Costa Rica bicycle tours

Over the past decade, we have taken several trips by bicycle in Costa Rica. The links below will take you to descriptions of our travels that include photos, maps and maybe a little insight into this amazing country. If you would rather access the tour descriptions by the region visited, click on the map icon to the right.

The distance we traveled by bicycle and the approximate elevation gain are stated for those of you who are trying to assemble an itinerary for your own trip.

1999 8/1-8/8

Heredia -> Tuetal Norte -> Sarchi -> Venica (via valle bajo del torro amarillo) -> Los Chiles -> Cano Negro (by boat) -> San Rafael de Guatuso -> La Fortuna de Arenal -> Vera Cruz.
399 km and approximately 2,400 meters of elevation gain by bike

1999 7/20-7/29

Heredia -> Vara Blanca (by car) -> Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui -> La Trinidad (and back to Puerto Viejo by boat) -> La Virgen -> Rio Corinto -> Puerto Limon -> Cahuita -> Puerto Viejo de Limon.
411 km and approximately 500 meters of elevation gain by bike

1999 7/7-7/16

Heredia -> San Marcos (by car) -> Quepos -> Manuel Antonio -> Quepos -> Punta Uvita -> Ballena -> Palmar Norte -> Sierpe -> Palmar Norte -> Ciudad Neily.
319 km and approximately 1,500 meters of elevation gain by bike

1999 6/13-6/30

Heredia -> Orotina (via the old road) -> Puntarenas -> Playa Naranjo (by ferry) -> Playa Tambor -> Playa Malpais and Santa Teresa -> Jicaral -> Nicoya -> Barra Honda -> Limonal -> La Fortuna de Bagaces (by car) -> Hacienda los Innocentes (via San Jose de Upala) -> Station Santa Rosa -> Playa Naranjo Santa Rosa -> Liberia.
667 km and approximately 3,500 meters of elevation gain by bike

1999 6/9-6/11

San Carlos (Ciudad Quesada) -> Vera Cruz -> Laguna de Lagarto -> Vera Cruz -> Cerro Blanco -Vera Cruz.
155 km and approximately 1,200 meters of elevation gain by bike

1996

Heredia -> Tuetal Norte -> Zarcerro -> Naranjo -> San Carlos (Ciudad Quesada) -> La Fortuna de Arenal -> Monteverde (by jeep taxi) -> Canas -> Palo Verde -> Bagaces -> La Fortuna de Bagaces (by car) -> Playa Hermosa -> the beach that we aren't exactly sure of the name of because we were lost -> Playa Conchal (by fishing boat) -> Santa Cruz -> Nicoya -> Playa Naranjo -> Puntarenas (by ferry) -> Playa Jaco (by car).
970 km by bike

1993

Our first trip, for our honeymoon, in December and January of '93 and '94. Heredia -> Volcan Poas -> Aguas Zarcas -> La Fortuna -> Volcan Arenal -> Canas ->Bagaces --that was the end of our biking but we continued to travel by car, bus and foot.
515 km and approximately 3,000 meters of elevation gain by bike