Home for us. A Destination for many. Paradise for All.
Accounts vary whether the country was named by Christopher Columbus when he sailed to the country's eastern shores on his final voyage of 1502, or by the Conquistador Gil González Dávila who landed on the western shore in 1522, but luckily for the future of Costa Rica the name was a misnomer as the "rich coast" was not rich at all, had no gold to speak of, and was thus left alone by the colonization of the Americas that was fueled by an insatiable desired for gold.
While gold might night be the color of Costa Rica's riches, green certainly is the true treasure of the country. Costa Rica is ranked at the top of the "greenest" of all countries in the world, and for good reason. The people of Costa Rica respect the natural environment surrounding them and hold the preservation of this national treasure as the greatest value of all, for this and for future generations to come.
And it is in this amazing land that we get to ride, run, swim, surf, and live. Always striving for greater harmony with nature, we are the lucky ones to have the natural beauty of Costa Rica surrounding us, and Costa Rica lends us its mountains, jungles, beaches, rivers, and savannas as our playgrounds to respectfully enjoy.
Below find a sampling of where we like to train, race, and play in our beautiful host country.
Bike Parks - Central Valley
@LaAngelinaMTB
La Angelina (Cartago)
Excellent managed trails that include flow, enduro, and downhill tracks. Amazing scenery and views. Very interesting terrain in the middle of a working mountain dairy farm. Great little pumptrack, too. Changing room, bathroom, snacks. Small per diem entry fee. 25 minutes east of San Jose central. Email for more info: ride@laangelinamtb.com
TRAILS: Singletrack, Doubletrack, Open Potrero
TERRAIN: Flow, Enduro, Downhill
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner to Expert
@SenderosColon
Los Senderos de Colón (Ciudad Colon)
From the owners of La Angelina, Senderos Colón is a excellent managed trail system of mountain and forest singletrack. Loose over hardpack conditions dropping into rooted technical sections and you lose altitude descending into working coffee fields. Excellent technical riding 15 minutes west of San Jose central. Changing room, bathroom, snacks. Small per diem entry fee. Email for more info: ride@laangelinamtb.com
TRAILS: Singletrack (Mountain and Forest)
TERRAIN: Flow, Enduro, Downhill
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate to Expert
www.adventureparkcr.com
Adventure Park (Heredia)
Natural terrain and man-made gap jumps, table tops, and aerial drops punctuate a trail system running thought a high-altitude pine forest on the side of Barva volcano. 25 minutes northwest of San Jose Central, Adventure park boasts activities of paint ball and zip lining, in addition to downhill and enduro-style trails. Home of the downhill and enduro national championships, Adventure Park delivers on challenging terrain in a remote, private setting. Changing room, bathroom, snacks. Small per diem entry fee. Email for more info: arturo@bikeparkcr.com.
TRAILS: Singletrack (Mountain and Forest)
TERRAIN: Enduro, Downhill
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate to Expert
Bike Parks - Guanacaste
@LasCatalinasCR
Las Catalinas (Guanacaste)
Integrated into a high-end planned community overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the trails of Las Catalinas are managed flow trails for enjoyable, non-technical riding. Home of the La Catalinas triathlon, the trail system welcomes both mountain bikers and trail runners, alike. Check in at Pura Vida Ride in the town center for more info, as well as for fat and skinny mountain bike rentals. Bathroom, restaurants, bike rentals. Small per diem fee, or free if you are a guest staying at the resort. Email for more info: contact@puravidaride.com
TRAILS: Singletrack
TERRAIN: Flow
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate
Destinations
www.ariotours.com
Hacienda Ario (Nicoya Peninsula)
Hacienda Ario is a family owned, working ranch in the heart of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The property encompasses approximately 1925 ha (or 4700 acres) within the regions most important watershed and coastal riparian habitat. Mountains in primary forest, fertile river valleys, rolling hills and mangrove forests, along 3.5 kms of beautiful and desolate beaches are characterized by a diverse set of ecosystems and land uses.
Stay on the ranch at the CIRENAS campus, either as part of a scheduled program, or rent the campus out for a private event. Run the many kilometers of farm roads, ride double track, single track, and gravel routes on MTB or fat bikes, surf the world famous waves of Playa Hermosa (just 8km south) in the town of Santa Teresa), or swim the undeveloped cove that is Playa Ario.
Sample real cowboy life by going on a cattle drive or taking a horse tour through the watershed that the ranch encompasses. Learn about the history of the region from your guide, and take a dip in a waterfall pool to cool off from the midday sun.
Perhaps set up a yoga session to start your day, and a massage to cool you down after a day of active fun. Or just relax in one of six private cabinas where you can be attended to by a private chef for the best of farm-to-table dining that Costa Rica has to offer.
Events
www.adventurerace.com
La Ruta de los Conquistadores
The race that started it all. Ranked year in and year out as one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world, and listed at the top of everyone's lifetime bucket list, La Ruta always delivers on an experience that will push you to your limits and back, again. In fact, the organizer does not even consider La Ruta as an MTB event, but rather as a life adventure experience during which an athlete will experience such highs and such lows, that just surviving and making it to the finish is a victory unto itself. La Ruta epitomizes the phrase "it is about the journey (and all that it entails), not just the destination". You will learn about yourself, about a different culture, and making friends along the way. At La Ruta, the journey IS the destination.
TYPE: Stage Race (MTB)
DISTANCE: 240kms / 3 Days
TIMING: Early November
FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED: High
www.rincondelaviejachallenge.com
Volcano100 (Rincon de la Vieja Challenge)
In 2013, xTreme Challenge Group, the race organizer of the Volcano100, launched the event that has now grown into a must-do classic one-day race that attracts top endurance athletes from around the world. A mountain bike race that circumnavigates an active volcano, the Volcano100 is the only non-US event that is part of the NUE (National Ultra Endurance) Series points circuit. MTB riders can choose from several distances ranging from 50km, 100km, to the 160km "Hundred Miler". Not only is this race amazing in the terrain it covers, but it is also one of the most grueling one-day events that the region has to offer. Maybe that is because 50kms can be more like 65kms, 100kms look like 120kms, and 100 miles is the longest 100 miles you will ride in a mountain bike race. A spectacular event on par with the Leadville 100MTB, the Volcano100 delivers again and again.
TYPE: One-Day Race (MTB)
DISTANCE: 50kms / 100kms / 160kms (100 miles)
TIMING: August
FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED: Moderate (50kms) to High (100kms and 100 miles)
*** TOP SECRET ***
Project X
The development of this event has been in the works for some time now, and we will soon unveil the finished product to the world. Destined to be a sought-after classic for the hardcore and enthusiast alike, Project X takes its inspiration from perennial bucket list classics from around the world. Bring your bike, as you will need it. But do not expect to go home with anything other than memories and a deep satisfaction of "mission complete". This ain't about the t-shirt, baby.
TYPE: *** TOP SECRET ***
DISTANCE: *** TOP SECRET ***
TIMING: January 2018
FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED: High