Volcanes y Playas

The capital is the false start

Twelve days, and the riding doesn't begin in San José — it ends a long transfer away from it. Most flights from Europe land in the morning at Juan Santamaria, you're driven the short hop into the city, and then the formal start is the next day. San José itself is sprawling, urban, busy: a working capital, included for logistics rather than charm. The pace shifts the moment you leave it.

The road is towards Arenal — three hours by minibus to a starting point near the 1,680-metre volcano that put Costa Rica on the geological map. Arenal was constantly active from 1968 until its last significant eruption in December 2010, and it still dominates the skyline whether or not it's currently smoking. A warm-up ride of up to 22 miles and around 600 metres of climbing eases legs into the trip, followed by an evening at hot springs that the volcano has been heating, free of charge, for decades.

Following the chain of volcanoes north

From Arenal the route traces the foothills of three more volcanoes — Tenorio, Miravalles, and Rincón de la Vieja — through the cattle country of Guanacaste. This is the rancher landscape: dust, savannah, working farms, the occasional howler monkey. Some of the riding is on rough gravel, which is the honest answer to anyone wondering whether this is a road trip or something more textured. It's neither pure tarmac nor full mountain biking; it sits in the middle, and a little off-road experience helps. Reasonable fitness is enough; the climbs are real but never punishing.

A signature day takes you across the Continental Divide — the watershed that separates rivers heading to the Caribbean from those running to the Pacific. After that, the country starts to feel different: drier, more open, the air thinner with salt as you approach the coast.

The coast from Samara to Malpais

The final four days swap volcanoes for the Pacific. The riding here is along coastal trails between Samara and Malpais, with a pre-lunch swim built into at least one day and sunset on Coyote Beach with an Imperial — the local lager — as a reasonable end to a riding week. The roads are quieter than the ranch country, the rhythm slower. Wildlife spotting comes free with the cycling: Costa Rica's biodiversity is genuinely abundant, and you'll see plenty without trying.

Bookings and what's included

Saddle Skedaddle grades this trip 3 out of 5 — middle of their scale. It's guided, twelve days door to door, with prices from £3,295 per person. The riding totals are honest: distances are stated by the day rather than padded into one big headline figure. Bike fitting happens on the first morning in San José, before the transfer to Arenal, so there's no scrambling on day one.

For every booking, the operator donates to World Bicycle Relief, with the goal of funding one Buffalo Bicycle per long-haul trip; you can add to that when booking. Family bookings can be arranged as bespoke itineraries — worth asking if the dates or group composition don't fit the standard departure. Reviews on file: 16. Contact via Saddle Skedaddle on +44 (0)191 265 1110 for current departure dates and trip notes.