Heredia -> Orotina (via the old road) -> Puntarenas -> Playa Naranjo (by ferry) We started our descent in a light rain and hardly noticed as it changed into a downpour because we were entranced by the rare and spectacular resplendent quetzal we spotted. By the time we ran into the road … [Read more...]
Nicoya – 1 – Heredia to Orotina
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) -> … [Read more...]
San Carlos-Vera Cruz-Boca Tapada
1999 6/9-6/11 San Carlos (Ciudad Quesada) -> Vera Cruz -> Laguna de Lagarto/Boca Tapada -> Vera Cruz -> Cerro Blanco -Vera Cruz 155 km and approximately 1,200 meters of elevation gain by bike This was a warm-up, and because we were doing out-and-back rides, or meeting friends at … [Read more...]
Puntarenas-Jaco-Carara-Heredia
After the rather rough crossing we headed to Jaco beach. There are a number of nightclubs and discotheques along the beach, but we spent most of our time reading in the shade and convalescing. Quincho and Eugenio were pretty hung over when we headed from Jaco to Heredia with the bikes … [Read more...]
Nicoya-Playa Naranjo-Puntarenas
The ride from Nicoya to Playa Naranjo was long, relatively flat and sun baked. When it seemed we might never see shade again, we spotted a cluster of trees in the distance where a small stream crossed the road. We pulled in to the shade and dropped our bikes to fuel up on snacks and water, and were … [Read more...]
Bagaces-Hermosa-Nicoya, The Monkey Trail
After recuperating for a couple of days in La Fortuna de Bagaces, we headed to the beach to recuperate for a few more days. Playa Hermosa is a great place to take a few days off. There is a resort hotel at the northern end of the beach, and several minimalist cabinas on the southern edge with … [Read more...]
Arenal-Monteverde-Palo Verde-Bagaces
The ride from San Carlos to La Fortuna Arenal was idyllic. After battling the mountains, and the relatively heavily trafficked roads out of the central valley, we luxuriated on the gentle rolling hills and lonely gravel road to La Tigra. A couple of miles before we reached La Fortuna, we turned onto … [Read more...]
Heredia-Tuetal-Sarchi-Zarcerro-San Carlos-Arenal
Anywhere you start riding in the central valley of Costa Rica, you start riding up. The huge bowl in the middle of the country is surrounded by mountain ranges, and you have to climb at least a few thousand feet to get through a pass. On our honeymoon trip, we started out with a ride that I call … [Read more...]
El Salvador
United Airlines put us up at the Camino Real Hotel downtown which was a little swankier than what we are accustomed to. In fact, by the time we returned to Colorado six weeks later, United Airlines had probably spent more money on hotel rooms for us than we spent ourselves... but I'm getting ahead … [Read more...]
1996 November and December
640 km by bike Our second trip to Costa Rica involved more cycling than the first. Some of the highlights were getting stranded in El Salvador... twice, Monteverde Cloud forest reserve, Playa Hermosa, the fishing boat rescue when we got lost on the monkey trail, and Palo Verde National … [Read more...]
1993 December and January
...these stories of our bike tours have been resurrected form our second website which was created in 1999. The first website we built was called cyclerica (get it...Cycle and Rica...) and was hosted on a Canadian provider called redrival.com several years earlier so my grandmother could see photos … [Read more...]
Don’t Ride Here
Bicycles used to be our favorite way to get around in Costa Rica but massive increases in the number of vehicles and decreases in the number of potholes have made it all but suicidal to ride a paved road here. If you don't believe us check out the facebook page Accidentes en Costa Rica where users … [Read more...]