This is Part 2 of our 3-part things-to-do series. Part 1 covered everything in the water; this one covers what to do on land without leaving the immediate area; Part 3 covers the full-day adventure parks worth the longer drive.
Playa Potrero isn't just a beach town. The dry forest and ranch land behind it is part of what makes this stretch of Guanacaste worth exploring beyond the sand. None of what's below requires a big drive or a full day; most of it fits into a half-day with time for the pool afterwards.
ATV tours
ATV tours along the beach and riverbeds are an easy, high-energy half-day, and there are several providers in the area. Our favorite operator though is Potrero ATV Tours and we send all our guests there. The owner Mauricio will customize an itinerary for you and take you to places other operators don't. Including a great sample of different sites and attractions around the area such as a dragon fruit farm and a home cooked lunch with a local family.Closed-toe shoes are a must for this one, no flip flops.
Horseback riding
This is one of the most popular half-day activities for our guests, and for good reason - riding along the sand at low tide or through the dry forest trails is a genuinely different way to see the coastline. We loved our ride with Conchal Adventures, who run trips down to Playa Conchal (the beach famous for its crushed-shell sand); a few other operators in the Flamingo/Tamarindo area offer similar routes if you want to compare options. They also offer a range of other adventure excursions. Most trips run a couple of hours and suit riders of any experience level, including first-timers and older kids.
Ziplining
If you're looking for an adrenalin-fueled adventure, you might want to try zip lining. While it's not the cloud forests of Monteverde, the zip lining around Potrero is still a blast. There are a few operators in the area offering combo tours and packages to zip through the tree top canopies - Costa Rica Wet and Wild, Congo Canopy Tour and Skyline Canopy Tour are 3 good options
Trail running and mountain biking at Las Catalinas
Las Catalinas, the walkable beach town about 20 minutes south of us, sits next to a genuinely excellent trail system through the dry tropical forest — singletrack built specifically for trail running and mountain biking, not just repurposed hiking paths. Pura Vida Ride, based in Las Catalinas, rents mountain bikes and can point you to routes matched to your fitness level; trail maps are also available online if you'd rather run than ride. Go early — the forest offers some shade, but it gets genuinely hot by mid-morning, especially in the dry season.
Wildlife encounters: Africa MÃa and Palo Verde National Park
Two very different wildlife experiences, both worth knowing about. Africa MÃa, near Liberia, is a guided safari-style park where you tour by vehicle through open savanna dotted with giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and oryx alongside native Costa Rican wildlife - a genuinely unusual thing to find in Central America, and a smart stop if you're already driving to or from the airport.
Palo Verde National Park, further afield toward the Tempisque River, is the opposite kind of wildlife trip: a boat safari through wetlands considered one of the best birdwatching destinations in the country, with crocodiles sunning on the banks and scarlet macaws overhead if you're lucky. It's a longer day than anything else in this post, but it's the real thing for anyone who takes birds or wildlife photography seriously.
A few practical tips
- Pack closed-toe shoes for ATVs, horseback riding, and mountain biking - flip flops or sandals don't cut it for any of these activities.
- Start early. The heat builds fast once the sun is fully up, especially anything on the trails or in open savanna.
- Check reviews before booking with any tour operator you haven't used before - quality varies more than the marketing suggests.
- Ask our property manager Lis before you book anything - she can often arrange these at no extra charge to you.
Up next: Part 3 of this series covers the adventure parks - full or half-day excursions that pack multiple activities into one outing, including Diamante Eco Adventure Park and the volcano country around Rincon de la Vieja.
Ready to book your Costa Rica trip?
Casa Roberta and Casa Daniel are close to everything in this post. Book direct with us and save on platform fees.
Questions about which of these is worth it for your group? Reach out - you'll get us, not a call center.