Volcanoes to Beaches Bike Tour Itinerary

printer-friendly version

Tour Overview and Tips
Sol Encounter will provide mountain bikes to those that wish. Please contact us at info@solencounter.com for a description of the bicycles we have available. If you would like to bring your own bicycle to Costa Rica, please contact your airlines to see if additional fees or special packing considerations are required. Generally, a bicycle box and minor disassembly is required for airline consideration and international flights often take bicycles for free. If you bring your own bicycle, please have it tuned up before leaving. A $200 reduction in price is given to anyone wishing to bring his or her own bicycle. A support vehicle that carries basic tools, extra water, snacks, lunch, and has room for people who are tired will accompany the Volcanoes to Beaches Bike Tour. In addition, there will be two Sol Encounter guides on all legs of the tour. This enables groups to split up and ride longer or shorter variations of individual legs. It is our experience that riders find it preferable and more comfortable to bring their own personal helmets, gloves, and bicycle shoes. If you would like Sol Encounter to provide the above-mentioned gear, you must contact us at info@solencounter.com before the tour. All breakfast and lunches are included as are some dinners. Keep in mind that you can encounter all kinds of weather in Costa Rica from morning sunshine to afternoon showers and sometimes chilly evenings. Riders should be prepared for any weather.

Day 1
Fly into San Jose (Juan Santamaria International Airport). A member of Sol Encounter will meet you at the airport and orient you to the city as well as help you exchange money and then drop you off at the hotel. A welcome dinner with the entire group is planned for the evening.

Optional Activities- Depending on your arrival time, you can explore downtown San Jose, visiting the central walking mall and the central market. A Sol Encounter guide will show you around or provide detailed maps and explanations if preferred.

Day 2
Breakfast and Lunch included.We’ll start the morning early and you’ll pack your belongings and mountain bikes for the drive to San Ramon. San Ramon is about an hour outside of San Jose and enables us to start our bike trip without the traffic of the capital city. We’ll unload our bikes here and begin a 40-mile ride through the Cordillera Tilaran Mountains. Arenal Volcano will loom large while riding, and marks our finish point for the day in the small town of La Fortuna. That evening, we’ll check into our hotel, eat dinner and then soak away any first day sores at natural thermal pools emanating from the volcano.

Day 3
Breakfast and Lunch included. Rise early and view the slopes of active Arenal. We start the day by nearly circumnavigating the volcano in route to Lago Arena--the largest freshwater body in Costa Rica. We’ll bike the southern shore of the reservoir and its mix of dirt and paved roads. This is rolling hill terrain past farmlands and with mountain views. Once past the reservoir, we’ll continue west to the cowboy town of Canas. We’ll spend the night in Canas and gear up for one of the longer riding days tomorrow.

Optional Activities- Canas has a wildcat rehabilitation zoo where you can see all six species of Costa Rican cats. Or, have a drink and dinner at one of the restaurants on the shores of the Rio Corcoboci, where you’re sure to see tropical birds and possibly monkeys.

Day 4
Breakfast and Lunch included. Eat a good breakfast today, because our goal lies westward--the Pacific Ocean. We’ll join the Pan-American Highway heading northwest towards the three volcanoes of Tenorio, Miravalles and Rincon de la Vieja. We’ll pass through the provincial capital town of Liberia and then veer off the highway and into rolling hills heading out towards the ocean. Our final destination is the small white sand beach community of El Coco, where we’ll spend a well-deserved night of rest. Total mileage for the day is about 55 miles, but all on pavement.


Day 5
Breakfast and Lunch included. Sleep in this morning if you’d like because we’ll have a shorter ride today. We’ll backtrack a bit inland to get to a better road and then start riding south through rolling farmland and past ranches, then to the beach town of Tamarindo. Tamarindo is a well-known surfing community with many of the amenities of home. We’ll spend the night in a hotel on the beach and have plenty of time in the afternoon to attempt surfing or perhaps just lay on the beach. Total mileage today is 25 miles with several dirt road options for more mileage.

Day 6
Breakfast and Lunch included. The coastal road south of Tamarindo quickly turns to dirt and winds its way through large trees, open sections of coast and often crosses freshwater creeks-perfect to cool down in along this hot section. We are heading to the town of Playa Nosara. Home to a remarkable number of international cuisine restaurants for a town its size, it also offers a wide-open beach and several yoga studios. Try stretching those sore muscles here in Nosara. The mileage today will be about 40 miles.



Day 7
We’ll saddle up in the morning with two options. Our final destination for the day is Playa Samara, a small beach community about 20 miles south of Nosara. The first option is to have a short day and pedal south along the coast to Samara. Here you can check into your hotel and then have enough time to take a surf lesson in the gentle breakers, rent a sea kayak and paddle out to a small deserted island offshore, or simply enjoy the small town and beach. The second option is for those wanting to clock up the miles. This group will ride inland and up to the town of Nicoya-the hub of the peninsula, and then turn around and on a slightly different course ride through rolling hills for a last exciting descent into Samara. Total mileage for this leg is about 45 miles.

Day 8
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included. We’ll spend the day in and around the town of Samara. Side excursions via bicycle can be made to the north, east or south. Samara also has plenty of non-bicycle related activities as well, such as surfing, hiking the coast, or sea kayaking. That afternoon, we’ll load our bikes up and drive 4 hours back to San Jose. That evening will be the last chance to say goodbye to everyone over a farewell dinner.

Day 9
Sol Encounter will accompany you to the airport and assist with checking in. Don’t forget your $26 exit tax paid in cash-either dollars or colones.

Optional Activities- If you will be staying in Costa Rica longer, a Sol Encounter guide will be available for advice, trip planning and general information. Or, if you have time to spare before your flight, San Jose is a great place to shop for last minute gifts.



All dates and itineraries are subject to changed based on safety conditions and local festivals/holidays to enhance your adventure and cultural experience.

All meals included in this itinerary are as mentioned. Please budget for meals not included.

All deposits and payments made for this trip are final and are non-refundable due to peak-season travel and cancellation policies by local hotels and operating tours.