoon.
ATV with Carlos is also listed in the directory as a corner lot in central Santa Teresa selling cheap rentals, but I could not verify current prices or hours, so treat it as a walk past and ask option.
How to choose
| Shop | Quad per day (before 13% tax) | Weekly | Deposit | Delivery | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buggy Blue | $75 cash, $85 card | Discount on request | Required, amount on booking | Yes | First rental, golf carts, side by sides |
| Pacific Dirt Road | $70 for 8 hours, $80 full day (420), $90 (520) | Daily rate times days, up to 30 | Card hold | Free | Same day delivery, big motorcycles |
| ATValerios | $65 to $70 now, $70 to $80 high season | $385 to $455 now, $490 to $525 high season | $500 to $1,000, credit card only | Included | Weekly and monthly rentals |
| TRX | From $80 | Ask | Ask | Yes | Honda 700 side by side |
| Royza | Ask, expect $70 to $80 | Ask | Ask | Ask | Dealing with the owner |
| Extreme Center | Ask | Ask | Ask | Ask | North end, surf and quad together |
Automatic Kymcos are easier for a beginner than the semi automatic Honda 420, which needs you to shift with a foot lever. A Pioneer or Talon is the only sensible choice for four people or small children, and it costs three times as much. If you only need to get to Playa Hermosa and back for dinner, a scooter at $45 to $60 a day or the Bimba shared e-bikes at $15 for a daily pass with 100 minutes will do the job and skip the deposit.
Practical notes
WhatsApp is the booking channel for all of these shops, and the smaller ones do not check email. Send your dates, the model, and where you are staying, and ask for the total with tax and deposit in one message so you have it in writing.
Cash is cheaper. Buggy Blue prints a cash price and a card price, and Pacific Dirt Road reviewers report a 13% card surcharge on top of the 13% sales tax. Bring clean US dollar bills; ATValerios refuses stained or torn notes. The deposit itself is almost always a hold on a credit card, so a debit card may be refused. Get the release date in writing and check your statement a week after you return the quad.
Helmets are legally required and every shop includes at least one. Ask for two if you are riding with a passenger. Every shop delivers, but delivery is free only at Pacific Dirt Road and ATValerios, and only within Santa Teresa and Mal Pais.
What breaks: flat tyres on the rocky road to Hermosa and Manzanillo, dead batteries after the quad sits in the rain, and clutch trouble on the semi automatics when a beginner rides them in the wrong gear. Ask who you call and whether a swap is free. Also read the dust and mud notes in safety in Santa Teresa: quads flip on the steep dirt climbs behind town, and the coast road floods at river crossings in September and October.
Right now in late September the fleets are half idle and weekly rates are at their lowest. From December to April prices rise by $10 a day, minimum rental periods appear, and the 420s sell out around Christmas and Easter, so book a week ahead.
Browse every rental shop and transport service at the /directory/services hub.
FAQ
How much does it cost to rent an ATV in Santa Teresa?
Plan on $60 to $90 a day plus 13% tax for a two seat quad in 2026, with the Kymco 250 at the bottom and the Honda 520 at the top. Weekly rates run $385 to $525 at ATValerios depending on season, and the others discount a week on request. Four seat Pioneers start at $210 to $220 a day.
Do I need a special licence to rent a quad in Costa Rica?
A normal car licence from your home country is accepted by every shop here, and you must carry your passport as well. Costa Rican nationals and residents need an A2 licence. ATValerios sets a minimum age of 21; the others do not publish one, so ask if you are under 25.
How big is the deposit and when do I get it back?
Expect a $500 hold on a credit card, and up to $1,000 at ATValerios. Most shops release it when the quad is checked back in, but Pacific Dirt Road has a run of reviews complaining about slow releases, so photograph the vehicle at handover and ask for the release date in writing.
Is insurance included with an ATV rental?
No. The optional coverage at ATValerios only limits your loss if the quad is stolen, to a $1,500 deductible. No shop in town covers liability, medical costs, or collision damage, so check whether your travel insurance excludes ATVs, because many policies do.
Can I ride the quad on the beach?
No. Costa Rica bans motor vehicles on beaches, and the rental contracts repeat it. Riding on the sand at Playa Carmen or Hermosa gets you a fine and can cost you the deposit. Stick to the dirt roads, the river crossings, and the coast road to Mal Pais.
Is it better to rent a quad or a scooter in Santa Teresa?
A scooter at $45 to $60 a day is enough for the main road between Mal Pais and Playa Hermosa in dry season. A quad earns its price when your rental is up a steep dirt driveway, when you carry a board and a passenger, or when the September rain turns the side roads to mud.
