Costa Rica and Panama Cycling Adventure - 14 days
Mountain bike hire - US $420
E-Bike hire - US $550
Hybrid bike hire - US $385
Single room surcharge - US $1150
Tour price is for min group size of 7
Surcharge applies for group 4-6
Overview
With rainforests and rivers, valleys and volcanoes, hot springs and cool oceans, it’s not just the terrain that’s varied. These are two of the world’s most biodiverse countries with a cast of creatures such as toucans and howler monkeys to cheer you on while you’re cycling.
You’ll go whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, explore the lush highlands and visit Tortuguero National Park with its amazing variety of animals, reptiles and birds.
In Panama, visit one of the main tropical islands of Bocas del Toro where a relaxing sightseeing tour by boat is included. Finally in Panama City, finish your journey with a city walk, a visit to the famous canal and a bike ride along the city’s spectacular waterfront trail.
As Costa Rica and Panama have so much to offer, this trip incorporates a great balance of cycling, sightseeing and relaxation. Cycling days will often include climbs and descents so we recommend a moderate level of fitness or you can hire an e-bike. Your accommodation each evening will be comfortable and diverse.
Highlights
Culture: Experience the vibrant cultures and traditions with their mix of indiinous heritage and Spanish Colonial influence.
Nature: Traverse mountain villages, coffee and sugar plantations and unique villages. Experience the abundant wildlife in Costa Rica's National Parks and try to spot the howler monkeys.
Activity: Bocas del Toro, Ometepe Island, and cycle along the Panama Canal
Culinary: Gallo pinto & Sancocho
Souvenir: Coffee and Artisanal Chocolates
Tour Gallery
Full Itinerary
Arrival to Liberia Airport and Transfer to Playa Hermosa
Bienvenido to Costa Rica (Spanish for “rich coast”). You’ll fly to Liberia, the capital of north-west Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province. It’s known as the white city for its stone and buildings. Then it’s a 25 minute drive to your hotel at Playa Hermosa (literally “beautiful beach”). Here, the warm Pacific waters meet a pristine sandy bay with bush-clad hills surrounding a lively town. After our tour briefing later this afternoon, get to know the other group members at dinner tonight.
Cycling Distance: 0km
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Playa Hermosa
Guanacaste Province - Loop Ride
Once part of Nicaragua, Guanacaste is named for the huge shade-giving Guanacaste tree and has a slightly different character to the rest of Costa Rica. After breakfast and a bike fit, we’re off to explore this cattle ranching region. It’s a beautiful ride where there's a good chance of seeing monkeys. We’ll also pass through a number of typical towns so we'll probably take a break under a tree in one of the town’s central parks.
Cycling Distance: 40km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa to La Fortuna
We begin with a 2.5 hour drive to Lake Arenal in the northern highlands. The largest lake in the country, Lake Arenal is teeming with fish and has hundreds of bird and mammal species living around it. We’ll unload the bikes near the gorgeous town of Tilaran. Coffee, peanuts and macadamias grow here, plus there are cattle and horse ranches. We're now at a higher altitude, so it should be cool and comfortable as we ride along the lake's paved northern route. There will be ups and downs, but we’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the iconic cone of the dormant Arenal Volcano. We’ll meet at the far end of the lake and then transfer to our hotel in La Fortuna de San Carlos. A soak in the thermal hot springs may be just what the doctor ordered.
Cycling Distance: 60km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in La Fortuna De San Carlos
La Fortuna - Rest Day
La Fortuna, while busy, has kept its local character. You have a free day and there’s a lot on offer. Take one of the many tours into the mountains, join a jungle wildlife tour, zipline through the rainforest canopy, swim by a waterfall, visit a spa, or relax at hot springs. Your crew will be more than happy to recommend great lunch and dinner spots as these meals are not included today.
Cycling Distance: 0km
Meals: Breakfast
Accomodation: Hotel in La Fortuna De San Carlos
La Fortuna to Turrialba Region
We start the day with a four hour drive to the quaint town of Orosí, located in the beautiful Orosí Valley with the Reventazón River snaking through it. This brilliantly colourful valley with its fields of coffee and sugarcane is one of the most famous Costa Rican landscapes - a great setting for today’s ride. Our destination is a mountain lodge near Turrialba, set amid the Central Valley's lush tropical gardens and volcanic peaks in the Turrialba Volcano National Park. This small city is a whitewater rafting mecca and is also famed for its local cheese. We’ll be staying here for two nights.
Cycling Distance: 50km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge in Turrialba
Turrialba Region - Irazu Volcano Ride
An exhilarating day awaits! This morning we’ll drive you to the top of the Irazú Volcano (3,400m above sea level) from where you can see both oceans on a clear day. We’ll stop at the closest viewing point allowed and will most likely see smoke. Then on our bikes it’s an exciting descent via country roads back towards Turrialba. Near the bottom of the hill we’ll probably load up the bikes and transfer the last few kilometres back to our beautiful mountain lodge.
Cycling Distance: 40km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge in Turrialba
Turrialba Region to Guapiles
It will be a thrilling day as we head for the Caribbean coast. First we jump on our bikes and ride towards the surging aqua Pacuare River. We’ll transfer the final 5 km to the raft put-in point at Tres Equis as it’s a steep gravel road. Then it’s pure exhilaration as we raft through the rapids and take in the views of the river-carved canyons and virgin rainforest. We’ll lunch by the river’s edge, then continue to our late afternoon rafting take-out point at the start of banana plantation country. After an hour’s drive we arrive at Hotel Suerre, with its Olympic sized swimming pool, great food & comfy rooms.
Cycling Distance: 30km (and 25km Rafting)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Guapiles
Guapiles to Tortuguero
After transferring to the lowlands, we'll ride towards the Caribbean side of the country. From La Pavona river port we take a motorboat for the final leg of today’s journey. We'll settle into our Lodge and then its just a short boat ride to the unique & colourful town of Tortuguero where you can learn about the local lifestyles & customs of the different ethnic groups. This evening there’s the option of a guided beach walk in search of sea turtles. Nesting takes place year round but you’re most likely to see turtles between May & November.
Cycling Distance: 40 - 50km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge in Tortuguero
Tortuguero to Cahuita
An early canal tour of Tortuguero National Park is sure to be a highlight. Accompanied by a boatman and a nature guide, immerse yourself in the amazing biodiversity of flora and fauna where there are 3 species of monkeys, 400 species of birds, as well as many reptiles, amphibians and mammals. From the Cano Blanco river port its a short van transfer to our bikes. A lowlands ride takes us past banana plantations to the lively town of Siquirres where we load up and transfer to Cahuita.
Cycling Distance: 35km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Cahuita
Cahuita to Bocas del Toro (Panama)
Later today we’ll cross the border from Costa Rica to Panama, but first our bike ride down the coast takes us to the beach town of Puerto Viejo. Make sure you slow down and absorb the vibrant local colour. This area is also popular with backpackers and surfers from all over the world. We continue our ride to the border. After crossing into Panama we’ll transfer to the port of Almirante, from where we’ll take a 30 minute motorboat ride to Bocas Town on the Island of Colon in the idyllic Bocas del Toro archipelago. We’ll stay at the Divers Paradise Boutique Hotel for 2 nights.
Cycling Distance: 30-50km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Bocas Town
Bocas del Toro - Boat Excursion
There is plenty to see in the surrounding area so we’ve included a sightseeing trip by private boat. One of the highlights may be the visit to Sloth Island where cute, sleepy, smiling sloths hang around the protected mangroves. We’ll also stop at one of the National Park Islands for a short hike plus there will be time for snorkelling and a visit to a secluded beach for a swim. During the boat trip we may also spot some dolphins so it should be a great day out.
Cycling Distance: 0km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel in Bocas Town
Bocas del Toro to Panama City - Guided City Walk
Our late morning flight from Bocas del Toro to Panama City takes about one hour. Panama City is a stylish transit hub and melting pot, with a skyline to rival Hong Kong or Miami. During our time here we’ll visit Casco Viejo – the old quarter, known as the Soho of the South. First chosen as a safe haven from pirates, it’s 16th and 17th century architecture makes it a World Heritage Site. After a guided walking & food tour of the central city, rest your legs, splash out on a Panama hat or try the local coffee on the waterfront.
Cycling Distance: 0km
Meals: Breakfast
Accomodation: Hotel in Panama City
Panama City - Canal Visit
This morning we’ll visit Miraflores Lock, one of the best viewing points for the engineering masterpiece that is the Panama Canal. There’s an excellent museum with displays on its construction, or you can watch the huge container ships traverse the lock, which separates the Pacific Ocean from the artificial Lake Gatun, also part of the canal. Back in the city we'll hop on local bikes and follow the cycle path around the city's waterfront. Later you’ll have another chance to enjoy the hip neighborhood of Casco Viejo, with its colonial buildings and stylish shops before getting together for our final dinner.
Cycling Distance: 10-15km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Panama City
Departure from Panama City
After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye. Please arrange your own transfer to Panama City Airport, or you may wish to stay longer in this amazing part of Central America.
Cycling Distance: 0km
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation:
Download the Itinerary PDF here
All distances are approximate. Our tours often go off the beaten track and follow routes that are not always predictable. We cannot always guarantee the weather. For these reasons we may occasionally have to update our itineraries. We will only do this to improve your experience or for safety reasons. Our listed accommodation is always accurate at the time of writing but should we need to change you can rest assured that it will be for similar or better. Display price may differ to what is quoted as this tour is invoiced in the currency stated, and can be dynamic with daily exchange rates.
The Details
- Accommodation: mainly 3* to 4* hotels & lodges
- Meals as listed
- One group arrival transfer (day 1)
- Excursions as listed
- Sightseeing by boat (day 11 Bocas)
- Flight: Bocas to Panama City (day 12)
- Support vehicle & driver
- Tourguide
- Drinking water while cycling
- Route maps and profiles
- Flights & airport taxes (except Bocas-Panama City is included)
- Bike hire (extra cost)
- Single room surcharge
- Meals not listed
- Passport and Travel Visa requirements
- Travel insurance (compulsory)
- Optional trips & sightseeing tours
- Costa Rica land border tax (approx USD10 pp)
- Personal expenses & drinks (except water for cycling)
- Entrance fees for sights unless specified
- Departure transfer to Panama City Airport (day 14)
- Tips for tour crew & other local guides
This trip is for the recreational cyclist looking for a bit more of a challenge. There are a few hills and exciting descents. There are also several non-biking days. Daily distances range from 10km to 60km . E-Bikes are available on this trip.
These trips require a good level of cycling experience and fitness.
To prepare yourself, aim to ride twice a week, with a longer ride at the weekend so that you’ll be comfortable riding for several hours at one time. Add variety to your cycling experience, like new routes and in new areas, to build confidence.
If you're unsure about anything, please see our FAQs page for extra information.
FAQsBooking information
Participants will be asked to complete a booking form after confirmation of their booking.
BOOKING CONDITIONS
To ensure the trip's viability with our suppliers, a minimum of typically 4 participants is usually required. Upon submitting your booking request, we will provide specifics regarding minimum numbers. Following trip confirmation, you may proceed with flight bookings and other travel arrangements. A ‘Limited’ trip status signifies limited spaces available. For trip status inquiries, kindly email or call our office.
DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS
A deposit is required to secure your place on your selected tour departure. On receipt of your deposit, Global Cycling Adventures will email you a confirmation to verify your travel arrangements and advise final payment details. The final payment is normally required 60 days before departure date unless otherwise specified.
CANCELLATIONS & AMENDMENTS
All tour cancellations will require notification in writing to Global Cycling Adventures by the person participating on the tour. Please be advised that booking cancellations or amendments will incur relevant fees. Cancellation charges are tour-specific and timing-dependent. For a comprehensive outline of our terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy, please refer to the travel proposal provided by our team.
We recommend that you purchase cancellation insurance on payment of your tour deposit in case unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel your tour.
OVERSEAS JURISDICTION AND TERMS
For all overseas tours, the terms and conditions, laws, and jurisdiction of the destination country will apply. By booking a tour with us, you acknowledge and agree that local regulations, industry practices, and terms specific to the destination country may supersede or modify our standard terms. It is your responsibility to understand and comply with all applicable local laws and regulations while participating in the tour.
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