Where to rent a scooter, golf cart, e-bike or mountain bike in Santa Teresa in 2026: Buggy Blue golf carts from $100 a day, Honda Navi scooters from $45, Bimba shared e-bikes at $15 a day, Santa Teresa MTB, ATValerios and Pacific Dirt Road, with licence rules, helmets, dust, rain and deposits.
A golf cart in Santa Teresa costs $100 to $125 a day plus tax, a Honda Navi scooter $45 to $60, a mountain bike $20, and a Bimba shared e-bike $15 for a day pass. Buggy Blue is the golf cart pick, ATValerios and Pacific Dirt Road are the scooter counters at the cruce, Bimba is the cheapest way to move along the paved main road, and Santa Teresa MTB rents the good bicycles.
The short version
Now that the main road from Playa Hermosa to Mal Pais is paved, you have real choices between the $80 a day ATV and walking. Buggy Blue, 50 metres northeast of Super Costa, rents four and six seat EZ-Go golf carts with Bluetooth speakers and delivers them to your door; regulars with kids swear by them. ATValerios and Pacific Dirt Road, both at the Playa Carmen cruce, rent Honda Navi automatic scooters and small dual-sport motorcycles for $45 to $85 a day, which is the fastest cheap way to reach Hermosa or Montezuma if you already ride. Bimba's shared e-bikes and e-scooters sit at 25 parking points from Playa Carmen to Mal Pais and cost $1 to unlock plus $0.50 a minute, or $15 for a day pass; you need no licence and no deposit. Santa Teresa MTB (RuedaViva) is the bike shop with proper mountain bikes, repairs, and guided trail rides, and ATValerios rents basic mountain bikes at $20 a day.
The decision comes down to three things: a motorcycle licence (the scooter needs one), the road to your accommodation (a steep dirt side road rules out the e-bike and stretches the golf cart), and a surfboard, which needs a rack or an ATV. The ATV rental guide covers quads and side-by-sides, and getting around Santa Teresa without a car puts all of it next to taxis and the bus.
Buggy Blue (golf carts)
Buggy Blue is the golf cart operator, and the only fleet of any size: EZ-Go carts alongside Honda quads, Pioneers, Talons, and motorbikes, more than 50 vehicles in all since it opened in 2019, per the company's own site. It is 50 metres northeast of Super Costa in Santa Teresa, open 8am to 5pm daily, with a 4.8 Google rating from 127 reviews and a 24/7 booking line on WhatsApp. Its price page at buggyblue.com lists a four-passenger cart from $100 a day cash or $113 by card plus tax, a six-passenger cart from $110 cash or $125 card plus tax, weekly discounts on request, delivery to your hotel or villa, a deposit on every booking, fuel not included, and a minimum rental length in high season. The same page lists Honda Navi scooters from $50 cash or $60 card and Honda motorcycles from $60 or $70, so it doubles as a scooter counter.
A golf cart is the right vehicle for families and groups staying near the main road: it carries four to six people and the groceries, it drives on a car licence, it is quiet, and nobody has to learn to ride anything. The caveats are speed and hills. Carts top out around 30 km/h, so Hermosa to Mal Pais is a 20 minute run, and a steep gravel driveway or a rutted side road after rain will stop a cart that an ATV would climb. Ask Buggy Blue about your exact road before you book; the staff know every hill in town.
ATValerios (scooters, motorcycles, bikes)
ATValerios is a family-run rental at the cruce best known for quads, and it has the clearest published price list for two wheels in town at atvalerioscostarica.com. A Honda Navi 109cc automatic scooter is $45 to $55 plus tax per day depending on season and $315 a week, a semi-automatic Honda Wave 110 from $40, and a Honda XR 150L dual-sport from $55, with July and August and the November to April high season at the top of each range. Deposits on motorbikes are $300 to $500, a surf rack is $10 if you book it ahead and $25 if you add it at the counter, and it accepts cash, cards, and Costa Rican payment links. It also rents basic mountain bikes with gears, front suspension, and a cable lock at $20 plus tax a day or $120 a week, with no delivery. Reviewers name the staff (Grethel and Ulises come up repeatedly) and describe patient tuition before handing over the keys.
Who it suits: riders with a motorcycle licence who want a cheap, light machine for the paved road and the Hermosa and Cobano trips, and anyone who wants a bicycle for a week. The caveat is that ATValerios posts an annual maintenance closure notice on its site; check the dates if you are coming in the shoulder months.
Pacific Dirt Road (scooters and motorcycles)
ATV Rental @ Pacific Dirt Road is next to the MegaSuper at Playa Carmen, open 8am to 6pm daily, with 145 Google reviews at 4.3. Its booking site, quadtourscostarica.com, prices moto rentals by the 8-hour block or the full day: a Honda Navi 110 scooter or an XR 190 from $45 for 8 hours and $55 for 24 hours, a Tornado XR 250 or CRF 250 at $70 and $80, and a CRF 300L at $70 and $80. It offers free delivery and pickup and discounts for weekly and long-term rentals. Who it suits: anyone who wants a scooter for one afternoon rather than a full day, and riders who want a bigger bike for Montezuma or Cabuya. The caveat is the same licence rule as everywhere: bring the original card with the motorcycle category.
Bimba (shared e-bikes and e-scooters)
Bimba is the app-based share scheme with 25 approved parking locations across Santa Teresa, Playa Carmen, and Mal Pais, per gobimba.com. You download the app, scan a bike or seated e-scooter, ride, and end the trip at any approved spot; there is no counter, no deposit, and no licence. As of August 2026 the price is $1 to unlock plus $0.50 a minute, or a $15 day pass with 100 minutes included, so a ten minute hop to dinner is $6 and a day of errands is $15. Bimba does not supply helmets.
Who it suits: solo travellers and couples staying within a few hundred metres of the main road, digital nomads doing the cafe to coworking to beach loop, and anyone who wants to get to a 6am surf without waking the house. The caveats are real: no board rack, no luggage, no riding in the dark on the unlit stretches, no steep dirt side roads, and the service boundary stops at the edge of town, so Playa Hermosa's northern end and anything toward Cobano are out. Availability in the app is live, and in high season the bikes near the cruce go early.
Santa Teresa MTB (RuedaViva)
Santa teresa mtb, trading as RuedaViva, is the bike shop the cycling crowd recommends, with 57 Google reviews at 5.0. Esteban runs premium bike rentals, a repair workshop, and guided trail rides adapted to each rider's level, from the hills behind town to the dirt roads toward Manzanillo, per santateresamtb.com. Hours are 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday, and bookings go through WhatsApp (+506 8379 0757). The shop does not publish a rental tariff; expect a proper hardtail or gravel bike to cost more than the $20 basic bikes at ATValerios, and ask for the day and week rate when you message. Who it suits: cyclists who want a bike that fits and works, and anyone who wants a guided dawn ride with someone who knows the trails. The caveat is that it is a bike shop rather than a beach cruiser stand, so it is not the place for a $10 rusty single-speed.
Other scooter and bike counters
Most ATV shops rent a few scooters and small motorbikes on the side. Royza ATV Rental's, 50 metres north of Super Ronny 1 on the Buenos Aires road, and TRX ATV Rentals at Playa Carmen both list motorbikes, and the ATV guide covers them. Basic beach cruisers with baskets and board racks turn up at hostels and surf shops for $10 to $15 a day; ask at reception. For surfboards rather than wheels, see surfboard rental and repair.
How to choose
| Vehicle | Daily price (2026) | Licence | Carries | Best for | Worst for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golf cart (Buggy Blue) | $100 to $125 plus tax | Car licence | 4 to 6 people, groceries | Families, groups near the main road | Steep gravel driveways, speed |
| Scooter, Honda Navi (ATValerios, Pacific Dirt Road, Buggy Blue) | $45 to $60 plus tax | Motorcycle category | 1 to 2 people, small board with rack | Confident riders, Hermosa and Cobano runs | Sandy side roads, rain, beginners |
| Dual-sport 150 to 300cc | $55 to $85 plus tax | Motorcycle category | 1 to 2 people | Experienced riders, Montezuma and Cabuya | Anyone new to bikes |
| Bimba e-bike or e-scooter | $1 plus $0.50 a minute, $15 day pass | None | One person, a backpack | Short paved hops, dawn surf checks | Luggage, boards, hills, night |
| Mountain bike (ATValerios, Santa Teresa MTB) | $20 plus tax, more for premium | None | One person, a backpack | Fitness, trail rides, week-long stays | Getting anywhere fast in the heat |
Practical notes
Licences. Costa Rica's traffic law splits motorcycle licences by engine size (A1 to 125cc, A2 to 500cc), and rental shops here ask for the motorcycle category on your home licence for anything with a throttle, including a 110cc Navi. A car licence covers the golf cart and nothing on two wheels with an engine. Visitors can drive on a home licence for up to three months without an international permit, per the ICT's tourism site. Bring the physical card.
Helmets are compulsory on scooters and motorcycles under Costa Rican law, and every shop provides one with the rental; a second helmet for a passenger may cost extra, so ask. Bimba supplies none, so bring your own or buy one at the hardware store by the cruce if you plan to ride every day. Police do stop riders without helmets on the main road, and the fine is large.
Dust and rain. From December to April the side roads throw fine dust over everything, so a scarf and sunglasses are not optional on a scooter. From May to November, afternoon storms turn the unpaved stretches to mud and the paved road slick within minutes; plan two-wheel trips for the morning and let a golf cart or taxi handle the evening. Our insects, heat and dust guide has the rest of the green season survival list.
Deposits and payment. Expect a $300 to $500 hold on a card for a scooter or motorcycle and a similar hold for a golf cart. Cash prices run 10% to 15% below card prices at Buggy Blue and others, and 13% tax is added to the quoted rate almost everywhere. Photograph the vehicle at pickup.
Book ahead for December to April and Easter week, when golf carts and Navis sell out, and ask for the weekly rate, which is usually five or six days' price for seven. In late September you can walk in anywhere. Browse every rental counter at the /directory/services hub.
FAQ
How much does a golf cart rental cost in Santa Teresa?
Buggy Blue lists a four-passenger EZ-Go cart from $100 a day cash or $113 by card plus 13% tax, and a six-passenger cart from $110 cash or $125 card, with weekly discounts and free delivery. It is the only operator with a fleet of golf carts in Santa Teresa.
Do I need a motorcycle licence to rent a scooter in Santa Teresa?
Yes. Even a 110cc Honda Navi is a motorcycle under Costa Rican law, and ATValerios, Pacific Dirt Road, and Buggy Blue ask for the motorcycle category on your home licence. A car-only licence covers golf carts, ATVs, and Bimba e-bikes, and nothing else with a throttle.
How does Bimba work in Santa Teresa?
Download the Bimba app, scan a bike or seated e-scooter at one of 25 approved parking spots between Playa Carmen and Mal Pais, ride, and end the trip at another approved spot. It costs $1 to unlock plus $0.50 a minute or $15 for a day pass with 100 minutes, needs no licence or deposit, and provides no helmet.
Is a scooter safe on the roads in Santa Teresa?
On the paved main road in daylight, yes, for someone who already rides. The risks are sandy side roads, dust in dry season, sudden rain in green season, and unlit stretches at night. Every year visitors with no riding experience get hurt on rented scooters here; if you have never ridden, rent a golf cart or use Bimba instead.
Where can I rent a bicycle in Santa Teresa?
Santa Teresa MTB (RuedaViva), the bike shop near Playa Carmen, rents proper mountain and gravel bikes and runs guided trail rides. ATValerios at the cruce rents basic mountain bikes at $20 plus tax a day or $120 a week. Hostels and surf shops rent beach cruisers for about $10 to $15 a day.
Can I carry a surfboard on a scooter or golf cart?
On a scooter, only with a side rack, which ATValerios fits for $10 if you book it in advance and $25 at the counter, and only with a board under about 7 feet. A golf cart takes a board across the back seats or on a roof rack. Bimba e-bikes have no rack at all, so for a longboard you want an ATV or a taxi.
