You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in San Jose (transfer time 30 mins approx.).

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

The adventure begins with a drive up to the nearby Irazu Volcano. At an altitude of over 3400 meters it is Costa Rica’s highest volcano. Its craters resemble a moonscape: a vast expanse of grey dust and rock with a green lagoon at its center. One of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes, Irazu infamously erupted in 1963, raining ash clouds on Cartago, San Jose and most of the Central Valley for nearly three years.

Following the visit to Irazu we transfer down the volcano to the Orosi Valley for our first ride of the journey. On a quiet road, close to the town of Orosi, we fit bikes to the group, make any adjustments needed and give everyone a safety briefing. The ride will get the group warmed up and ready for the days of biking to come. We spend the night in the town of Orosi.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

This morning we take a short drive to the town of Purisil where we unload our bikes and begin the ride to Tapanti National Park.

The park is home to 260 species of birds, 45 species of mammals, 28 species of reptiles and a large insect population that includes the thysania agrippina, the largest butterfly on the American continent. After registering at the park entrance we continue riding along a gravel road that gently climbs up through the park alongside the Rio Grande de Orosi. While riding in the park we are treated to incredible vistas of waterfalls and endless kilometers of virgin rain and cloud forest.

We stop along the way for lunch and a swim in one of many natural pools that are perfect for a refreshing dip. The road in the park is about 12km long and the further along we get – the more fun we will have on the way back down! We return back to our hotel in Orosi for the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today we leave the Orosi Valley and head east through the Reventazon River Valley towards the Caribbean side of the county. In the town of Tuccurique we begin the day’s ride along dirt roads through coffee and sugarcane fields.

A stop at a swimming hole on the Pejibaye River for lunch will give us plenty of energy for the afternoon’s ride to La Suiza. Here, we will have a chance to walk around town before transferring up to a mountain lodge hotel in Turrialba for the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Following a mostly downhill 20km ride to our rafting launch point on the Pacuare River we trade bikes for rafts and continue down river. We will run a total of 10 kilometers of Class II-III rapids while exploring the magnificent valley and some of the most dramatic scenery only accessible by river.

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.

In the afternoon we arrive at our comfortable riverside camp – “El Nido del Tigre” which nestles between the rainforest and the river. There is plenty of time to settle into the camp and make it your home, exploring the lush environment first hand, looking out for toucans overhead, observing the local iguanas or simply relaxing in a hammock to the rush of the river as it passes on its journey to the Caribbean.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

This morning we begin the day with a 1.5 hour hike through the rainforest from El Nido del Tigre Camp to our vehicle for the transfer to the Arenal Volcano area. This hike can be challenging but the fantastic array of animal and plant life on display will keep us smiling every step of the way. Several kilometers outside the town of La Fortuna, at the foot of the volcano, we begin the day’s mountain bike ride. The route is relatively flat and passes through mostly farmland and several small villages, with a stunning back drop of the perfect cone shaped volcano. The Arenal Volcano is a 1,633 meter (5,300 feet) high mountain, with a crater of 140 meters.

Arenal Volcano is geologically considered a young volcano and its age is estimated to be less than 3,000 years. The volcano was asleep for hundreds of years and exhibited a single crater at its summit, with minor fumaroles activity, covered by dense vegetation. In 1968 it had an eruption that destroyed the small town of Tabacón.

La Fortuna, which is the nearest town to the Arenal Volcano and so named because it was spared any damage in the 1968 eruption, is our home for the night.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Today we will be welcomed at one of the three rural schools of the area, we will have a special welcome by the students beautifully dressed in Folkloric clothing and enjoy a show of traditional dance, before visiting the rest of the school. Next stop is a local farm for delicious fruit and it is here where we hop aboard a tractor pulled wagon to start our journey. During this trip we will be able to experience rural Costa Rican life on the various plantations while enjoying the beautiful sights.

Later on we will be welcomed on the terrace of La Casona, a renewed Costa Rican historical site near Arenal Volcano. La Casona is the elegant turn-of-the century country home of former Costa Rican President Rafael Iglesias and is considered one of the most charming and authentic cultural sites in Costa Rica. Our hosts Elieth and Milton Molina are famous for their warm and Tico hospitality, and in a place full with history, culture and traditions we receive an interesting talk about the history of this lovely place and have a short lesson on how to make homemade coffee and tortillas.

We also have time to visit the sugar cane mill and finish the tour by enjoying a homemade and traditionally served meal.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Leaving the Arenal Volcano area we head to the south side of Lake Arenal. We are dropped off at a river crossing that prevents most vehicles from continuing around the lake. Here with the assistance of a rope we cross the river and begin the day’s ride. The route is on dirt roads with several fun river crossings, hugging the borders of the lake through rolling hills and with spectacular views of Lake Arenal and the majestic Arenal Volcano.

In the small community of Rio Chiquito we meet up with our van for a picnic lunch before continuing along the lake finishing up the day with a short transfer to our hotel which overlooks Lake Arenal.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Today we say goodbye to Lake Arenal and its volcano in the distance and head to the Pacific coast. The transfer takes us down to the cattle ranching plains of Guanacaste and through the Nicoya Peninsula on our way to Samara Beach on the Pacific Coast.

Before reaching the coast we turn off the main road and unload the bikes for a fun ride through typical countryside that will lead us to the Pacific Ocean. We should have plenty of time to make a stop at one of many beaches for lunch and a chance to play in the waves.

From here we continue riding to the small beach town of Samara – our home for the next couple of days.

• Meals: Breakfast

With the beaches of the Pacific Ocean on our doorstep there are plenty of options for today. Surfing and sea kayaking are popular local activities but there are also plenty of opportunities to relax as Samara has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

• Meals: Breakfast

There is still time this morning to enjoy the beach before we transfer back to San Jose in the afternoon for our final night.

• Meals: Breakfast

The time has come to head home and after breakfast we transfer you to the airport for onward departures (transfer time 30 mins approx.).