Pack Up the Gear and Head to Costa Rica for a Biking Adventure.

Experience a wonderful, exotic mountain bike holiday cycling through the tropical paradise of Costa Rica. Pura Vida (great life) is a common saying amongst the people of Costa Rica and this cycling holiday certainly lives up to the Pura Vida, offering excellent biking, together with outstanding scenery and wildlife.

Costa Ricans are particularly fond of cycling, and bicycle racing is a major sport here; the famous Guanaride attracts hundreds of enthusiasts from all over the world. La Ruta de los Conquistadores race is another popular event taking participants from one coast to the next.

As for leisure bike and mountain bike riding, there are plenty of paths away from the main highways that are much less traveled. However, remember that there are no bike lanes, potholes are a persistent problem and traffic can be hazardous on the steep and windy mountain roads. So you’ll need a helmet; drivers here are not always as considerate about bikers as one would like them to be.

Exploring Costa Rica by bike is often a rewarding, interesting and entertaining way to enjoy the contrasting landscape, allowing riders easy access to forest and mountain trails across a vast span of Costa Rica land. This sport has gained so much recent popularity over the last few years that there are quite a few domestic and international outfitters organizing complete biking packages to Costa Rica. With all this amazing natural beauty that the country has to offer, it isn’t surprising that there are so many people who want to come here to cycle around the volcanoes of the Central Valley, explore the forests and visit the beaches.

Tours are often also linked with other types of outdoor activities, such as rafting and hiking. Most tour operators these days provide good quality bicycles for those travelers who do not want to have to be wandering about with a bike everywhere, and it also makes it much easier to board a plane without your own! For those who prefer to have their own bikes, these companies offer assistance in the shipping process. Some even have support vehicles for carrying all the gear, for those with a professional penchant.

This country has also captured the attention of serious mountain bikers for its extremely difficult trails. For quieter bikers, there are less strenuous tours however, so do not panic! As for those travelers who do not wish to ride on a daily basis, they will find bike rentals in many resort towns.

Arenal is one popular spot, offering visitors approximately 125 kilometers of trail from which to enjoy unobstructed views of the local mountains the beautiful lake, and of course, the majesty of the Arenal Volcano itself. Other popular biking destinations include Samara, Carrillo and the surrounding areas of Volcan Rincon de la Viejo, where one can ride the trails on tropical dry forest terrain. Bike rentals and guided bike tours are also available in Liberia, Quepos and Tamarindo, and on the Caribbean, in Cahuita and Puerto Viejo. In Puerto Viejo, nearly everyone spends a day exploring the adjacent white sand beaches by bike, and you could even make it to the Panama border if you’re up for an adventure. Wherever you choose to go, Costa Rica is the place to enjoy a thrill, fun, and verdant beauty, all from behind the handle bars.

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Filed under: Travel on July 8th, 2008