Choosing between the Pacific and the Caribbean can be a tough choice—that you don’t have to make. Traverse the lush Costa Rica coast-to-coast over the course of 12 days by foot, bike, raft, and kayak. That’s right, no vehicles involved, as this is a sustainable, human-powered adventure taking you on a 154-mile ride from the country’s west to the east. Apart from sun-splashed beaches, the country’s intricate trails will allow you to see beyond the sea: paddle along the meandering Pacuare river, roam amongst fragrant coffee plantations, and feel the warm mist of cloud forests on your skin. Spotting a riot of curious-looking creatures whose vibrant shapes and colors sing of endless summer is also a given. Such a deep dive into this Caribbean country will start to give you an idea of why their national motto is pura vida—the pure life.
From the Pacific to the Caribbean, your legs will do all the work
With almost 6% of the world’s biodiversity, Costa Rica is teeming with wildlife
One day you’re sunbathing on golden beaches, the other you’re taming wild waters cutting through the dense jungle
Travel coast to coast on this human-powered 12-day adventure! You’ll cross 154 miles (248 km) by mountain biking, hiking, whitewater rafting and sea kayaking. The route traverses mountain villages, coffee plantations, and small riverside communities whose trails take you to virgin forests, immaculate beaches, and crystalline rivers and waterfalls.
Once you land in San José, your guide will meet you at the airport and drive you to your overnight accommodation in San José. Relax and prepare for the next week of adventure!
Accommodation: Hotel in San José
Leave San José by bus—which will be your last motorized vehicle for the next 10 days—to the fishing village of Quepos, right next to Manuel Antonio National Park. Relax on the beach or visit the park, famous for its abundant wildlife. Meet for dinner for a briefing and make sure your bikes are all set up.
Accommodation: Hotel in Quepos
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Wake early and enjoy a light buffet of fresh fruit and coffee, after which you’ll set off on bikes to climb the steep mountains of the Pacific Coast. After you’ve admired the views from the top, continue onto the small town of Esquipulas, where delicious breakfast awaits. Rest and prepare your day packs for the next leg of the day’s journey. Trading your wheels for hiking boots, continue trekking into the cool mountains of Central Costa Rica. Camp overnight in the valley of Naranjillo.
Accommodation: Camp in Naranjillo
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 9 miles / 14 km
Biking: 12 miles / 19 km
Begin your day with a trek towards the Continental Divide and the infamous Cemetery Hill, a strenuous 13-kilometer climb. Then head for the pueblo of San Lorenzo, switching to mountain bikes to reach the quaint village of Santa Maria, where you’ll reenergize with some typical Costa Rican dishes and rest in comfortable cabins.
Accommodation: Cabins in Santa Maria
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 7 miles / 12 km
Biking: 9 miles / 14 km
Today you tackle the hardest, steepest climb of the adventure: mountain biking a 14-kilometer (9-mile) stretch to the Continental Divide, bringing you to an altitude of 2,330 m (7,644 ft). The remainder of the day is mountain biking at its best—mostly downhill on dirt roads and singletrack trails. Reach Orosi Valley, where rich pastures and dark green forests of coffee carpet the land. Spend the night in the town of Orosi.
Accommodation: Hotel in Orosi
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Biking: 30 miles / 49 km
After breakfast, mountain bike along a river to the Tapantí National Wildlife Refuge. This is an area of vast, rugged terrain covered with dense primary forest. Leave your bikes and continue trekking amongst thousands of trees covered with ferns, bromeliads, mosses, and other epiphytes. Finish the day by reaching the small settlement of Humo, where you’ll stay for the night.
Accommodation: Camp in Humo
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 10.5 miles / 17 km
Biking: 6 miles / 9 km
Once you’ve had breakfast, continue mountain biking towards whitewater rafting at La Cruz, the upper gateway to the raging Pacuare River. Eat lunch and then load up into the rafts to paddle through pristine rainforest, canyon cliffs, and thundering waterfalls. By afternoon, arrive at your comfortable riverside camp, El Nido del Tigre, nestled between the sounds of the rainforest and the hum of the river. Feel free to wander off, exploring the lush environment, looking out for toucans, boa constrictors, and sloths, or simply relax in a hammock to the sounds of the river.
Accommodation: Camp in El Nido del Tigre
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Rafting: 6 miles / 10 km
Biking: 27 miles / 43 km
How you spend your day today is up to you. You’re going to be stationed on the banks of the Pacuare River, so there are multiple options here: hiking the hills, swimming in the Pacuare, or exploring primary forest, waterfalls, and swimming holes. You can also have a look at the giant ginger plants, named the same as the camp—El Nido del Tigre. Spend another night at this remote camp, which will give you a sense of isolation as not many people are here.
Accommodation: Camp in El Nido del Tigre
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Today you’ll maneuver through the exhilarating rapids of the Pacuare River, taking you through virgin rainforest, cascading waterfalls, and river-carved canyons. Along the way, take time out to do some hiking to spectacular waterfalls and have lunch on the shore. In the late afternoon, head to the banana plantations at Finca Pacuarito and rest for the night.
Accommodation: Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Rafting: 12 miles / 20 km
A short bike ride through banana plantations takes you to the town of Freeman, where you begin the final leg of the traverse in kayaks down the Pacuare, leaving the wild rapids behind as the river eases into the Caribbean lowlands. Pacuare slows down as you raft the last mile of the river, until it finally meets the Caribbean Sea. Enjoy your time at the beach, after which you will be picked up by a motorboat and transferred to Moin, from where you travel by vehicle to the beach.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Kayaking: 7 miles / 12 km
Biking: 16 miles / 26 km
This morning relax around the hotel or on the beach. After lunch, head back to San José, which is around 4 hours away. Along the way, you’ll pass a myriad of spectacular landscapes: high cloud forest, misty mountains, deep, steep, river-carved canyons, and Braulio Carrillo National Park.
Accommodation: Hotel in San José
Meals: Breakfast
After your final breakfast in Costa Rica, your guide will come pick you up at your hotel for your homebound flight. If you’d like to stay longer and explore the wonders of Costa Rica, just ask your guides for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
What you get on this adventure:
Meals: Eating is one of the wonderful experiences when traveling in Costa Rica. Included meals are a combination of restaurants, local food and delicious meals prepared by the tour guides. Rough costs for meals not included in the adventure are $10 to $12 for lunch and $12 to $20 for dinner.
All Coast to Coast Adventures’ guides have First AID, CPR and Swiftwater Rescue and Head Guides have Wilderness First Responder.
What’s not included:
In order to join the Coast-to-Coast Multisport Adventure in Costa Rica, you need to have an excellent level of fitness and good stamina. While no experience mountain biking or rafting is necessary, it certainly makes the trip more enjoyable. Keep in mind that during this 12-day tour, you’ll be going on adventures virtually every day for which good fitness and good stamina are obligatory. The most you’ll bike in a single day is 30 miles (49 km).
If you’d like to take it a bit easier in the Caribbean, check out this equally fantastic but more laid-back family multisport adventure in Costa Rica.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Here’s a list of clothing we suggest you bring:
Due to the terrain, it’s recommended to bring good quality mountain gear. Your guides will contact you about any additional equipment at the time of contracting the trip.
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and prices:
Multisport tours in Costa Rica can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has travelers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Costa Rica, most people fly into Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José. Your guide will then pick you up at the airport at a prearranged time and take you on your tour. On the final day of your adventure, your guide will also transport you back to the airport.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Costa Rica, please refer to Costa Rica’s entry requirements.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Secure your early bird spot with a 10% deposit! This tour gets sold out very quickly, but with early-bird booking, you will be the first one to know about any new upcoming dates. Pick your preferred dates without the risk of your bucket list adventure selling out!
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
