Costa Rica Bike + Adventure Tour

Wildlife, Volcanoes, Beaches, and Rainforests: Pick Your Pleasure for Pura Vida

6 days / 5 nights Level: 2Price From: $6,695Collection: +Adventure

Tour Highlights

  • Soar above the Arenal Reserve rainforest by zipline
  • Enjoy an abundance of beach time at plenty of Guanacaste’s famous playas
  • Encounter the unique wildlife of the rainforests and tropical Pacific, from howler monkeys to toucans and sea turtles
  • Ford the Class III rapids of the Sarapiquí River in Braulio Carrillo National Park
  • Bike the still-active Arenal Volcano and into the rich vegetation surrounding Lake Arenal

Eat

Plantains, fresh tropical fruit, chocolate, the ubiquitous condiment Salsa Lizano, Costa Rican steak and seafood, and casado, a rice-and-beans dish

Drink

Refrescos naturales (fruit smoothies), coffee straight from the source, Imperial beer, and Ron Centenario rum

As featured in:
Print Itinerary
  • Day 1

    Rafting the Sarapiquí River

    Prepare yourself for pura vida! Meet your guides at your hotel or the Juan Santamaria Airport in San José. We’ll transfer towards the Braulio Carrillo National Park with a stop along the way to see how cacao is cultivated and prepared into chocolate.  Upon our arrival at Braulio Carrillo, we’ll review the essentials during an equipment fitting and safety talk. The adventure begins with a nine-mile rafting trip through one of Costa Rica’s most impressive gallery rainforests: paddle through densely vegetated rainforest gorges, glide by cascading waterfalls, and conquer pounding rapids. This afternoon, we’ll transfer to Arenal, home to one of Costa Rica’s most active volcanoes. Tonight, we toast to the week ahead over dinner.

    Meals: Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Sarapiquí River, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Arenal Volcano National Park
    Accomplished: 9 miles / 14 km rafting
    Accommodations: Hotel Arenal Kioro or Nayara Gardens

  • Day 2

    Ziplining the Arenal Rainforest

    This morning we’ll explore the area around Arenal on our bikes—keep your eyes out for colorful tanagers, toucans, monkeys, and other tropical fauna as we pedal towards the Caño Negro River. Here, we’ll trade our bikes for a hike on the Coladas Trail in Arenal Volcano National Park, reaching the lookout point sculpted by a young trail of lava flow. Afterwards, enjoy lunch with an outstanding view. This afternoon, we’ll switch gears again for an adrenaline-filled zipline tour through the rainforest canopy over the Arenal Reserve. Our last stop of the day is our friend Doña Sonia’s house for a cooking lesson punctuated by stories about what it’s like to live in the orbit of an active volcano.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Arenal Reserve, Coladas Trail
    Accomplished: 14 miles / 22 km elevation gain: 607 feet / 186 meters; hiking
    Accommodations: Hotel Arenal Kioro or Nayara Gardens

  • Day 3

    Lake Arenal to Nuevo Arenal

    Start the day with an early ride towards Lake Arenal Dam, pedaling the rolling hills that lead toward imposing Arenal Lake in the distance. On the other side of the dam, there’s an entire world of rainforest toucans, coati, frogs, and sloths. Take a break with a tropical fruit smoothie, then transfer to Cañas for a hearty casado lunch of beans, rice, plantains, salad, and grilled meat. After lunch, settle in for a boat safari on the Tempisque River that brings us to the Nicoya Peninsula. The conservation efforts in this area are a point of pride for Costa Rica: the protected flora and wildlife here comprise 6% of the planet’s biodiversity in only .03% of the world’s land mass. Our boat cruise finishes at the Puente La Amistad bridge, and we’ll transfer to our hotel on Nosara Beach—a pristine and picturesque part of Costa Rica’s Gold Coast. Dinner tonight is a beautiful meal at our hotel.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Lake Arenal, Tempisque River, Nicoya Peninsula
    Accomplished: 17 miles / 27 km, elevation gain: 469 feet / 143 meters
    Accommodations: Lagarta Lodge or Villa Caletas

  • Day 4

    It's a Beautiful Life

    After breakfast, we’ll begin riding south to Samara Beach. Our route along the North Pacific coast passes cattle ranches, punctuated by the occasional call of howler monkeys. Upon reaching Carrillo Beach we’ll discover the beauty of the tropical dry forest, including deciduous vegetation and nature’s other innovations for adapting to the dry season. Then, pay a visit to a local family in Guanacaste, the land of cowboys, and learn about their customs—pay close attention, because Guanacaste is one of the world’s few “blue zones” where life expectancies are long and centenarians are a dime a dozen. We’ll muse over the secret to a long life during lunch at a favorite local restaurant. This afternoon, relax at the hotel pool, head into town to explore, or let our guides arrange an afternoon of sea kayaking or surfing at Samara Beach.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
    Destinations: Nosara, Playa Guiones, Barrigona
    Accomplished: 11 miles / 17 km, elevation gain: 561 feet / 170 meters
    Accommodations: Lagarta Lodge or Villa Caletas

  • Day 5

    Beach Day

    Today we’ll head to Ostional Beach, a hotspot for olive ridley sea turtles. As a vulnerable species, these turtles are the subject of a local conservation projet that we’ll learn much more about. Just as its name reflects, Costa Rica is rich in stunning geography—here on the Pacific coast, there are gulfs, peninsulas, bays, and coves aplenty—and as we ride north we’ll uncover an inviting new beach around every corner. Quebrada del Barco, Garza, Guiones, Nosara and Playa Pelada: each more heavenly than the next. It’s only fair to take advantage of the setting with a beachfront picnic lunch, followed by a mini geology lesson on tombolos, the phenomena of natural land bridges that form here. Take some unscheduled time to relax at the beach this afternoon, then bike or transfer back to the hotel. Tonight we reflect on a grounding and restorative week as we share a final farewell dinner.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Nosara Beach, Guiones Beach, Garza Beach, Pelada Beach, Guanacaste
    Accomplished: 17 miles / 27 km; elevation gain: 1,073 feet / 327 meters
    Accommodations: Lagarta Lodge or Villa Caletas

  • Day 6

    Adios Costa Rica

    Your guides will transfer you to the Nosara Airport after breakfat for a flight back to San José, leaving you with a little piece of pura vida in your heart!

    Meals: Breakfast

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications.



Arrival Details

Airport City: San José, Costa Rica Pick-Up Location: Grano de Oro or Xandarí hotels Pick-Up Time: 8:00 am
Departure Details

Airport City: Nosara, Costa Rica Drop-Off Location: Nosara Airport Drop-Off Time: 8:30 am
Travelers Take Note

To show you all our favorite parts of Costa Rica, this tour includes multiple 3–4 hour transfers. We like to think of it as an opportunity to see more of the country en route to your next ride.

For the hikes on this tour, we strongly recommend bringing hiking boots or trail shoes with good traction (not running shoes or sneakers). Moisture-wicking clothing or daypacks are also recommended, but not required.

Additional Details

Tour Arrival: San Jose around 6:00 am

We recommend a pre-night in San Jose as you will meet your guides early on the first day of the tour. 

Tour Departure: Juan Santamaria International Airport arriving around 7:30 am

If you are flying out directly after the tour, do not schedule a flight before 9:00 am, as there is only one transfer to the Airport.

IMPORTANT: It is possible that where and when your tour starts and ends can change. Please contact your tour coordinator before you finalize any plans.

Any scheduled tour can be made private. Your group, your dates. Go Private

2024Single Supplement From: $1,100

See our cancellation policy

Weather by Month
Average Temperature + Precipitation

Average Temperature + Precipitation

Month
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
High (°F)
79°
80°
81°
84°
82°
81°
80°
81°
80°
80°
79°
78°
Low (°F)
61°
62°
63°
64°
64°
64°
64°
63°
63°
63°
62°
62°
Rain (in)
00
00
00
125
4102
5127
376
5127
6152
6152
376
125

Accommodations

  • Thoughtfully selected accommodations that reveal the true character of the region
  • Luggage transfers

Meals

  • Daily breakfasts, all lunches, nutritious snacks, and après velo cocktails
  • 4 gourmet dinners at our favorite local restaurants and renowned culinary establishments
  • Carefully selected local wine, beer, or spirits with every meal

Activities

  • Wine tastings and activities as outlined in the tour itinerary
  • Entrance fees to historic sites, museums, parks, and all other exclusive events
  • Gratuities for baggage, porters, and hotel service

Gear

  • Top-of-the-line bicycle selection
  • Bike helmet
  • Complimentary DuVine gear including a custom cycling jersey, DuVine t-shirt, water bottle, and drawstring bag
  • GPS in most destinations

Support

  • Expert bilingual guides with extensive local knowledge
  • Support vehicle that follows the day’s route, distributes refreshments, and offers lifts
  • Pick-up and drop-off before and after your tour from predetermined meeting points
  • Daily bike maintenance to ensure optimal performance
NOT INCLUDED:
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

See our FAQs page for answers to common questions.

See FAQs

Trail 5 29er

Manufacturer: Cannondale

Type: Mountain

Included in trip price