Costa Rica is world-renowned for numerous eco-adventures; however, due to the tropical climate and under-developed infrastructure, road maintenance is a continual challenge and options for bike routes are limited. As a result, we've paired our core activities with ones that are suited to this destination, such as rafting and kayaking; and due to these challenges of the road, kids don't bike on this trip at all. We're confident that our mix of alternate activities, combined with enough downtime to relax and take advantage of the hotels, is the ideal way to experience la pura vida.

In order to bring you the full gamut of Costa Rica’s splendor, we spend more time shuttling on this trip than on many other Backroads trips. Our time in the shuttles will allow us to experience the incredible variety of ecosystems, scenery and activities Costa Rica has to offer. So sit back and relax, knowing that someone else is doing the driving, and enjoy the beauty of the journey.

“Pura vida,” or “pure life,” is not just a Costa Rican greeting–it’s a state of mind. While Costa Rica’s tourist industry is well accustomed to welcoming foreign visitors, you may still notice that service here can lack a sense of urgency, reflecting the slower pace and relaxed approach to life that is typical throughout the region. As such, patience and a sense of humor are always recommended when traveling in Central America. Your Backroads leaders will be close by to ease the way.

During the trip there’s time for you to enjoy some of Costa Rica’s favorite activities, such as surfing and ultralight flights. These activities are often a highlight for those who choose to do them, but due to liability issues and because they’re not to everyone’s liking, they’re not included in the cost of the trip and participation is at your own risk.

The holiday and spring break months are a great time to travel; however, with days off and the desire to escape for sunshine many others have the same idea. While we always aim to get off the beaten path, during certain times of the year crowds and delays are unavoidable.

On this trip we travel by air to reach the exclusive areas this destination has to offer. We will be flying by charter with Sansa Airlines aboard turbo-prop planes that seat eight to 14 passengers. These flights occasionally experience delays or cancellations due to inclement weather. In the rare instance a flight is cancelled we are prepared to travel by land.