Coffee and wheels
Off-road riding in Costa Rica
Depending on your age, Costa Rica either means quality coffee or a top tourist location that is on the list of those 100 places to visit before you die. In motorcycling terms, it's probably not on the list at all, unless you are seriously into dirt riding!
It really should be though as it offers a diversity not found elsewhere, along with a freedom and friendliness sadly lacking in far more accessible locations, like Great Britain! Imagine waking up on the side of a volcano in the morning and riding up to the top to watch it bubble away and then bathing in a warm Pacific Ocean in the afternoon after a good days ride on some spectacular and challenging motorcycling roads.
Easily achievable in Costa Rica, as is some serious off-road riding on tracks that vary from hard packed flat trails, to some that would challenge the likes of an off-road world champion like David Knight. Add to that the fact there is no such thing as an illegal trail, then for the dirt rider it is almost motorcycle heaven.
Costa Rica is in South America and sits between Nicaragua and Panama. The oldest democracy in Central America, it has had no armed forces since 1949. The country is bisected by high mountains running north to south and this intermountain region has numerous volcanoes - mostly dormant. The Arenal Volcano however, is moderately active and is a favourite spot to see mild volcanic eruptions daily.
There are extensive rainforests, volcanoes, and rivers travelling through the mountains, beaches and natural resources safeguarded by an important organisation of national parks and forest reserves, but all accessible and rideable on a motorcycle.
Larry Larrabure is a Peruvian who lives and plays in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. Although a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, he first went there in 1988 for a surfing trip and fell in love with the country, moving there permanently in 1991.
For a few years he travelled the world, entering a series of Enduro races including the ISDE in 1991. He then returned and met the local Costa Rican Husqvarana distributor and proposed the idea of providing tourists with a different twist to getting to see Costa Rica - by motorcycle. So 'Motoadventures' opened for business in 1991 and enjoys great success.
Honda XR400's are used for the off road section of the business, with KTM 640's being used for the 'new' road tours.
Motoadventures has over the years established itself as "THE" Enduro motorcycle tour that any off-road motorcycle enthusiast "MUST" take before passing under the final chequered flag. Many well known riders and celebrities have enjoyed their visit there, including none other than Kevin Schwantz and Jeff Emig and they have enjoyed extensive media coverage, both in magazines and TV coverage.
The formula is much the same as many other similar operations across the world. Fly in with just your crash helmet and favourite riding kit, (unless you are happy to use the kit provided), jump on the bike and follow your guide out. All you have to do is just enjoy yourself, the accommodation, food stops etc are all taken care of. When you have had enough, just pack your bags and go home.
You can do as many days as you like on a full organised tour of up to a week long, or you can do the odd day if you are in the area on holiday. Larry can accommodate virtually any request thanks to the flexibility of the now well established operation.
However, Larry has now realised that up to now the emphasis has been on the off-road side of things, which has maybe deterred road riders from experiencing the delights of Costa Rica.
So he has now purchased a fleet of KTM's to go with the Honda's and worked out a series of routes that will enable the road rider the chance to see some of the same scenery that they would get to view on the dirt bike tours without the sweat and requisite skill levels. Thanks to the infrastructure of the road system, the days can still be filled with stunning scenery, challenging roads, local places of interest, while still ending up in the same remote locations you would if you used the trails. No need therefore to have the skill to ride off-road, feel intimidated or put off from exploring this stunning country.
To find out about the whole operation, I packed a good book and spent a day flying into the capital San Jose and the base of the operation, less than half and hour from the airport. In an effort to fully assess the operation the idea was to spend three days on road and two off with a days white water rafting thrown in between.
One book down and a relatively timely flight saw Larry pick me up at the airport and take me to see the bikes and equipment store that resides below his house. After a good night's sleep and a leisurely breakfast I met Pablo Fernandez one of Larry's regular guides who was joining us for the week's ride.
Pablo is a native Costa Rican in his 30's who eats, sleeps and breathes all forms moto-adventure sports. In addition, like Larry, he has a very impressive competition history with a few championships under his belt.
For the first day it was out on the KTMs with enough kit to satisfy our needs for a few days away. Normally a back-up truck would take all of this plus spares, but for our small party it was not really necessary. Out through the congested city, the KTM with its high seat height was ideal, giving good visibility to allow good forward planning, which was very necessary when the drivers (not the best!) decided to change direction without warning!
The route took us on mainly tarmac roads through Cartago the original capital and then on through some more remote villages. The black-top soon disappeared to be replaced with hard packed gravel as we headed out towards a seeming wilderness.
Suddenly when you thought you had gone beyond civilisation, there was a hanging bridge crossing the Pacuare River, which according to Larry was built in the early 1900's.
Just as the road ended totally, we turned into the Albergue Hacienda at Moravia de Chirripo a totally isolated and picturesque establishment right in the heart of Moravia Valley and in the middle of the Indian reservation where we had lunch.
We retraced some of our route as we headed back towards the central mountain range and towards our evening stop at the Turrialba Lodge on the side of the volcano by the same name.
The idea was to go straight to the top, but the temperature had dropped and the weather was closing in, so we went straight for the warmth of the lodge and an excellent home cooked meal. The morning saw the sun shining which made the ride to the top in the sulphur laden air a much more pleasant experience.
After descending the easy single track trails through old pine tree forests and cloud forests, it was onto visit the Irazu volcano a slightly more active one just along the range. After a coffee stop, it was a complete drop down into warmer temperatures on a tortuous route through the coffee plantations, towards the Pacific Ocean and our evening stop.
What was amazing was Larry's almost 'Sat Nav' route finding ability when there were no signs or any indication as to where the next town or village was. All of a sudden there would be a small bar for a personal stop or a petrol station, just when you thought you could be running low.
Tarmac roads and hard packed trails continually swapped places and it was not unusual to find a large lorry coming towards you on what you might have believed was a small trail, indicating in fact it was a main road!
By the end of the day we had made the Best Western Hotel at Jaco Beach which is right on the beach abutting the Pacific. A quick dip soon refreshed us prior to a trip into town for a meal. This is the closest you actually get to any real tourist areas and on the off-road tour provides a free day to recuperate on the beach.
The following day saw us ride along the coast before heading back towards base at San Jose on a mixture of tracks and roads. No matter where we were nobody seemed to take much notice of the bikes and when they did it was to give friendly waves. Stops were always at small cafes in villages where the service and food was excellent.
The Ticos, as Costa Ricans are commonly known, are famous for their hospitality. They are well-educated and hard working people, who are quick with a handshake and a smile to welcome you.
The mixture of roads and tracks make the KTM an ideal tool for the job with the long travel suspension dealing with the irregularities of the roads and tracks, providing a comfortable ride. When the roads deteriorate the bikes take it all in their stride, and the big singles never get out of hand as would happen with some more potent machines.
At the end of the day the bikes were ideal, inspiring confidence and the going was well within the capabilities of any road based motorcyclist.
The following day was a day of white water rafting, one of the many activities that can be arranged as part of the deal to give you a break from riding and give you a chance to try out something new.
So after a day cooling in the river it was a change of machine to the Honda XR400 and a chance to experience some of the proper trails and tracks that cross the whole landmass.
In fact we were onto the first of these within a mile of Larry's base, which took us quickly up into the hills and on towards the coffee plantations. Climbs seemed to zig-zag vertically in very short spaces, climbing hundreds of feet in minutes.
While there were some pretty standard, level trails, there were plenty of tracks that provide good training for those wanting to raise their standard of riding or practice for an ISDE. Certainly Larry and Pablo are up to the task of guiding up to those levels as well as keeping the pace as hot as any client may want!
After a day playing in the hills, the evening stop was at the Altavista, a hotel like complex on a mountain range to the south, which has views across to San Jose and the central range of mountains beyond. Dinner in the panoramic restaurant at night has to be experienced to be believed.
After a leisurely breakfast it was more riding through the trails in a circuitous route on the way back to base. Given the terrain I must agree the Honda is probably one of the best bikes for the job, especially given the large number of riders of all standards that use it.
So in a week I had managed to experience the entire Motoadventures package, stayed at all of their range of accommodation and enjoyed their hospitality. Can I fault it? Well, the answer is easy, No!
Service, machine standards, routes, accommodation all are first class. All tour riders are top notch and capable of running with the best as well as nursing novices along and there are no language problems.
What I would suggest is that you consider adding on a beach holiday at the end in one of the more touristy areas to make the long haul worthwhile, or do another week. Larry has so many routes you will never get bored!
What ever options you chose David Grist at HC Travel (the UK agent) can take care of all your travel requirements. www.hctravel.com
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