Costa Rica: The Coast-to-Coast Adventure | Trip Itinerary

For a map of the Coast to Coast Adventure click here

Day 1 – Arrival
You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in San Jose.

Day 2 – Manuel Antonio
Our challenge starts on the Pacific Coast so this morning we transfer from San Jose to the fishing village of Quepos which is also linked to Manuel Antonio National Park. There is time to relax, chill out on the beach or visit Manuel Antonio National Park, which is famous for its abundant wildlife. We will set aside a little time to check out and set up bikes as it is an early start tomorrow morning. The official trip briefing is scheduled for just after dinner this evening. (B, D)

Day 3 – Pacific Coast to Naranjillo - Mountain Biking (19 km/12 mi)/Trekking (14km/9 mi)  THE ADVENTURE BEGINS... We awake early and enjoy a light buffet of fresh fruit and coffee as we set off on our bikes and climb into the steep mountains and beautiful valleys of the sparsely populated Pacific Coast. In the small town of Esquipulas we have a hearty breakfast, rest up and prepare our day packsfor the next leg of the day’s journey. Trading our wheels for hiking boots, we continue by trekking into the cool mountains of Central Costa Rica. We camp overnight in the valley of Naranjillo. (B,L,D)

Day 4 – Naranjillo to Santa Maria- Trekking (12km/7 mi)/Mountain Biking (14km/9 mi)
Our day begins with a trek towards the Continental Divide and challenging the infamous “Cemetery Hill” - a strenuous 13 kilometer climb. We then head for the pueblo of San Lorenzo switching to mountain bikes along the way. The day finishes in the quaint village of Santa Maria where we refortify with some typical Costa Rican fare and rest up in comfortable local cabins. (B,L,D)

Day 5 – Continental Divide - Mountain Biking (49km/30 mi)
Today we tackle the hardest, steepest climb of our adventure. The challenge before breakfast is mountain biking a 14-kilometer up-hill stretch to the Continental Divide, bringing us to an altitude of 2,330 meters - the highest peak of our journey. Following the rule that everything that goes up must come down, the remainder of the day is mountain biking at its best - mostly downhill on dirt roads and single-track trails. We finish the afternoon in the beautiful Orosi Valley where rich pastures and dark green forests of coffee carpet the land and we rest for the night in the town of Orosi. (B,L)

Day 6 – Thru the valley to the Tapantai area - Mountain Biking (9km/6 mi) Trekking (17km/10.5)
After breakfast, we mountain bike along a river to the Tapantí National Wildlife Refuge. This is an area of vast rugged terrain covered with dense primary rainforest. Leaving our bikes, we take to the mountains trekking amongst thousands of trees covered with ferns, bromeliads, mosses and other epiphytes. The end of the day finds us on flatter ground, camping near the small settlement of Humo. (B, L, D)

Day 7 – Pacuare River - Mountain Biking (43km/27 mi) Whitewater Rafting (10km/6 mi).
After breakfast we continue mountain biking towards the whitewater rafting “put-in” at La Cruz, which is the gateway to the raging Pacuare River. We eat lunch then load up into the rafts to paddle and PADDLE through pristine rainforest, canyon cliffs, spotted with deafening waterfalls.  The rapids section of the river is approximately 30 kilometers of Class II-IV rapids. By afternoon we arrive at our comfortable riverside camp, El Nido de Tigre which nestles between the sounds of the rainforest and the hum of the river.  This area of rainforest is maintained as much as possible in its natural state.  The camp takes its name from the giant patches of ginger plants that carpet the floor of the main area.   From the center of the camp, trails radiate out to secreted areas of rainforest, waterfalls and swimming holes. Take time to explore the lush environment first hand looking out for toucans overhead or simply relaxing in a hammock to the sounds of the river. (BLD) 

Day 8 – El Nido del Tigre - Hike to a waterfall; play in a rapid; relax in a hammock
We spend some quality time at this unique location on the banks of the Pacuare River, hiking the hills, exploring primary forest, swimming in the Pacuare, exploring waterfalls and swimming holes with water so pure you can drink it (most of the year). This area of rainforest remains in a very natural state, with minimum disruption to accommodate our guests. El Nido del Tigre is the name of the giant ginger plants carpeting the area around the campsite. It's a very private place, with small numbers of guests, so the sense of purity and nature seep into your dreams at night.. (B,L,D)

Day 9 – Pacuare River - Whitewater Rafting (20 KM/12 mi)
Today the Pacuare takes us through virgin rainforest, cascading waterfalls and river carved canyons. We maneuver through the exhilarating rapids and point out the intricacies of the rainforest at the river’s edge. Along the way we take time out to do some hiking to spectacular waterfalls and have lunch on the shore. We take-out in the heart of banana plantation country at Finca Pacuarito, where we rest for the night before an early start in the morning. (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Pacuare River – Mountain Biking (26km/16 mi) Sea Kayaking (12km/7 mi)
THE SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS...This morning we jump on our bikes for a short ride through banana plantations to the town of Freeman where we begin the final leg of the traverse in kayaks down the Pacuare leaving the rapids behind as the river eases into the Caribbean lowlands where banana plantations gradually swallow the receding rainforest. The river slows to a tranquil pace as we are rafting the last mile of the river, completing the mosaic of the landscapes we have experienced. At the end of the adventure, we reach the mouth of the Pacuare as it meets the Caribbean Sea, celebrating our passage with bubbly in the surf, while enjoying a well-deserved rest. After some time on the beach we are picked up by a motorboat and transferred to Moin from where we travel by vehicle to the beach.  (B, L)

Day 11 – Caribbean-Free Morning/Return to San Jose
The morning is free to relax around the hotel or on the beach. After lunch we head back to San José, about 4 hours away. You will gasp at the beauty of breathtaking views as we pass through high cloud forest, misty mountains, deep, steep, river-carved canyons, the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park (B)

Day 12 – Departure
You will be picked up at your hotel in time for your departure from the airport. (B)

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

Map of the Costa Rica Coast to Coast Adventure Itinerary: