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How to get there Canada’s major airlines fly direct from Toronto to Liberia. From here, you can cycle clockwise or counterclockwise around the Nicoya.

When to go The best months for cycling Nicoya are January to March. During this time, the rainy season is a distant memory, which means river crossings are much more manageable. The trade-off is that certain roads become very dusty.

The Nicoya is not a place where you’re going to pound out 100-km days. Rough roads, hot temps and sightseeing will work against your distance goals. Ideally, you should set aside about two weeks to make a full loop.

What to bring There are not a lot of options for multi-day bike rentals: you should bring your own ride from home. You can go with traditional panniers or set yourself up bikepacking style with frame bags. Be sure to run tires that are 2.1" or wider with some grip.

Where to stay Accommodation options include expensive hotels, budget-friendly cabinas (family-owned guest houses) and free camping on the beach.

Where to eat Family-run restaurants called sodas are your best bet for reasonably priced calories. Nearly every midsize town has at least one. Also, you’re never too far from small grocery stores where you can get a cold drink, ice cream or food supplies for self-catering.

How to find your way Paper maps won’t be very helpful for navigating around the Nicoya. We used Ride with gps to plot the roads and trails we wanted to take, and then uploaded the routes to our head units. To see our 420-km Nicoya loop, head to my Ride with gps profile, mkadey, and search Routes and Rides for “Nicoya.”