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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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Included:
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- Experienced bilingual hiking guides with extensive knowledge of the area (First aid, CPR, Swiftwater Rescue certified, some also Wilderness First Responders)
- 12-day active adventure in Costa Rica
- Accommodation for 11 nights:
- 5 nights in hotels
- 5 nights in campsite
- 1 night in a local cabin
- All transportation during the tour
- Airport transfer on Day 1
- Transfer from San Jose to Quepos
- Motor boat from the finish to Moin
- Cahuita to San Jose
- Airport transfer
- Support vehicle from one area to the other
- Meals as listed in the itinerary (12 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 7 dinners)
- Group equipment (rafts, camping gear, etc.)
- Rental bikes — 29ers Mountain Bike (Scott and Trek), or similar — every bike has front suspension and disk brakes
Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):
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- Single occupancy room at hotels
Not included:
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- Flights to Costa Rica
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Personal equipment
- Visa or anything entry-related
- Departure tax ($29)
- Anything not mentioned in the “Included” section above
- Guide gratuities — optional
- Insurance — mandatory, available to add at checkout
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In order to join this Costa Rica active adventure, you need to have a great level of fitness and good stamina.
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- Some mountain biking experience will make the trip more enjoyable.
- As for whitewater rafting, experience is not necessary, but you’ll be paddling all the time you’re on the raft, so fitness and stamina are a must.
- Within a day, expect to do…
- up to 30 mi (49 km) of biking
- Up to 17 km (10.5 mi) of hiking
- Up to 20 km (12 mi) of rafting
- Up to 12 km (7 mi) of kayaking.
If you’d like to see what else is in the area, check out our other Costa Rica adventures!
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No sleeping gear is needed for overnight stays at El Nido del Tigre and Finca Pacuarito.
We supply the basic equipment needed for the activities. We asked our customers to bring their own cycling helmet.
Luggage carrier
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- Duffle Bag
- Daypack (approx. 20-35 L)
- Daypack rain cover
Upper body
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- Shirts (poly-pro outer wear (for quick drying)
- Short sleeve and light colored long sleeve for sun protection)
- Lightweight rain jacket (Gortex, nylon or similar)
- Medium weight wool or fleece over-sweater
- Lightweight thermal underwear top (polypro/wool)
Lower body
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- Lightweight comfortable pants
- Shorts (quick dry)
- Lightweight rain pants
Head
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- Sun/rain hat with brim (preferably 360˚ brim)
- Bandana
Footwear
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- Lightweight adventure shoes or hiking boots
- Sandals with SNUG straps (Teva type)
- Lightweight fast drying hiking socks
Personal gear
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- Sunglasses (UVA and UVB resistant)
- Keeper straps for sunglasses
- 1 headlamp (long lasting LED bulbs are the best option)
- Extra batteries (for headlamp, camera, etc)
- Additional small flashlight
- 2-3 one quart, durable water bottles
- Prescription glasses or contacts (bring an extra pair of glasses)
- 1 copy of your passport
- Insect repellent
- Waterproof sunscreen 30+ SPF
- Gallon & quart size Ziploc bags
- Towel
Optional gear
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- Dry bag
- Camera w/ waterproof camera bag
- Deck of cards
- Binoculars
- Sarongs (works as a towel, or quick cover-up)
- Writing materials (pen, pencil, notebook…)
- USB memory card (to share pictures with other participants)
- Trekking poles
Biking (feel free to bring your own pedals and seat if you want)
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- Bike shorts with padded seat
- Bike water bottle
- Bike helmet
- Bike gloves (can also be used for paddling)
- Bike shirts (optional)
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Group sizes:
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- For this Costa Rica active adventure, the maximum client-to-guide ratio is 12:1.
- It takes a minimum of 2 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 12 participants.
Costa Rica active adventures 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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During this Coast to Coast Costa Rica adventure, you’ll spend 5 nights at hotels, 5 nights in campsites, and 1 night in a local cabin.
The 5 hotel nights are based on twin-share rooms, but a single occupancy room can be arranged at an additional fee. You can add it to your booking at checkout. As for the campsite & local cabin, a single occupancy room/tent is likely not available, but let us know if interested at checkout.
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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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A mix of US dollars and credit or debit cards works best while travelling. Bring smaller-denomination bills in good condition (notes under $100 are ideal), as traveller’s cheques are rarely accepted. Cards are widely used, but small shops and street vendors may only take local cash. ATMs are available, and it’s a good idea to check with your bank before departure to ensure your card works internationally.
Spending money depends on your habits, but you’ll want extra cash for some meals, drinks, souvenirs, and tips. Lunch typically costs $10–12, while dinner ranges from $12–20. A departure tax of $29 is payable at the airport in cash or by card (check if it’s already included in your ticket). Tipping around 10% is customary, and gratuities for guides and drivers are always appreciated.
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Insurance is mandatory in order to join this tour. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors 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.
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