Quick answer
Can you drive an ATV on the highway in Mexico? On federal highways, yes, but only on the shoulder and never on a controlled-access road: that's Article 66 of Mexico's federal highway traffic regulation. On Federal Highway 200 that means riding the edge, lights on, with a helmet for you and for whoever rides behind you. On turtle nesting beaches, during the season, no vehicle goes in except monitoring ones. And how far your rental can go is set by the provider's contract.
Can you drive an ATV on the highway in Mexico?
Yes, with one condition that changes the plan. Mexico's federal highway traffic regulation, the Reglamento de Tránsito en Carreteras y Puentes de Jurisdicción Federal, bans ATVs from controlled-access highways, the ones with entries and exits only at set points and grade-separated crossings. On every other federal road, its Article 66 lets them ride only on the shoulder, the strip between the lane and the edge of the road. Federal Highway 200 has at-grade crossings: you can ride it, but on the edge. If a stretch has no shoulder, the rule doesn't give you another lane. That regulation covers federal highways; on Puerto's streets, local rules apply. Article 168 adds this:
Federal Highway 200: how far an ATV should go
From Puerto Escondido to Manialtepec it's 15 to 18 km; to Mazunte, about 67, roughly 1 h 15 min by car. The law lets you ride the shoulder, but the ATV Safety Institute says never to ride on paved roads except to cross: if you do head out, make it Manialtepec, in daylight and only if your contract allows it. Mazunte, to the east, or Chacahua, 61 to 65 km to the west, are another story: more than an hour glued to the edge, with trucks beside you and the sun overhead. Our take: for the long coast, a car or an SUV, if one shows up available for your dates. And at night, no highway on an ATV.
Heads up
The shoulder rule isn't some quirk of ours: it's in the federal regulation, which since 2026 names the National Guard as the authority on federal highways. Riding off the shoulder gets you a verbal warning; riding without a helmet, a fine of 25 to 30 times the regulation's daily fine unit. Fines and tickets during your rental are on you.
Can you ride an ATV on the beach?
It depends on the beach and the date, and on nesting beaches the answer is no. Mexico's federal beach regulation has no blanket ban, but it lets the authority set areas, hours and conditions where vehicles can't be used. And NOM-162-SEMARNAT-2012 calls for keeping vehicle traffic off sea turtle nesting beaches during the season: only monitoring and protection vehicles go through. In Puerto Escondido this is close to home: at Bacocho, the Vive Mar camp runs a hatchery pen and releases hatchlings in the afternoon. If you go to the release, the ATV stays on the street.
Even where the law doesn't stop you, loose sand is where ATVs get stuck the most, and more than once people have messaged us with the wheels buried. Zicatela has people walking, surfers coming out of the water and kids at the water's edge; it's not a track. What works: get there by street or dirt road, park before the sand and walk down. If your contract doesn't allow sand, don't even think about it.
What your rental allows is set by the provider's contract
People ask us on WhatsApp whether the ATV can leave Puerto, and the honest answer is that it depends on each rental. On KORU, verified local providers rent out their vehicles, and what's allowed with each one is set by its contract. Before you pay, ask the team whether it can go on Federal Highway 200, how far and whether it can touch sand: canceling always carries a charge. Only the people registered on the contract drive, and no alcohol: the ATV Safety Institute asks for that in its golden rules. If something happens on the road, use the Emergency / Assistance button in My rentals; if anyone is hurt, call 911.
“The ATV is for Puerto's short runs: nearby beaches, viewpoints and dirt roads. On Federal Highway 200 it goes on the shoulder and in daylight. For Mazunte, a car is better. And onto a nesting beach, never.”
— KORU RENT
ATV rental in Puerto Escondido
Enter your dates and see which ATVs show up available, with their daily price.
Puerto Escondido, your base on the coast
Neighborhoods, beaches and what's nearby to plan your trip.
ATV routes around Puerto Escondido
Nearby beaches and viewpoints to ride on an ATV, without taking the long highway.
Frequently asked questions
Legally, yes: Federal Highway 200 isn't a controlled-access road, and an ATV can ride its shoulder. But it's about 67 km, roughly 1 h 15 min by car. First check that your rental's contract allows that stretch. Our take: for Mazunte, a car.
On nesting beaches, during the season, no: NOM-162-SEMARNAT-2012 only lets monitoring and turtle protection vehicles through. At Bacocho, Vive Mar runs a hatchery pen, and Zicatela, with surfers and people at the water's edge, is not a track. Your contract may not allow sand: park before it and walk down.
Only if the ATV has a seat for them: the federal regulation allows as many passengers as there are seats, all with helmets. The ATV comes with a helmet; if there are two of you, confirm with the team that two helmets come with it. The team also confirms how many seats each model has.
Yes. We ask for a valid driver's license, from Mexico or any other country, for ATVs too, and you verify it online after paying. On top of that, the federal regulation requires the driver to be 18 or older, the same guideline age we use for ATVs.
The federal regulation sets no hours for ATVs, but it requires lights on at all times. Our advice: don't head out onto Federal Highway 200 on an ATV once it's dark, because you're riding the edge, with trucks beside you. At night, better stay off the highway.
You do. Fines, tickets and charges incurred during the rental are on you. On federal highways, the National Guard is the authority. If you have an accident, let KORU know right away and, if anyone is hurt, call 911.
If your ATV plan is Puerto's beaches and viewpoints, go to korurent.com, search for Puerto Escondido and enter your dates: only available vehicles show up, with their daily price. If you also want to go to Mazunte or Chacahua, check which cars or SUVs show up for those same dates. Questions about what an ATV's contract allows? Message us on WhatsApp.