If you like the thrill of riding rough and fast down the rugged terrain of an active volcano in Costa Rica, passing through rainforest, splashing through rivers and getting muddy, then this new mountain biking tour is for you.
In Guanacaste, Costa Rica – a major area for mountain biking – Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin has created the Iron-Horse Downhill Mountain Bike Tour for travelers who want to experience the unparalleled adventure of mountain biking in Costa Rica.
Over the years, Costa Rica has become a top destination for superb mountain biking. It started 23 years ago with the debut of the annual “La Ruta de los Conquistadores” (The Route of the Conquistadors), one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world, crossing Costa Rica from the Pacific Coast to the Caribbean in only three days.
Mountain biking in Costa Rica has taken off from there – increasing in popularity and attracting mountain bikers from around the world to ride the Central American country’s roads, tracks and trails, and to compete in annual races. Now in its third year, the annual Rincón de la Vieja Challenge extreme mountain bike race circumnavigates the active Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste for a 100-mile (160 km) ride in 12 hours. This year’s race happens on Aug. 22, 2015 at eco-adventure hotel Hacienda Guachipelin.
The award-winning hotel, located next to the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, offers the best Costa Rica adventure tours – zip-lines, canyoning, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, mountain biking, nature trails, and natural volcanic hot springs. It also is headquarters for the famous international adventure race The North Face Endurance Challenge Costa Rica, held annually in May.
The brilliant and unique aspect about the Iron-Horse Downhill Mountain Bike Tour is that it includes horseback riding, waterfalls, mountain biking, river tubing and zip-lines all in one full-day tour. A shortened half-day tour also is available.
You start out riding Hacienda Guachipelin’s ranch horses up the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano slopes into higher elevation rainforest to a waterfall where you can go for a quick swim. Then you’ll descend the volcano by mountain bike, riding tracks and dirt roads through the forest, crossing rivers and open fields. When you get to the Negro River, you’ll jump into river tubing right away, a really fun and refreshing adventure. Then it’s back to the hotel for a sumptuous lunch, and an afternoon of flying through the trees on zip-lines to finish a day you’ll never forget.
The tour requires two persons minimum, ages 16 years and older. Difficulty level is medium. Tours include: Full suspension bike or hard tail bike, helmet, gloves, assistance vehicle, hydration, backup equipment (extra bicycles), and bilingual mountain biking guides (English-Spanish).
Contact Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin for tour and hotel reservations.
Article by Shannon Farley
