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FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!

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Mountain Biking & Bikes For Rent In La Fortuna (Costa Rica)

Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)


Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Costa Rica Travel Consulting Nikki Solano


Bikes for rent in La Fortuna
Bikes for rent in La Fortuna

La Fortuna is fortunately home to more things to do than any other location in Costa Rica. Mountain biking tours are widely available – some include trips around the volcano, to Arenal Lake, and all the way to Monteverde, while both paved road and unpaved road options are available. Mountain biking tours can also be combined with other popular activities, made famous by a well-known mountain biking / lake kayaking combo tour.

La Fortuna Bikes for rent at Ciro’s

For those who would prefer to roam around town and explore their own areas, who are strapped to a tight budget, and/or who are simply not interested in a guided biking tour, you’re in luck. La Fortuna has a few different places where bikes are available for rent. If you are someone like my husband or I – who could care less about the quality of the bike as long as it fit and ran smoothly – try Ciro’s. This shop is a general store meets souvenir stand meets turnkey desk, offering everything from internet service, t-shirts, umbrellas, refreshments, pay-by-the-piece candy, and of course, mountain bikes. It can be found in the eastern part of town (opposite the volcano along the main street) directly across from the high school. The price was right – about $1 per bike per hour (ride first, pay later). You’ll also likely meet Andres – the friendly and English-speaking shop owner – as well as his sitting dog that is most often found behind the counter.

Ricky – Biking to the Waterfall

On Ricky and I’s most recent biking trip we picked up two bikes at Ciro’s and headed through downtown on the road to San Ramon. We took a right following the signs to the La Fortuna waterfall and rode to the entrance. Although this route has forever been a bumpy one, recent construction has made it a much nicer ride. From the waterfall, we recommend heading back along the same road, however instead of turning left to return to La Fortuna, instead turn right. Soon after you will come to a small bridge, under which is “El Salto” – a small swimming hole where you can relax and cool off before returning to town. For more information about El Salto, you can read a related post Free Local Swimming Hole & Tarzan Swing in La Fortuna/Arenal (El Salto).

Nikki – Biking to the Waterfall

*Discounts for mountain biking tours are available through Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated at: http://www.puravidaeh.ca/

samaramountainbike

Click here to access discounts for Mountain Biking Tours

_________________________________________________________________

QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: If mountain bikes are available to rent, would you prefer to spend more on a higher quality bike? Or rent a basic one and pocket the cost difference?

Pura vida!



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Viewing 4 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
  • #196385
    Costa Rica MTB
    Guest

    personally I would prefer to pay a little bit more for a more quality bike. For me if I have already spent a couple grand buying plane tickets, rental cars, and paying for activities, I don’t want to save $15 and have to possibly fix a busted up bicycle. Maybe that wouldn’t happen but to me its not worth that little in savings. True with a family or people who travel more…every little bit of saving might make a big difference. Great posts. Love La Fortuna!

  • #196386
    GR
    Guest

    I would not rent these bikes. They may have once resembled bikes but are now in horrid condition. We rented two for a trip to the waterfall. The brakes were heavily worn and provided almost no stopping power. The gear transmission wire snapped on my bike and was stuck in a high gear. We spent more time walking the bikes rather than riding them.

  • #196387
    ,Nikki Solano
    Keymaster

    GR –
    Thanks so much for reporting back! Yikes! Sounds like your experience was a lot different than ours. 🙁 That being said, we wrote the above post in 2011 so it is very possible that the bikes have significantly deteriorated in condition since then (especially if the same exact bikes are being rented out after all that time!). There are a number of places bikes can be rented from in La Fortuna (and in other popular towns throughout the country), so I suppose the best advice is for travellers to inspect any bike they opt to rent (regardless of where it is rented from) to best prepare for a safe, enjoyable, and problem-free ride! 🙂
    Pura vida!

    Owner of the Costa Rica Travel Blog • CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts) • Creator of DIY Costa Rica, the Costa Rica Destination Tool, the Costa Rica Recommendations Map and the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course • Author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, and 2023) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022) • “Travel Blogger of the Year 2020 – Costa Rica” (LUX Life Magazine) • Happy wife of a proud Costa Rican ❤️️
    Want custom, private, one-on-one Costa Rica trip-planning help? Book an appointment with Nikki here.
  • #196388
    Maya
    Guest

    UPDATE: Ciro’s no longer rent bikes for 1$/1h, it is for 2$/1h or 10$ for a day – many of the places in town have the same price and better bikes

  • #196389
    Maya
    Guest

    UPDATE: Ciro’s no longer rent bikes for 1$/1h, it is for 2$/1h or 10$ for a day – many of the places in town have the same price and better bikes

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