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Costa Rica Coast to Coast Ride
Duration
14 days
Site savings
$109
From
$5,301 USD
Cycle stretches of the Pacific coastline and see the highlights of Costa Rica over 14 wonderful days. Take in the variety of Costa Rica by bike, pedalling past rainforest, volcanoes and stunning sections of coastline. From San Jose you'll cycle south with vast Pacific views to the right and dense forest to the left. Crossing the 3400m Cerro de la Muerte pass into the Orosi Valley you'll ride past coffee plantations and volcanoes to arrive on the fertile Caribbean plains where banana plantations take over the landscape. You can take a break from the saddle to explore the wildlife-rich rivers and waterways of Tortuguero before travelling to La Fortuna, a lovely spot located at the foot of Arenal Volcano.
- CategorySolo
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration14 days
- Culture LevelAdventurous
- Skill Level2 - Novice
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation3 - Intermediate
- TerrainCoastal
- Distance290.8 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance24.2 miles
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Quick Stats
- Duration14 days
- Main DestinationCosta Rica
- Distance290.8 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance24.2 miles
- Elevation3 - Intermediate
- TerrainCoastal
Route Map (click to view larger image)
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Start San Jose
Make your way to the start hotel in La Garita de Alajuela, around 15-minute drive from the airport. There’s nothing planned today, so take time to relax and prepare for the exciting adventures ahead.
- Hotel Rosa America (or similar)
- Day 2Ride and transfer to Rio Tárcoles; boat tour; transfer to Playa Bejuco
After breakfast, you will have a briefing and spend time adjusting bikes before riding out on paved roads with very little traffic through small rural communities and a dry tropical forest. This initial stage will finish at Cebadilla, where you'll transfer approximately 40 minutes for lunch at Casita de Café, high above Atenas.
After lunch, you'll transfer 45 minutes to embark on a private, guided boat tour of the Tárcoles estuary. We hope to see crocodiles, waterbirds and even scarlet macaws. After, you'll take a roughly 45-minute transfer to your beach hotel at Playa Bejuco. If tide and sand conditions permit, we can fit in more cycling and arrive at the hotel riding on the immense tropical beach. The full tour briefing will take place following dinner at the hotel.
(Extra 6.2mi/10km for beach ride option)- 12.4 miles
- -921.9 ft
715.2 ft
1,637.1 ft - Hotel Playa Bejuco (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 3Wildlife walk and swim in Manuel Antonio National Park; transfer to Playa Dominical
Today you'll start with an early-morning transfer (approximately one hour) to arrive at the renowned Manuel Antonio National Park just as it opens. The 7am arrival will give the best opportunity for wildlife spotting and allow you to avoid the park at its busiest later in the day. The extended visit also gives time for a longer walk on the newly renovated and less visited Punta Catedral trail, as well as a special treat: a swim at the beautiful white-sand beach set within the park, one of Costa Rica’s best beaches.
Leaving Manuel Antonio behind, you'll transfer approximately one hour to Playa Dominicalito, where you'll enjoy a late lunch at at the fabulous La Parcela restaurant, which offers great meals, spectacular views and plenty of wildlife – don’t let the monkeys steal your food! Following lunch, you'll transfer 15 minutes to your accommodation in the rainforest at Villas Rio Mar.
- Hotel Villas Rio Mar (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 4Ride to Uvita Waterfall; see stone spheres at Palmar Sur; transfer to Osa Peninsula
Today you'll cycle south along the coastal road, which includes a few hilly sections near Uvita and Ojochal. Your first destination of the day is Uvita Waterfall for a refreshing dip in the emerald waters; an ideal place to cool off from the heat of the day. Departing Uvita, you'll transfer to Palmar Sur, where you can observe the famous stone spheres produced by the ancient Boruca indigenous culture of this region and have a look at the remnants of the old United Fruit Company banana operation.
Departing Palmar Sur in the bus, you'll head to Mirador Mogos for lunch then resume cycling at Rincón on the Osa Peninsula, where you'll ride a second biking stage to Agua Dulce Beach Resort.
Accommodation: Agua Dulce Lodge (or similar)- 37.3 miles
- 196.9 ft
1,161.4 ft
964.6 ft - Hotel Las Palmas de Osa (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 5Free day on the Osa Peninsula
Today is free for you to relax and recharge in the gorgeous surroundings of Agua Dulce. It’s possible to swim at Playa Pan Dulce, do some kayaking, or for those who wish to cycle, there’s a flat gravel/dirt round-trip stage (27mi/43km) out to the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula. Your tour leader can help to book optional activities; most require advance booking and a minimum number of participants. A fantastic option is the sunset kayak tour and if the bioluminescence is occurring, you’re in for a spectacular treat!
- Agua Dulce Lodge (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 6Transfer to Mirador Osa; ride to Chacarita and transfer to Las Cruces; nature walk at Las Cruces Botanical Garden
- Day 7Cycle to Paso Real; transfer to San Gerardo de Rivas
Back on the saddle, you'll enjoy a fantastic downhill ride from the hilly region near San Vito downhill to Paso Real, far below at the Rio Terraba. En route, you'll pass through an indigenous area where villagers can sometimes be seen in traditional dress. You will stop in Buenos Aires to have lunch before boarding the bus for a transfer (approx. 2-3 hours) to San Gerardo de Rivas. You will pass the first of many pineapple plantations, which has now become Costa Rica's most exported crop. As the hotel tonight is located in the mountains it may be chillier than you expect.
- 31.7 miles
- -3,671.3 ft
1,591.2 ft
5,262.5 ft - El Pelicano Mountain Lodge (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 8Ride to San Isidro de Perez Zeledon; transfer across the Cerro de la Muerte pass; cycle to Orosi
This morning you'll start with a short downhill stage before jumping on the bus for a transfer that will take you over the infamous Cerro de La Muerte. At 3,541 metres above sea level, this is the highest point of the PanAm Highway in all of Central America. You'll enjoy an extended lunch stop en route, where you are sure to be greeted by multiple species of hummingbirds. On this stretch, you will drive through rainforest, up into the cloud forest before starting the descent back down towards the Central Valley. From here you will get back on the bike for another downhill stage into the Orosi Valley.
- 30.4 miles
- -3,415.4 ft
459.3 ft
3,874.7 ft - Hotel Alma de Luna (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 9Ride to Turrialba
After breakfast, you'll start cycling from the hotel for perhaps one of the most beautiful cycling stages riding past numerous coffee plantations. With any luck, you will see some farmers using their colourful traditional oxcarts to haul the coffee to nearby processing facilities. Along the way you will stop to look at coffee trees and the tour leader will give an explanation on coffee and its part of the history of Costa Rica.
As you continue your ride through the valley, you will ride around a hydroelectric dam before starting a section that involves some climbs. You will arrive at the little town of Tucurrique where you will stop off for lunch. Afterwards, you will cycle through lush scenery of sugar cane plantations before a short transfer to the hotel for the night. The mountain lodge, which is your accommodation this evening, has excellent views of the surrounding region, including the coffee-growing Orosi Valley and both the Irazu and Turrialba volcanoes.
- 37.9 miles
- -1,571.5 ft
1,886.5 ft
3,458 ft - Hotel Turrialtico (or similar)
- Breakfast and Lunch
- Day 10Cycle to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and transfer to Puerto Viejo
After breakfast, you will start cycling a hilly section with incredible views, followed by a fast downhill to the town of Siquierres, where you board the coach and transfer to the Caribbean coast.
Depending on our arrival time this afternoon, there may be time to enjoy a guided hike in Cahuita National Park before transfer (approximately 15 minutes) to Puerto Viejo, a Caribbean town with lively reggae music, beautiful culture and spicy cuisine.
- 24.2 miles
- -2,211.3 ft
1,916 ft
4,127.3 ft - Hotel Escape Caribeno (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 11Transfer to Guacimo; cycle through banana plantations; transfer to La Pavona for boat trip to Tortuguero
Today is a very early start as we have a transfer of approximately one hour to Santa Rosa for breakfast. Then you'll continue (approximately 1hr 30min) to the beginning of your backroads biking stage, which takes you through several small towns within the immense banana plantations. You'll stop for lunch near these plantations and the leader will explain the harvesting and packaging process, as well as the importance of these plantations to Costa Rica.
After, a transfer (approximately one hour) to La Pavona you'll board a boat to Tortuguero National Park along the wildlife-rich rivers and canals used for transiting in this densely forested area.- 23 miles
- 32.8 ft
344.5 ft
311.7 ft - Pachira Lodge (or similar)
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 12Boat trip in Tortuguero; ride and transfer to La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano; visit thermal springs
An early morning boat trip enables you to discover the extraordinary flora and fauna of Tortuguero, passing serenely along the waterways. At this time of day, wildlife is usually at its most active and with the help of the expert guide you are likely to encounter monkeys, caiman, iguanas, butterflies and many of the 300+ bird species recorded here. You'll retrace the route by boat to the dock at Pavon where you will start cycling through banana plantations, stopping for a brief explanation about the importance of these plantations to Costa Rica.
Afterwards, you'll have a transfer to just outside Guapiles for an early lunch provided by the Tortuguero lodge. After lunch, you'll head towards La Fortuna and the imposing Arenal volcano. Following a massive explosion in 1968, Arenal was Costa Rica's most active volcano until recently when it entered a resting phase. En route, you will take a break to observe the thriving pineapple operations in Costa Rica before continuing on to the hotel, set in the centre of town. This evening there is an included excursion to Volcano Lodge hot springs.
- 13.7 miles
- 75.5 ft
393.7 ft
318.2 ft - Hotel San Bosco (or similar)
- Breakfast and Lunch
- Day 13Cycle on beautiful Lake Arenal to La Fortuna; transfer to La Garita de Alajuela
Following a short transfer, the final cycling stage starts with a ride through the dense rain forest surrounding beautiful Lake Arenal, with several spots to observe the volcano as you continue back toward La Fortuna.
Upon reaching town, there is some free time for souvenir shopping and to enjoy lunch. The last leg of the journey is completed by bus as you transfer (approximately two hours) back to La Garita de Alajuela.
- 20.5 miles
- -981 ft
1,148.3 ft
2,129.3 ft - Hotel Rosa America (or similar)
- Breakfast
- Day 14End San Jose