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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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What you get on this adventure:
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- Experienced bilingual hiking guides with extensive knowledge of the area
- 12-day multisport adventure
- Transportation during the tour
- Accommodation (hotels and campsites)
- Airport transfers
- Meals listed in the itinerary — gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets can be accommodated at no additional cost, but make sure to notify your guides in advance
- Group equipment (rafts, camping gear, etc.)
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:
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- Transportation to Costa Rica
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Personal equipment
- Departure tax ($29)
- Guide gratuities — optional
- Travel and medical insurance — mandatory
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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.
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
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- Daypack for daily tours (around a 25-30L bag)
- Daypack rain cover
- Duffel bag
- Sunglasses & keeper straps
- Headlamp
- Chargers & batteries
- Additional small flashlight
- Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
- Copy of your passport
- Toiletries (SPF lip balm, insect repellent, hand sanitizer)
- Waterproof sunscreen, SPF 30+
- Gallon & quart size ziploc bags
- Towel
- Dry bag — optional
- Camera — optional (but recommended)
- Binoculars — optional
Here’s a list of clothing we suggest you bring:
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- Shirts (polypro outerwear)
- Short-sleeved and light-colored long-sleeved shirts for sun protection)
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Medium-weight wool or fleece sweater
- Lightweight thermal underwear top (polypro or wool)
- Lightweight comfortable pants
- Shorts (quick-drying)
- Lightweight rain pants
- Sun / rain hat with brim
- Bandana
- Lightweight hiking shoes or boots
- Sandals with snug straps (Teva type)
- Lightweight fast-drying hiking socks
- Hiking poles — optional
- Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
- Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
- Spare clothes for layering
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.
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Group sizes and prices:
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- For this Coast-to-Coast Multisport Adventure in Costa Rica, the maximum client-to-guide ratio is 12:1. The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
- It takes a minimum of 2 people for this private tour to operate.
Multisport tours in Costa Rica can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors older than 12 may be permitted to join the tour, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has travelers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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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.
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Your guides require all participants to have travel and medical insurance.
To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
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