Traditional painted ox-cart on road near Cipreses
Six
By Norman D. Ford
Traditional painted ox-cart on
road near Cipreses
In April 1997, I spent 16 adventurous days bicycling alone on Costa Rica's Five Volcanoes route. Overnighting at hotels, this world class bike tour took me roaming for 625 kilometers along the country's rugged, volcano-studded backbone.
Altogether, I climbed 4 major volcanoes--Irazu, Turrialba, Poas and Barva--each time ascending through a series of climate zones from semitropical to mist-enshrouded cloud forest filled with orchids, air plants and luminous blue butterflies. I also biked around the base of Arenal, an active volcano which rumbled every 90 minutes and spewed out lava and clouds of smoke.
Despite the harrowing climbs up endless switchbacks, it was a wonderful ecological experience. Traffic was light and often, the only sounds were the songs of exotic birds and the explosive roar of howler monkeys. On the secondary roads on which I traveled, drivers were courteous and there were few large trucks. I found comfortable hotels a day's ride apart plus plenty of restaurants, rustic convenience stores, cafes and a bike shop and supermarket in every larger town.
Yes, Costa Rica does offer great cycling provided you know where to go and which roads to ride. But cycling here isn't for the fainthearted or for those whose energy may flag. Almost every day's ride included pedalling (or walking part way) up colossal hills that climbed steeply for 10 kilometers or more, to elevations of 2,750- 3432 meters.
Again, to avoid riding across the busy capital of San Jose, I twice used taxis at a total cost of US$200 (or $100 each for two). Many roads are potholed and poorly maintained. Others are rough, unpaved and poorly marked. But none presented any problems to my mountain bike. Finally, you need enough Spanish to ask directions, make hotel reservations by phone and to dicker with taxi drivers for lower fares.
I flew Continental from San Antonio, Texas and arrived on Sunday night. (Curiously, they charged $50 for my bike going but nothing returning.) From the airport, a $2 taxi ride took me and my boxed bike to the Hotel Alajuela in the nearby city of Alajuela and they stored my bike box in their luggage room for a small daily fee. Monday morning, I bussed to San Jose, 30 minutes away, to buy maps (the 1:500,000 maps of Costa Rica sold in the U.S. are worthless) then returned to assemble my bike.
Network of trails let
cyclists explore craters atop Irazu
Volcano
Tuesday morning I was off with my bike in a taxi for Hotel Irazu, perched at 2,760 meters on the side of Volcan Irazu, the country's highest volcano. By mid-morning next day I had biked to the bare, bleak summit of Irazu, 3,432 meters high. A green lake fills the huge crater and I spent hours biking on a series of trails to various viewpoints.
Coasting back downhill to Hotel Irazu, I passed scores of fields and farms, most created by slashing and burning Costa Rica's priceless forests. Roughly 80 percent of the nation's ancient forests have been destroyed. Fortunately, much of the remainder lies on the upper slopes of the volcanoes on which I rode.
On Thursday, I followed signs through forests of tree ferns and over rough oxcart trails across a mountain saddle to Volcan Turrialba Lodge. From this comfortable rustic hideaway it's just 5 kilometers to the top of Volcan Turrialba (3,329 meters).
Saturday began with a screaming descent from the lodge down the immense side of Volcan Turrialba to Hacienda San Miguel, a plush country resort (but only $40 a night) and my stop for two nights. Riding down to San Isidro next day, I met over 150 local bicyclists from San Jose, all male and riding modern road or mountain bikes.
Back in Hacienda San Miguel for overnight, I set out Monday for Turrialba city, a superbly scenic all-day ride around the flanks of both Irazu and Turrialba volcanoes. En route, I met a fiesta procession of cowboys and painted oxcarts while clowns cavorted around my bike as I passed.
A fast 12 kilometer descent led through coffee groves into Turrialba city. Here I spoke English again for the first time since leaving Alajuela, 7 days earlier. On Tuesday, another out-and-back day ride--42 kilometers in all--led through picturesque villages to Guayaba National Monument, site of the excavated mounds and aqueducts of an ancient people.
Wednesday was a rest day. I spent it riding by taxi halfway across Costa Rica to Monteverde, a sprawling mountaintop resort surrounded by cloud forests and famed for rare birds. Hiking through the biological reserves and a butterfly garden on Thursday I did see a toucan but most birds were difficult to spot. Then it was Friday and time for a wild 5-hour descent on a rocky dirt road down a mountain cordillera into Tilaran.
Typical Costa Rican church in village of
Barva
From Tilaran, Saturday's daylong ride roller-coastered past misty peaks and jungled valleys into Fortuna. En route, I biked for hours beside huge Lake Arenal and past the rakish cone of Volcan Arenal while periodically, the mountain boomed and rumbled. Sunday, I laid over in Fortuna to relax in the pools at nearby Tabacon Hot Springs.
Monday's six hour ride crossed a flat tropical plain to Ciudad Quesada. And on Tuesday I climbed switchbacks for several hours up the side of Volcan Poas to a cozy lodge at 2,000 meters. Then on Wednesday I cycled the rest of the way up Volcan Poas--to the very edge of the 1,500 meter-wide crater--and peered down into the bubbling green cauldron 300 meters below. Poas is 2,708 meters high.
The final day's ride included another tough climb. My route led from the lodge up rough, unpaved backroads to within a mile of the summit of Volcan Barva (2,906 meters). A steep, muddy trail led for another two kilometers to the summit. But I decided to skip this and, instead, rocketted downhill on a series of roads that wound up in the center of Alajuela.
That was it! Five great volcanoes in 16 days of riding and touring through a vertical landscape with incredible views and panoramas much of the way.
Touring Tips
ACCOMMODATIONS: Camping is possible but not recommended. Never camp alone. The hotels I list--which averaged $30 a night for one--provide adequate comfort and in the mountains they are often the only place to stay. Hence reservations are recommended. Reservations are also advised everywhere at weekends and at all times for Hotel Alajuela and Volcan Turrialba Lodge. Bikes are allowed in most hotel rooms.
EQUIPMENT AND MAPS: Take a lock and never let your bike out of sight. Take a mountain bike with 1.95" tires and a 17-inch gear (22T small chainring x 32T large cog). Spares are available in most larger towns; rental bikes are usually not adequate. Most of the trip can be done with the 1:200,000 "San Jose, Costa Rica" map but I found the 1:50,000 maps of Barva, Istaru and Tilaran invaluable for backroads travel. Buy these Instituto Geographica maps at Libreria Lehman or Libreria Universal, both located in San Jose near the National Theater, a downtown landmark. The best guidebooks for budget travel are Moon Publication's Costa Rica Handbook and Lonely Planet's Guide to Costa Rica.
Schematic route of the Five
Volcanoes Tour--Not to Scale
FOOD-WATER-PEOPLE: tap water is OK almost everywhere. But don't expect gourmet cooking. Most restaurant meals are based on fried rice with beans, chicken, meat or fish and seem uninspiring. Yet tropical fruits are outstanding. And, of course, the Ticos, as the Costa Ricans call themselves, are amazingly friendly and helpful. However, Tica women rarely participate in recreational bicycling in Costa Rica and women riders from abroad should go with a mixed gender group.
TAXIS: all jeep, microbus, hatchback and station-wagon taxis can carry one or more bikes and rates are far lower than in the U.S or Europe. Always agree on the fare beforehand and don't hesitate to negotiate for a lower price for longer trips. Buses don't carry bikes. If you need a sag-lift halfway through a day's ride, taxis are available in almost any community of 3,000 or more.
RECOMMENDED ITINERARY. H. = hotel name followed by phone number. Stage 1: from Alajuela (H. Alajuela, 441-1241) by taxi to Hotel Irazu (253-0827). Stage 2: from Hotel Irazu via jeep roads through Esperanza, signed all the way to Volcan Turrialba Lodge (273-4335), 26 kms. Stage 3: from Volcan Turrialba Lodge to San Gerardo, Cot, Tierra Blanca, Llano Grande and Rancho Redondo (H. Hacienda San Miguel, 229-1094, from overseas use fax 229-1097), 50 kms. Stage 4: day ride from Rancho Redondo to San Isidro Coronado and return, 30 kms. Stage 5: from Rancho Redondo to Llano Grande, Tierra Blanca, Cot, Pacayas, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and Turrialba (H. Wagelia, 556- 1566), 65 kms. Stage 6: day ride from Turrialba to Monumento Nacional Guayaba and return, 42 kms. Stage 7: by taxi from Turrialba to Monteverde (H. El Bosque, 645-5129). Stage 8: Monteverde to Nubes, Dos de Tilaran, Quebrada Grande and Tilaran (H. Cabinas El Sueno, 694-5347), 45 kms. Stage 9: from Tilaran around north shore of Lake Arenal to Fortuna (H. San Bosco, 479-9050), 80 kms. Stage 10: from Fortuna to Jabillo, Santa Clara, Florencia, Penjamo, Peje and Ciudad Quesada (H. La Centrale, 469-9179), 45 kms. Stage 11: Ciudad Quesada to Aguas Zarcas, Venecia, San Miguel, Varablanca and Volcan Poas Lodge (441-9102), 70 kms. Stage 12: Volcan Poas Lodge to Birri, Porrosati, Sacramento (Volcan Barva) returning same way to Birri thence to Santa Barbara and Alajuela (H. Alajuela), 70 kms.
Alternative Route: from Turrialba, it's possible to reach Monteverde by cycling along the hot, tropical Pacific Coast; this requires about ten extra days of cycling. To do it, taxi from Turrialba to San Isidro del General in eastern Costa Rica, fare about $80. From San Isidro you can make an out-and-back day ride up to Rivas and into the lower slopes of Mount Chiripo, highest peak in Costa Rica. Then, day by day, ride west along the Pacific Coast overnighting at Dominical, Quepos (for Manual Antonio National Park), Jaco, Tarcoles and Puntarenas. Then ride north to Miramar (small hotel) and finally make the long, all-day climb to Monteverde (or take a taxi).
WHEN TO GO: during the dry season, from December 1st to early-May. Avoid Xmas-New Years and Easter. Tourists are fewest and rooms more plentiful in December and after Easter. Mountain weather is clearest after Easter but even when volcanoes appear clouded from below, summits are often clear.
MORE INFORMATION: from the U.S., you can call the Costa Rica Information Office in San Jose toll-free 24 hours a day by dialling 1-800-343-6332.
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A lifelong cyclist, Norm' Ford lives in the Texas Hill Country (USA) and is author of the W.W. Norton book 25 Bicycle Tours in The Texas Hill Country and West Texas. This was his third bike tour of Costa Rica.