ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive & Relax
You'll get your first taste of Costa Rica as soon as you step off your plane at the Juan Santamaria International airport. Nestled high in the Central Valley, the airport faces both the metropolitan city of San Jose and, in the distance, Costa Rica's lush volcanic mountain ranges. Your Access Trips guide will meet you at the airport, and together you'll drive through rolling countryside to the foothills of Poas Volcano. After getting to know the other guests over a traditional casado dinner, you'll spend the night at a cozy, locally-owned hotel with lush tropical gardens, surrounded by coffee and sugar cane plantations.

No riding on this day.
Drive time from airport: 25 mins
Accommodation: Cozy hotel
Meals: On own

Day 2: Biking
Our Costa Rica mountain bike mini-trip gets underway early this morning with a drive to the Continental Divide at 1800 mts of elevation. We begin biking with a downhill route through picturesque pasture lands, cloud forests and sugar cane plantations. The 38 km ride, which is 90% downhill, includes many long descents and a few short climbs. We’ll ride a mixture of double tracks, cattle farm roads and a stretch of gravel road through highland forest. All the while your expert instructor will be providing you with tips, advice and encouragement to help you maximize your mountain biking performance and enjoyment. Accommodations at a peaceful riverside resort surrounded by lush tropical gardens with exotic fruits, flowers, birds and butterflies.

Distance: 38 km/24 miles
Climbing: 165 meters
Descending: 1220 meters
Drive time: 50 mins
Accommodation: Riverside resort
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Bike & Hot Springs
This morning we'll ride on the lowlands with many short ups and downs and a few small river crossings. We go through forest, reforestation areas, villages and small farms. Today is a good day to learn proper shifting and the experience of carrying your bike over your shoulder as we'll cross several creeks and venture up a few steep paths. The ride takes us to the town of La Fortuna where we'll have lunch. We'll continue biking on the paved road all the way to our hotel which has stunning views of Arenal Volcano, the most active of Costa Rica's volcanoes and one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, you'll spend an unforgettable couple of hours relaxing your muscles in natural hot springs that are framed by lush ferns and dense jungle. The evening will draw to a close with a traditional dinner including homemade tortillas and a visit to a lookout point, where you'll hopefully glimpse the fuming glow of Arenal's hot lava. Tonight we'll stay in a relaxing mountain resort nestled in lush gardens, where every room offers amazing views of the volcano.

Distance: 42 km/26 miles
Climbing: 545 meters
Descending: 475 meters
Drive time: N/A
Accommodation: Mountain resort
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: Bike the Shores of Arenal
Today we'll take a spectacular ride along deserted trails on the southern shore of majestic Lake Arenal. We'll start with an easy ride on a wide, hard-packed dirt/gravel road at the foot of Arenal Volcano National Park. After 17 kilometers of long flat stretches and a few short, easy climbs, we'll cross the Caño Negro river (there are no bridges in this remote part of the park so we'll need to wade). From here we'll ride 15-20 kilometers on an abandoned dirt road that's been taken over by vegetation. Crossing 10 different creeks and negotiating several muddy spots, this ride will be a perfect opportunity to showcase your mountain biking skills! At the end of the ride we'll reach our first sign of civilization, a small restaurant where we'll enjoy a refreshing drink and some lunch. After lunch, we'll cross Arenal Lake by boat. The boat ride is slow and offers excellent birdwatching and gorgeous volcano views. We'll cruise right up to our accommodation, a lovely boutique rainforest lodge with stunning views of Arenal.

Distance: 37 km/23 miles
Climbing: 350 meters
Descending: 375 meters
Drive time: 10 minutes plus a 30 minute boat ride
Accommodation: Rainforest lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Our Bike Trip Ends
Today is our departure day. We will drive you to San Jose International Airport for your return flight home

Drive Time: 2 hours
Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary is designed to give you an idea of what to expect during our trip but it is not set in stone. What we actually do on a given day is flexible and is tailored to weather conditions and the interests and abilities of the group.