The beautiful country of Costa Rica is one of the top tourist destinations in Central America. With landscapes that range from lush rain forests and active volcanoes to the Pacific coast beaches, there is much to see. For those who love to ride motorcycles, it can be a great way to explore the region since they can handle the variety of roads that can range from smooth multi-lane highways to poorly maintained dirt trails. Several reputable tour companies offer a variety of motorcycle tours that include the latest motorcycles, bilingual guides and a support vehicle for luggage and technical issues. It can be an exciting alternative to just renting a car or booking a bus excursion.
Costa Rica BMW Motorcycle Tours
This company, based in San Jose, provides guided, self-guided and custom tours on a fleet of BMW motorcycles that include F650GS, F800GS, and R1200GS models. The guided tours cover the entire country from the "Coast to Coast Adventure Tour" to the "Central to North Adventure Tour." Each tour includes lodging with breakfast, a six-day motorcycle rental, insurance, unlimited mileage and support vehicle with tour guide. The self-guided tours range from five to eight days in length and includes a "meet and greet" at the airport, hotel lodging, motorcycle rental, insurance and unlimited mileage, and a carefully crafted itinerary with highlights such as volcanoes, rainforests, and beaches. Custom tours can be completely designed to the needs of the individual. Itineraries can include Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, or all three. All of their guides are bilingual in English and Spanish, but the company can also arrange guides who speak German, French, or Italian.
Costa Rica Motorcycle Tours
This San Jose based tour company provides a variety of tours on a fleet of new KTM and Aprilia motorcycles. The three types of tours are divided into three categories: "Easy Rider," which includes six self-guided tours; "Guided," a nine-day tour with a bilingual guide; and "Customized," which are individually designed tours. Each of the tours include airport transfers, hotel accommodations with breakfasts, and free mileage with insurance.The Guided tours include a bilingual guide, several dinners, entrance fees to the national parks, a canopy tour, and a support vehicle for passengers and luggage. The six "Easy Rider" tours range from six days length for the standard tour down the Pacific coast to the 12-day "Costa Rica Motorcycle Adventure," which covers most of the major attractions in the entire country.
Moto Tours Costa Rica
This tour company is based in the city of Alajuela near the Juan Santamaría International Airport in western San Jose. It provides a fleet of 18 KTM motorcycles ranging from road and dual sport to moto-cross dirt bikes. The variety of custom-designed tours range in length from one to six days, with a choice of motorcycles, accommodations, bilingual guide, fuel, tolls, daily breakfast and lunch. A fully equipped luggage and support vehicle is provided for groups of five or more. The company also provides sample itineraries for eight different tours but can customize any portion of the them based on the guests' wishes.
Moto Adventures Costa Rica
This company, also based in San Jose, specializes in off-road motorcycle tours throughout the country. Founded in 1991, it includes a fleet of Honda XR400R motorcycles for six different tours: the "Adventure Tours," which range from one to three days in length that cover San Jose and the Central Valley region; the "Volcano Tour," which includes the Irazú Volcano; the "Coastal Tour," which includes the beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park; and the Nicoya Peninsula Tour. In addition, it offers a three-day, off-road riding school led by principal guide Larry Larrabure. Each tour includes motorcycle rental with fuel, lodging, and a support vehicle with all meals. But upgrades such as luxury accommodations, alcoholic beverages, canopy tours and national park entrance fees are available for an extra charge.
Wild Rider Motorcycles
This San Jose based company offers five different tours on a fleet of motorcycles that include the Honda XR250 Tornado, the Suzuki DRZ400S, and the Suzuki DR650SE. The tours range from one to three days in length and include destinations such as the Irazú and Poás Volcanoes, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Manuel Antonio National Park, and other Pacific beach destinations. All of the itineraries can be completely customized based on the guests' desires and abilities. The tours include a fully equipped motorcycle, helmet, insurance, unlimited mileage, fuel, a bilingual guide, lodging, lunches, and even national park entrance fees. The company also includes a support vehicle for groups of five or more to carry luggage and spare parts.
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James Nalley - James Nalley is a full-time travel journalist whose work has been published in more than 100 magazines, journals and websites.
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