Yanez Novoa will be working on the 2021 Great American Roadtrip & the 2021 Pura Vida Cycling Tours. He is currently in Costa Rica helping to scout the route of the Pura Vida and sends this report.

I was recently involved in a scene so touching I feel I have to share it with the rest of my TDA touring family, especially those signed up for our 2021 Pura Vida tour of Costa Rica. Like any great story, it has elements of intrigue, suspense and romance.

All the accommodations for the tour had been organized, except for one. This town, Puntarenas (pictured), also happens to be the home town of Jairo Corrales. As many of you know already, he is our Costa Rican colleague who has organized all the hotels and stages on this tour so, understandably, he was feeling some pressure to make sure his home stage was an awesome one. He had two hotel options planned and wanted to use me as a sounding board to help him decide which one to choose. The first hotel was great. Nice rooms, parking, a pool, easy access from the ferry. What more could you want? Yet Jairo insisted on showing me the other one. Cool, I can go with the flow. The second one was just as well suited. I liked the first one more but Jairo kept pointing out issues with both and I could tell something was afoot. On the way out, Jairo’s restlessness was obvious and finally he cracked. “OK I am going to show you one more.” he confessed.

We stopped in front of a charming hotel with rooms arranged around a big swimming pool. He gave me the much awaited back story. He had booked the hotel three times this year for TDA but has had to cancel it each time due to COVID. So by this time the hotel has had enough of Jairo Corrales. They have not answered his emails in weeks and, in frustration, Jairo had also embarrassed himself over the phone. So I understood my part in this theatre piece. I was to be the gringo staffer who had been sent ahead as proof that this time the tour really is happening while he was playing the role of humbled Tico (Costa Rican) who was desperate to secure this booking in front of his ‘boss’.

Jairo

We approached reception and Jairo introduced himself. “Oh, you are Jairo,” the pretty receptionist replied almost sarcastically. Jairo blushed and we watched her go fetch the owners. We sat down with the elderly couple that ran the hotel and discussed the terms. Jairo explained my presence and I watched the scene. The couple’s hands were stained with paint and plaster and it seemed that they had invested quite a bit of money in zhuzhing up the place in hope of attracting clients for the much anticipated upcoming season. It had been a slow two years. The lady of the house was elegant and strong and the husband was more quiet and through his half unbuttoned shirt you could see the scar of a previous operation on his chest. They were clearly in a position of power, yet were handling it gracefully. While the humble Tico was negotiating, the elderly couple would, every now and then, tenderly but discretely touch each other as if to say ‘this is a big one’. I had to hide my enjoyment of the scene which wasn’t really difficult due to the requisite face mask. Jairo asked if they could show me one of the rooms and once I left the table he closed the deal, rounding it up in their favour while the ‘boss’ was occupied. The whole play was a huge success! On the drive out, Jairo ranted in excitement and I’m sure the couple were as excited as we were for the business.

We spend a lot of time and money arranging these tours well in advance, securing bookings and finding several options for difficult days when the roads are often washed away or become otherwise unusable. This takes a lot of effort and we pride ourselves in not only finding the best and most suitable accommodations but also in discovering them in the right places and fostering relationships for future tours. More often than not, as is the case in this story, the right place is also the best place. Those of you who are lucky enough to have signed up for Pura Vida are in for a much needed adventure. “Hasta la proxima!”

This will be the third TDA Global Cycling Tour that has passed through the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Riders on the Ruta Maya in 2012, 2015 & 2016 and cyclists on the 2019 North American Epic were all thrilled but their experiences on the road in this natural paradise where over 25% of the land area is protected.

Here are 4 excellent reasons to join us on the 2021 Pura Vida Cycling Tour this December.

Volcanoes

Volcan Poas

Costa Rica has over 200 volcanoes – of which 5 are considered active! Riders on the Pura Vida will have the opportunity to visit all of them – Poas, Arenal, Irazu, Rincón de la Vieja & Turrialba. For years Arenal was famous for its constant eruptions with a spectacular  lava flow down its sides but a few years ago it suddenly went quiet. Poas and Irazu are easily visited from San Jose and feature stunning crater lakes and wonderful views although Irazu, at almost 35oo m, is often covered in cloud. Turrialba is somewhat harder to visit from the capital, requiring a challenging hike, and has often been closed down due to increased activity. Finally, Rincón de la Vieja in the Guanacaste region, where the riders spend a night in the National Park, is surrounded by waterfalls, mud pools and relaxing hot springs.

Beaches

Beach at Manuel Antonia National Park

At the end of the first week of riding the Pura Vida tour features an amazing 9 day stretch featuring 6 different beaches. It begins at Coco Beach, home to a small, friendly fishing village. Riders can enjoy its relaxing white/grey sand beaches and, if they have time, go for a dive at the nearby Pelonas Islands. Next up is the laid-back surf town town of Tamarindo where the cyclists will enjoy a day off, perhaps learning to surf on its perfect waves. Playa Samara is a gorgeous long beach set on a picturesque horseshoe bay while Playa Montezuma is known for its wild, rocky coastline and magical sunsets. After taking a ferry back to the mainland from the Nicoya Peninsula, the riders will stop for the night in Jaco, another surfing mecca and the site of past world championships before pulling into Manuel Antonio. On their rest day here they can make the 30 minute hike through a tropical rainforest and howling monkeys, arriving to a stunning white sand beach with turquoise waters and an enticing coral reef.

Rainforests

Monteverde Cloud Forest

Costa Rica is well-known for its rainforests and cloud forests. The riders on the Pura Vida will be able to explore 4 of the most amazing the country has to offer. First up is the Arenal Rainforest situated around the volcano of the same name. At over 30,000 acres, this area features a number of waterfalls, including the stunning La Fortuna falls, and some soothing hot springs. Next is the world famous Monteverde Cloud Forest, one of the most important in the world with over 2500 species of plants, 400 species of birds, 120 species of reptiles and over 100 species of mammals. Manuel Antonio National Park contains a tropical lowland wet forest. Named for a conquistador who is buried there, its dense forest includes the endangered black locust tree and harbours over 350 species of birds. Finally, the riders will stop in the lesser known Los Quetzales National Park. This is another cloud forest with elevations topping out at 3000 metres. It covers 14 different ecological zones and is home to the Resplendent Quetzal, one of the most beautiful birds on the planet.

Wildlife

Baird’s Tapir

Costa Rica covers only about .03% of the world’s surface area but boasts 6% of its biodiversity. For example, it has 140 species of snakes of which 23 are venomous. Fortunately, the majority are nocturnal and are unlikely to be seen. Unusual mammals include Baird’s Tapir (pictured above), the largest land animal in Central America at 6 feet long at 4 feet high, 3 toed sloths, the lesser anteater, the racoon-like coatimundi, collared peccaries and kinkajous (honey bears). The country is also home to home to six species of wild cats – Ocelot, Margay, Jaguar, Puma, Jaguarundi, and Oncilla. It has a large number of reptiles and amphibians including iguanas, turtles, colourful frogs, basilisks and crocodiles. In fact, on the stage ride to Jaco Beach the riders will cross over one of Costa Rica’s stranger tourist attractions – Crocodile Bridge. This bridge over the Tárcoles River usually has about a dozen large American crocodiles lounging in the sun…waiting for their next meal. Finally, the country is home to a seemingly endless array of birds, from colourful toucans to iridescent trogons to scarlet macaws and gorgeous hummingbirds.

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Join us in December for an amazing 3 week ride around Costa Rica. The Pura Vida Cycle Tour is a 1225 km adventure that includes 16 cycling days and 3 rest days. Pura Vida means a ‘pure life’ – laid back, healthy and fun – and that is exactly what this tour will bring to the cyclists who pedal through this beautiful, peaceful country. Riders will experience some incredible scenery, challenging rides and friendly people.

Cristiano Werneck, who has led our cycling adventures in Africa, Asia and North & South America, will be the Tour Leader and is eager for the Pura Vida to begin. He explains that, “Pura Vida, Costa Rica’s life motto has never been more appropriate. Life is good and it is good to be alive! There is light at the end of this tunnel, so Pura Vida! Costa Rica is doing well on its vaccination campaign, so Pura Vida! We are finally feeling confident enough to start traveling and organizing trips. Very Pura Vida! Once winter comes, we will go and ride in tropical paradise. What a better way to celebrate being alive than to spend 3 weeks on the best beaches and jungles of Costa Rica reminding each other and being reminded by the locals that “life is good? Pura Vida!”

Registration is open but space is limited! Please email us with any questions you might have this incredible cycling adventure. Tour details can be seen here.

Here are just a few of the many highlights:

Arenal – Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Caves & Waterfalls

Volcan Arenal

Monteverde – Cloud Forest Canopy Tours, Butterfly Gardens & Wildlife Night Tours

Walk through the treetops

Beaches Of The Nicoya Peninsula – Coco, Samara, Tamarindo & Montezuma

Montezuma Beach

Manuel Antonio National Park – Rainforest Wildlife, Hiking Trails & Sea Kayaking

Red Eyed Tree Frog

Parasio Quetzal Lodge – A Chance To See The Resplendent Quetzal, Sacred Bird Of The Mayans

Male Quetzal

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