RIDE/TRIP DESCRIPTION

OVERVIEW

Join us for 8 wonderful days and 7 nights on the breathtaking Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Located very near the famous surfing community of Nosara in the Guanacaste Province on the Nicoya Peninsula, you will find your days filled with sunshine and fresh sea air and evenings of unparalleled sunsets and starry skies. This fixed base lodging tour will include 5 days of riding along gravel routes on rental mountain bikes.

Our lodging is only a short 10 minute drive to the heart of the beach community of Nosara which offers wonderful Costa Rican cuisine and many shopping opportunities offering Costa Rican made goods. However, you will likely not often want to wander too far from our hotel, Boutique Hotel Lagarta Lodge, or better described as the “Eco Lodge at the Pacific Ocean”. Views from nearly every vantage point at the lodge are simply breathtaking. Each evening prior to our meeting we will take in the sunset, a finely tuned ritual at the lodge complete with it’s own viewing deck. From the sunset deck you will be able to get that perfect sunset photo while taking your favorite beverage and watching the Howler monkeys supervising our sunset ritual. In addition, you can visit the hotel’s own nature reserve, relax in the spa, take a yoga class or view the coast directly from the lodge’s infinity pools while incased in the warmth of the day far away from the bitter cold of the north.

COST/ADMIN

The price of the trip is $2995 USD per person double occupancy includes the following INCLUSIONS/EXCLUSIONS just below. A $1000 USD deposit per person is required to secure your position on the trip and will be collected at registration. There are only 10 total rooms available and the maximum number of participants is limited to 20!! 

DUE DATE FOR FINAL PAYMENTS WILL BE OCTOBER 1, 2023.

If single supplement applies, it will also be collected at the time of final payment due date. See SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY below for more information regarding single supplement. This ride will follow the Terms & Conditions policy of Cycling Friends, LLC and you will be required to complete the Cycling Friends, LLC registration.

Tour pricing is based on a minimum of 20 participants. If the minimum number of participants is not met at least 6 months prior to departure then the trip may be cancelled.

INCLUSIONS

• 8 days/7 nights per person double occupancy at Boutique Hotel Lagarta Lodge near Nosara, Costa Rica.

• Transport from Nosara, Costa Rica airport (NOB) to the lodge is only 10 minutes from the airport (See ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE below for more information.). Note transfer from either the airport in Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) or San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) will be by scheduled minivan and is the financial responsibility of the guests (see EXCLUSIONS). However, the hotel will arrange this transportation in advance and transport fees will be charged to your room. 

• Daily Costa Rican breakfast.

• Dinner at our lodge to include 1 appetizer, 1 main course, 1 dessert and 1 natural drink. Alcohol can be ordered but the cost will be charged to the guest's room (see EXCLUSIONS). Vegetarian selections will be available upon request. There will be 6 dinners provided during our stay, 5 at the lodge and a 6th dinner arranged offsite. Included dinner offsite will include transport. One dinner, on our day off, will be on your own at a restaurant of your choice in the city of Nosara or in the Nosara area. Transport to the restaurant in the city of Nosara on your day off is included on a scheduled in advance basis otherwise there may be a charge (see EXCLUSIONS).

• Daily business meeting and Happy Hour prior to dinner to include snacks and non alcoholic drinks. Alcohol can be ordered but must be charged to the guest’s room (see EXCLUSIONS).

• Exclusive website, for accepted participants only, which will provide ride summaries, maps and much more information about the rides and sight seeing opportunities in the area. The website will be available approximately 6 months prior to departure.

• Arrival/Departure Dates 2023. See ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE below for more information.

  • Arrival: Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

  • Departure: Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

• Arrival and Departure will include you and your luggage. It will be possible to bring your own mountain bike but it must be coordinated with the Ride Director and the hotel to make sure the proper shuttles are booked to carry the extra luggage. Bringing one’s own bike will not be an option due to the cargo capacity of the smaller planes if you choose to fly to Nosara (NOB) via one of the regional airlines servicing Nosara.

• Bike rental coordination and assistance with Nosara MTB.

• This fixed base lodging tour will include 5 days of riding along gravel routes on rental mountain bikes. Routes will be either out and back or loop rides returning to the lodge in late morning or early afternoon.

• Hotel gratuities for restaurant and maid service personnel. Other gratuities will be at the discretion of the guests (see EXCLUSIONS).

• Luggage transfers during entry to and exit from the hotel.

• Complementary wifi.

• Secure bike storage.

EXCLUSIONS

• You will be financially responsible for transport to/from Nosara and you may review Getting to Nosara to learn more.

• Lagarta Lodge Spa Services. The lodge has a wonderful spa and yoga area available to guests but at a charge. A price list can obtained upon request.

• Sightseeing fees.

• Bike rental.

• Laundry.

• Daily lunches.

• Dinner on our cycling day off.

• Local transport to/from Nosara and nearby beaches of Guiones and Pelada other than pre-arranged and scheduled shuttle.

• Alcohol other than that provided during our offsite dinner (see INCLUSIONS).

• Lodging before and after the trip.

• Personal items purchased during the trip.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY

Due to the limited availability of rooms, single supplement will be allowed if the single agrees to pay the price of two singles per room. In other words, if someone requires or requests single supplement then cost will be the per person price x 2 for either the Jungle Suite ($5390 USD = $2695 USD x 2) or Panorama Suite ($5990 USD = $2995 USD x 2).

It is recommended that singles seeking a roommate try to find their own, but the Ride Director and/or Ride Co-Director may also assist by attempting to match singles registering for the ride. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the trip and given an agreeable and reasonable period of time to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option of receiving a full refund less appropriate cancellation fees (see Terms & Conditions) or paying the single supplement and staying on the tour. If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary. Single supplement payments will be added to the unpaid balance due at the time of final payment.

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LODGING

Our hotel, Boutique Hotel Lagarta Lodge, is located near Nosara, Costa Rica on the Pacific (western) coast of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste Province on the Nicoya Peninsula. Often described as the “Eco Lodge at the Pacific Ocean”, you will feel totally immersed in the landscape with views from nearly every vantage point at the lodge which are simply breathtaking. Each evening prior to our meeting we will take in the sunset, a finely tuned ritual at the lodge complete with it’s own viewing deck. From the sunset deck you will be able to get that perfect sunset photo while taking your favorite beverage and watching the Howler monkeys supervising our sunset ritual. In addition, you can visit the hotel’s own nature reserve, relax in the spa, take a yoga class or view the coast directly from the lodge’s infinity pool while incased in the warmth of the day far away from the bitter cold of the north. There are many other opportunities to enjoy what the lodge has to offer which you can see at this link Lagarta Lodge Experiences.

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ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

There are several modes of transport available to Nosara from either Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) or from San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO), the two major airports within Costa Rica. You will be responsible for transport to/from Nosara and you may review Getting to Nosara to learn more.

Ground shuttle transport from Nosara, Costa Rica airport (NOB) to the lodge is only 10 minutes from the airport.

Arrival Dates/Times: On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, lodge shuttles will be available at the Nosara airport (NOB) for the short drive only 10 minutes to the lodge. Coordination of arrivals will be arranged as guests communicate their arrival times at the Nosara airport (NOB) to the Ride Director. For those arriving at either the Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) or San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) airports, scheduled minivans will be coordinated by the hotel in conjunction with the Ride Director based on the arrival times of the guests. Charges for this transport will be added to the guest's hotel bill and paid during checkout. Every attempt will be made to group guests together on these shuttles to lower the per person cost.

Departure Dates/Times: On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, departure from the lodge will be coordinated by the guests to other destinations within Costa Rica at their cost or they may be transported back to the Nosara airport (NOB) if flying out on a regional airline. Transport back to the Nosara airport (NOB) is no charge. The lodge will assist with coordinating departure transportation.

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OTHER INFORMATION

RIDING IN COSTA RICA

Rather than wasting time and energy packing and unpacking each day, worrying about making it to your destination without getting lost, etc., our fixed base riding offers out-and-back or loop rides over varying but moderate terrain, returning to our hotel in the late morning or early afternoon each day. Each ride day will begin with breakfast very early in most cases but sunrise begins about 5:15 a.m. each day with full sun at 5:30 a.m.

This is a gravel road fixed base tour with 5 riding days on mountain bike rentals. There will be very few paved roads we will be riding and most roads will be gravel. There will be some but very few single track trails we will be riding but these will lead to gravel roads. Careful consideration is being given to the design of the routes to limit elevation gains and jungle riding.

The ride rating is Moderate (less than 35 miles/56 kilometers and 1500 feet/457 meters of climbing). Due to the terrain and the routes we will take, we will ride with guides from Nosara MTB for each ride and we will ride all together. However, individuals will be free to venture out on their own but with appropriate cautions from the guides. You will have the opportunity to see Costa Rican flora and fauna up close; beautiful birds, exotic animals and very different vegetation. An example of animals you may have the opportunity to see on our rides in the Nicoya Peninsula are at Nicoya Peninsula Wildlife.

BIKE RENTAL

Bike rentals will be available from Nosara MTB and you can view available bikes on their website homepage under BIKE RENTALS. It is highly recommended you rent full suspension mountain bikes as this will provide you the most comfortable ride for the terrain we will be riding. 

Bikes rentals for the 6 day rental period will be arranged directly with the bike shop and you will make payment directly to them. The Ride Director will coordinate the rental period with Nosara MTB and we plan to accomplish this far in advance of arrival so that everyone can get the bike of their choice. Quantities are limited and bikes will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.

RIDE SUPPORT

Mentioned in RIDING IN COSTA RICA just above, we offer daily group rides for our scheduled and published ride of the day which will be detailed on our Ride Information Website for Costa Rica about 4 months prior to arrival. We will plan to all ride together with our guides from Nosara MTB to take in the extraordinary settings and surroundings in and around the jungle.

Our guides on each ride will not let anyone fall away from the group and you will not be left on your own. Although we will not have a dedicated sag vehicle, in case you get stranded on the road we will do whatever necessary to get you back safely to the hotel. We will publish a phone number list prior to trip departure in case of an emergency or if you need assistance.

A website for participants, our Ride Information Website for Costa Rica, will be available approximately 4 months before departure and will provide ride summaries, maps and opportunities for sightseeing in the area.

WEATHER

Early December in the Nosara area will have average minimum temperatures of 70 degrees F (21 °C) while the average maximum temperature will be around 90 degrees F (32 °C) with the average temperature being a pleasant 81 degrees F (27 °C).

NON-CYCLING ACTIVITIES

Non-cycling partners of our participants need not fear a lack of things to do in the area. To learn more visit Lagarta Lodge Experiences. Choose your activity and make arrangements through the lodge front desk. We will look forward to hearing about your adventures at our daily evening meeting.

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