Find and book motorcycle tours to Costa Rica

Motorcycle Tours in Costa Rica

If jumping on a dirt bike and exploring jungles, waterfalls, canyons, and wild beaches is your idea of fun, motorcycle tours in Costa Rica are the perfect getaway. One of the safest and most developed countries in Central America, Costa Rica offers limitless off-road riding, exciting trails, and great cuisine. While most motorcycle tours in Central America involve plenty of dirt riding and rainforest experiences, Costa Rica tops them all: out here, you’ll visit coffee plantations, see volcanoes, and ride on the unspoiled wild beaches of the Pacific Ocean.

Along the way, you’ll see Costa Rica’s magnificent cloud forests and jungle brimming with wildlife. Expect to spot sea turtles, iguanas, capuchin monkeys, sloths, and crocodiles on your Costa Rica motorcycle tour, all while enjoying some serious enduro riding along the red earth trails, single track, and coastal bays. Dirt bike riding in Costa Rica is exceptional not just because of the scenery, but because the entire country is crisscrossed by dirt roads open to motorized vehicles.

Starting in San Jose where you’ll most likely fly in to, motorcycle tours in Costa Rica will take you through the heart of the country, out on the Pacific Coast, and back into the hot, humid inland. Beautiful national parks, quirky beach towns and fishing villages, and charming colonial towns make Costa Rica a great motorcycling destination. If you have the time to explore off-bike, be sure to do some hiking, soak in the natural hot springs, and take a surfing lesson in Jaco or Playa Hermosa.

Most motorcycle tours in Costa Rica offer enduro experiences aboard dirt bikes, and this is because the country cannot boast smooth tarmac or adrenaline-inducing mountain curves. While extremely tourist-friendly and well-developed, Costa Rica remains a Central American country where dirt roads are used just as much as paved highways, so be prepared for a real adventure.

Touring Costa Rica: Highlights

Essentially, most of Costa Rica’s best scenery, beaches, and jungles are located in the middle of the country. Starting in San Jose, you can explore the most iconic locations in the country, and here is what’s not to miss along the way:

Carara National Park
Situated just 30 miles West of San Jose and reaching the shores of the Pacific Ocean, Carara National Park is one of the most visited natural attractions in the country. Largely a vast green expanse of unpopulated rainforest, Carara National Park is home to hummingbirds and macaws as well as crocodiles which you can spot from the bridge over the Tarcoles River (despite the locals’s attempts to sell you frozen chicken, do not feed the crocs!). When shopping for motorcycle tours in Costa Rica, make sure they include Carara National Park in their itineraries as this green tropical paradise is a must-see.

If you’re planning a rest day or two in the Carara area, see if you can go for a hike with a local guide: this way, you’ll see much more wildlife than you would on your own.

Pacific Coast
Costa Rica boasts some of the most beautiful Pacific Coast beaches in all of Central America. And the best part is, you can ride your dirt bike on some of them feeling like a Dakar superstar: your tour guide will take you along some strips of wild beach where you can really open that throttle and go flat out. If you‘re traveling on your own, be respectful and always ask the locals whether riding on the beach is allowed.

If you‘re looking for a spot to rest up and chill for a while, most travelers recommend Playa Hermosa as the number one place for surfing, relaxing, and sunbathing. Located near a bigger beachside hub Jaco, Playa Hermosa has it all: a stunning beach, plenty of accommodation options, and lots of different restaurants and bars to cater to any taste.

Riding the Rainforest
Motorcycle tours in Costa Rica focus on riding in the rainforest for one simple reason - it’s the ultimate enduro experience: tackling muddy trails, river crossings, and steep, rocky ascents on your dirt bike while exploring the jungle is so exhilarating you’ll be coming back for more. Don’t forget to hydrate, however: the climate in Costa Rica is hot and humid, and all that dirt bike exercise is sure to leave you thirsty.

San Jose
The capital and largest city of the country, San Jose makes for a perfect basecamp for most motorcycle tours in Costa Rica. Situated right in the middle of the country, San Jose has a charming colonial Old Town and plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy. Conveniently, San Jose is located in the very heart of Costa Rica with easy access to the Carara National Park and a short distance to the Pacific Coast.

Practical Information for Costa Rica

Costa Rica enjoys sunny, warm weather year-round, and you can go on a motorcycle tour here just about any time. The rainy season in Costa Rica is from May to November, but the country has so many different microclimates and terrain you‘re unlikely to be riding in the rain the whole time. Essentially, pick a date that works best for you and go without worrying about the weather. We do recommend carrying a camelbak when you ride, however, and pack some lightweight, well-ventilated gear as you will be getting hot during the ride.

Because it has become the most popular tourist destination in Central America, Costa Rica is not a cheap place to travel. However, if you‘re going on one of the motorcycle tours in Costa Rica, most of your expenses like accommodation and fuel will most likely be covered.

Costa Rica is a very safe country to travel, especially aboard a motorcycle. However, just like anywhere else in the world, some areas are sketchier than others, so use common sense, don‘t wander into the shadier parts of town at night, and chances are, you‘ll be just fine.

Because Costa Rica is nothing short of an enduro paradise, a lightweight dirt bike will be ideal for this country. Large-capacity road or adventure motorcycles will be wasted here, as most motorcycle tours in Costa Rica focus on riding dirt and having ridiculous fun on those notorious jungle trails. A 250-450 cc dirt bike will be perfect for this country and the trails it offers.