South America Bicycle Trips

This is a full-on tour with bike rides most days. The bus rides are quite long to cover 3 countries in 12 days but i really enjoyed the bus rides. The bike rides are very well planned on interesting, varied and generally not too busy routes. We got the chance to cycle 900metres on the pan american highway in Costa Rica which was fun and crazy. Crossing the intercontinental divide in the Panamanian highlands was a highlight and absolutely stunning. Most of the rides were thro beautiful countryside. There are some hills, but all the group made it up every hill without needing to get off to push bikes or use the bus instead, and there are a lot of downhills that we all enjpyed. Its worth doing some training if you can, but the cyclng was more stunning, better routes and not as hard as i had envisaged. Even the longest ride was finished within about 3 or 4 hours. Food in all 3 countries was lovely and the guide took us to some nice restaurants so we ate together most meals. My only slight criticism would be the itinerary- 2 nights in horrible touristy La Fortuna is more than needed and the hotel there was more or less a backpackers hostel. I would expect more for the hefty price of this holiday. Other hotels were pretty good, though we couldn't enjoy the 2 best ones as we were only staying one night which was a shame. And... another point i havent mentioned is that this is a holiday of Very Early Starts. Often we left the hotels before 7am, with breakfast at 6 or 6.30am. This is both to start rides before it gets very hot, and also to fit in the packed itinerary which, as i said above , is very full on. Very calm and engaging guide Christopher (aka Fez) did a great job with the complicated itinerary and 2 border crossings and was non judgemental and encouraging about us cyclists. All in all, an amazing, thoroughly enjoyable holiday in 3 memorable countries.

We totally enjoyed our cycling tour in Costa Rica!!! Saw beautiful landscapes, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, volcanoes!! The wildlife viewing opportunities were so exciting!! Our tour leader Carlos was the perfect combination of safety officer, teacher of the geography and culture of his beautiful country, language instructor, and best of all, really fun guy!! No issues were unsolvable for Carlos, the whole trip ran very smoothly. He and our driver Johnny kept us moving comfortably throughout, a short AC breakdown was quickly repaired. We were introduced to some lovely Costa Rican people who shared their pride and passion for their country. I would absolutely recommend this tour!!!

I loved every moment of my trip! This was my first time travelling on a guided trip and it was a brilliant way to enjoy all that Costa Rica has to offer. The service from Chris prior to departure was excellent and the communication with Jeffery whilst en-route was reassuring (we had a hiccup with our bags missing our connecting flight to San Jose) and we slept well knowing our bags would reach us before leaving San Jose. Once the trip had begun it was quickly evident that Jeffery is a sensationally good guide, and with the aid of his support team we were well fed, watered and entertained throughout the trip. I would not hesitate to book another similar challenge through World Expeditions

Very enjoyable trip with lots of sunshine, sightseeing, wildlife and good biking. Carlos was an amazing leader for the group. Beautiful scenery, cheeky monkeys, waterfalls and volcanos to see while biking.

Cycle Costa Rica was exceptional, from our guide Carlos, our driver Darwing and to the amazing people joining us as we explored CR by bike. The accommodation was mixed which our guide prepared us for, all included WIFI, and breakfast in the main was good, invariably we were in bed early (following early starts and cycling) and the beds were comfy. I did struggle with cold water only at one hotel and no hair dryer at a couple hence 4/5 for accommodation. Plenty of wildlife and photo opportunities, we enjoyed the nighttime guided walk and early morning river /canal cruise. Husband did high bridges and zip wire, we both enjoyed hot springs and mud baths. We experienced local dancing and musicians, the people were friendly, helpful and seemed to be smiling all of the time. I am not an expert cyclist so I found it tough initially, Carlos and the group were helpful and kind as I got to grips with it. I had to be rescued (and continued by bus) by Darwing on one ride as I found the wind too difficult - I was being pushed sideways on a busy road and couldn’t manage the steeper gradient as a consequence. I think the wind (upto 47mph) made the cycling (for my small 52kg frame) difficult (not moderate) on 2 of the days but this was part of the adventure and did not impact my enjoyment. Overall an adventure of a lifetime, exceptional guide (Carlos) and driver (Darwing) and we made some good friends. Would not hesitate to recommend the holiday or to join Explore again for future trips

A wonderful tour and intro to Costa Rica. Guide (Carlos) was knowledgeable and passionate about his country, its ecology, its flora and fauna, its culture. Very attentive and upbeat. Itinerary was fairly busy and we covered varied regions of the country. Awesome natural beauty. Birdlife, monkeys, sloths, crocs, iguanas & lizards, aguiti, deer, Macaws, Toucan, an otter, frogs, spiders / tarantulas, snakes … bring binoculars. Cycling was moderately difficult at times. Around Miravalles the wind conditions became too difficult for me, but having support vehicle there was great. Guide allowed for more competent riders to continue. Cultural highlights included Costa Rican music and dancer - genuine. Hot spring baths and mud bath were a special pleasure. Our support driver (Darwin) was modest but ever-attentive, and an excellent driver. The itinerary mandates a bit of shuttle bus transport time. It’s a little cramped but tolerable for the distances covered. Hotels ranged from excellent (Tortuguero Beach, Hacienda La Pacifica / Cañas) to ‘just tolerable for a night’ (Hotel Guadalupe / Tilarán). Most quite pleasant, if quirky. Highly recommended.