Let the good times roll! (Sharing adventure with visitors.)

What fun it is to share the joy of riding in Costa Rica with others!

I first met Craig and Mel at Go Ride Moto Costa Rica when I went to pick up Roger and Darlene for their tour of the Pacific Coast. I enjoyed joking around with them, and so was delighted when Craig contacted me to lead him on two tours. Yay! I do believe this universe does love me. 🙂

He was willing to do curves and off-road routes, much to my delight. We agreed to meet at Quebrada Amarilla so that I could take him on the lovely Tulín>La Gloria gravel route which winds along the Tulín river. (The photo above is of a man who stopped to take a picture of Sahara while I waited for Craig to arrive. Hahaha! She is a pretty creature indeed!)

It was a beautiful, breezy day. The Tulín road is both easy enough to be safe for inexperienced off-road riders and challenging enough to stir up a bit of adrenaline. It was a good choice to get Craig used to the feel of riding on gravel. He was a natural.

We stopped for a snack at Soda Pura Vida. Lots of laughs given that Craig is a “hilarious British dude.” Then, we enjoyed the rest of route 239 to Puriscal, with its wide and awesome vistas. Reaching Puriscal, we took a left and wound down route 137, heading towards Orotina, which is all asphalt, has delicious curves, and also has fantastic views.

I spontaneously decided to do two unexpected detours. The first was to Poró because I love the views up there. It was quite windy, but still a treat to experience. After, on our way down, we stopped at El Fogón de Doña Emilce.

Then, I also detoured to Route 319, which is gravel and has some challenging downhill curves, but Craig did just fine. We even crossed a narrow section of the Tulin River.

Checkin in with Craig, he was ready for more off road riding, so I headed over to Bajamar Beach, explaining that it was not about the destination, but the journey. We took the La Ceiba road from Orotina, which is mostly gravel. One feels as if one is out in the middle of nowhere on these routes, which is of course what I love about them.

From Bajamar we headed over to Guacalillo beach.

We closed the day at El Cerro Lodge. I like the little dirt road in and wanted to try their food. We split a Calzone. It was good. 🙂 I will return.

I was glad to head home before dark and after only eleven hours of riding adventure (rather than 12 hours). It had been a wonderful day. Who could ask for more? Natural beauty, gorgeous skies, riding excitement, and the best company!

The next day I booked a room at Cabinas La Parcela, for I knew it was going to be a longer day, and it was best for me to stay overnight.

We met at Soda El Tucan in Parrita and headed to route 301. This is not my favorite route, but I figured Craig would like it. It is partly gravel, goes up and down, can be a bit challenging at times, and has lots of irritating pot holes! 🙂 It has some awesome views at the top, though Craig said he was too concentrated on the road to look at the views.

We headed up and up then down to the small bridge at Cangrejal park where we had some refreshements. Craig managed the back-to-back, steep switchback curves further up nearing Acosta. This route is not for the faint of heart. 🙂

At Acosta, we took the lovely route towards the Los Santos area. Coffee fields forever! I love the views and curves.

We stopped by for a quick visit with Luis Rojas, the owner of Go Ride Moto, at his beautiful farm, Finca Las Mercedez, almost falling on the rocky road in. 🙂 The little curve in was the most challenging part of our trip! Hahaha! But, as we agreed, “almost” doesn’t count when riding. We made it for a nice visit for coffee and cake and a tour of his rental house and the coffee dryer.

We then rode through the foggy and freezing “Mountain of Death,” barely able to see, past the “Enchanted Valley” down to San Isidro del General, and, finally, down to the Pacific coast and my cabins at Dominicalito.

There were comedic White Faced Capuccin Monkeys at La Parcela Restaurant when we arrived. A perfect way to end a thrilling riding adventure.

Feeling complete and satisfied after a full day of fun, we parted ways, and Craig headed back to Manuel Antonio.

I loved my ride home the next day, for the mountains were perfectly clear. What a gorgeous country this is.

Yes, it is an honor and pleasure to be able to share the stunning beauty and exciting roads of Costa Rica with someone who obviously loves the thrill of riding as much as I do. What a joy!

RIDING IN COSTA RICA: FEEL THE BEAUTY. KNOW THE LOVE. LIVE THE POWER.

Dates: Sunday, January 29 and Monday January 30th, 2023.