icon Trip Overview

icon Lodging

Route Rating Level 3 to Level 5

PDF iconDetailed Itinerary

RESERVE THIS TRIP!

Premiere Inns
  • $3,398 pp dbl. occ.
  • Internal Flights: $230.
  • (+$930 for sgl. occ.)
  • Internal Flights: $510

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

6 DAYS, 5 NIGHTS
ROLLOVER DATES BELOW FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
2009 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
ROLLOVER DATES ABOVE FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
TRIP NOTES

All meals included except for 1 lunch.

Cancellation Policy

View cancellation policy

Meet / Depart

San José, Costa Rica

Special Interest

Culture & History, Exotic Adventure, Kayak, Mountain Bike, Natural Beauty &/or Wildlife, Rainforest Exploration, Swim, Tropical/Winter Sunshine

My Backroads

View albums for this trip

Recommended Reads

Essential trip reading

Search
Contact Us

Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
E-mail us

801 Cedar St.
Berkeley, CA 94710

Business Hours:
7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

Or contact your travel agent

Costa Rica Biking

Costa Rica Biking

From Arenal Volcano Down the Coast to the Osa Peninsula

Discover the real meaning of pura vida in Costa Rica, a diverse slice of Central American paradise. Picture green pastures and a rain forest alongside a breathtaking lake. A mighty volcano that regularly smolders and rumbles. A remote peninsula that beckons with pristine playas, warm Pacific waves and miles of tranquil roads crisscrossing one of the most biologically rich corridors in the world. And a country inhabited by some of the friendliest people on earth. Bike with Backroads through several ecological zones and stop for breaks in remote villages and on inviting beaches. At night, settle in at oceanfront retreats and a lakefront lodge where relaxation comes naturally.

View other trips in Latin America

Days 1-2 La Fortuna

Meet in San José Pedal through a lush agricultural area laden with sugar cane, banana, pineapple and papaya en route to La Fortuna, nestled beneath rumbling Arenal Volcano Spin past palms, ferns and bromeliads and emerge on the shore of Lake Arenal  After a scenic cruise across the lake, enjoy panoramic views while biking a portion of the Vuelta al Lago mountain bike race route  In the evening, soothe your biking muscles with a soak in hot springs.

Day 3 Dominical

A morning charter flight whisks us to the Pacific coast Hop on your bike in the quaint surf town of Dominical and pedal along a rolling seaside road with beach on one side and rain forest on the other  Bask on warm white sand this afternoon, then wrap up the day with an al fresco seafood feast as the sun sets over the ocean.

Days 4-6 Golfo Dulce

Embark on an epic ride (sure to be a highlight!) along the coast and through the jungle to the tranquil Golfo Dulce and Osa Peninsula, one of the world's most biologically diverse regions  Keep your eyes and ears open for howler monkeys, toucans, parrots, macaws and sloths   Pedal quiet hilly back roads through friendly Tico communities with an option to hike and kayak in Corcovado National Park Return to San José by scenic charter flight.

Route Rating What's this? Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Each offers options for more or less activity, so you can decide exactly how much you want to do day by day.

Lodging What's this? Our lodgings are divided into three different categories.

Premiere Inns:These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.

Casual Inns:These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the areawith such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.

Deluxe Camping:We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.

Detailed Itinerary

Reserve This Trip!

Trip praise

This was the most incredible vacation I have ever taken, and I have been promoting Backroads since returning home. Each day brought wonderful and unique experiences. Never having taken a trip like this, I did not know what to expect and now cannot believe I waited this long to try a group trip like this one. My husband and I plan to take many more trips with Backroads in the future.
Gail S. - Cherry Hill, NJ

read more trip praise

For more than 29 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Costa Rica tour experts. For biking tours in Latin America, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Latin America biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Latin America walking and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Latin America multisport tours click here.

Costa Rica Biking

TICO TREASURES : Premiere Inns*

Lost Iguana

La Fortuna (2 nights): At this colorful resort, relax in your spacious room with a private balcony, swim in the sparkling swimming pool and revel in views of Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal.

* With 2 Casual Inn nights

Cristal Ballena

Dominical (1 night): Superb ocean vistas, 30 landscaped acres and a large swimming pool are yours to enjoy at this welcoming tropical retreat.

Villas Corcovado

Golfo Dulce (2 nights): Nestled amid 70 remote acres of pristine jungle, with a swimming pool, a quiet beach and private gardens, these luxury villas overlook the calm waters of Golfo Dulce.

Costa Rica Biking Costa Rica Biking

Cristal Ballena

Costa Rica Biking

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Levels 2 to 3  3 Route Options Available
  • 14, 20, 32 miles
  • 500 - 1500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Levels 2 to 5 3 Route Options Available.
  • 16, 27, 47 miles
  • 0 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 3
  • Levels 2 to 4 1 Route Option Available
  • 17 miles
  • 500 feet elevation gain
Day 4
  • Levels 4 to 5 3 Route Options Available
  • 22, 39, 68 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 5
  • Levels 2 to 3  2 Route Options Available
  • Biking 21, 32 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 6
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • Hiking 3.1 miles
  • Conclusion of Trip

Please note that all biking is done on mountain bikes and the terrain can make the routes feel more difficult than the mileage may suggest.

Costa Rica Biking Costa Rica Biking

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours		 10-20
miles		 2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours		 21-30
miles		 5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours		 31-40
miles		 7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours		 41-55
miles		 9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours		 56-75+
miles		 11-13+
miles