This is Costa Rica beyond the tourist trail, where misty jungle rivers, volcanic peaks and red-dirt backroads come together in one extraordinary challenge.

Starting on the Caribbean coast, we dip our wheels in the sea before pedalling west across the country. Over eight days, we ride through dense rainforest, past banana and pineapple farms, along the shores of Lake Arenal, and over the Continental Divide. The route is varied and tough in places, but the scenery is truly spectacular, offering rainforest canopies, crater lakes, and volcanic heat pools along the way.

We finish with a long descent to Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast, where a final celebration marks the end of this coast-to-coast triumph.

Rated 4/5 for difficulty, this challenge has varying terrain and environments. You will experience the humid rainforest of the east, the cooler volcano region, and the dry heat of the west. This is a 6 day cycle but with a reduced millage to cover each day to balance some of the climbs you will take on. This is a challenge but accessible to anyone of any base level who will train in the lead up to the challenge.