{"id":48384,"date":"2026-05-21T07:06:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T06:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=48384"},"modified":"2026-05-20T16:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T15:22:32","slug":"costa-rica-coast-to-coast-over-the-continental-divide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/2026\/05\/costa-rica-coast-to-coast-over-the-continental-divide\/","title":{"rendered":"Costa Rica Coast to Coast \u2013 Over the Continental Divide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today was the day we tackled the Continental Divide, billed as the big day of our Costa Rica Coast to Coast adventure. All of the reviews and anecdotal stories suggested that the climb on the bike would be really tough. From what I\u2019d heard, everyone had to get off and push at some stage as it was steep, and the 14 km climb was what broke many people. The van would be close by for those who couldn\u2019t make it, but with a small group of just four of us I was fairly certain it wouldn\u2019t be needed. We were on mountain bikes, the climb itself was on the road, so the surface should be fine. And how steep could it actually get?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had breakfast at the hotel and then got onto our bikes with some trepidation. I was fairly certain by now that I was the strongest of the group on the bike, so had the least to worry about, but maybe the others had been sandbagging. In many ways I was actually looking forward to it. Up until now everything had been really easy. Maybe today was about to test me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climbing to the Continental Divide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We left the town of Santa Maria behind and were soon on the long climb. It was on a busy road, but early in the morning, so although there were numerous cars and trucks trundling past, it wasn\u2019t too busy and most gave us a wide enough berth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I settled into a very easy rhythm. I was barely putting any force through the pedals, just turning them lightly and going as slowly as I could, always keeping plenty in reserve for when the going got tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the lack of effort, I soon left the others behind and found myself pootling along up the hill on my own. I was able to take in the view as I went, look out for the elusive sloth in the trees, and enjoy the peace and solitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon the road started to tighten into a series of bends as it wound its way up the hill. As well as the heat and humidity of Costa Rica, we were also entering elevations above 2,000 m, where altitude can also have an effect on performance. I was aware of all these factors, so continued to keep the effort reined in, ready for the steep parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I dropped my chain on one of the bends, so stopped to fix it. From my vantage point I had a good view back down the hill but could see no sign of the others. I continued on alone, and at a slightly levelling section of the climb I came across Memo with the van and trailer. I stopped to top up my water and wait for the others.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Rest<\/a>
Rest Stop in the Shade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So far so good, there had been no steep sections yet. We were now at around 2,000 m and I had left the others far behind without putting in any real effort. Memo seemed quite surprised to see me already, and I had quite a long wait sitting in the shade before the others arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memo and I also spotted a motmot in the trees across the road. I hadn\u2019t seen one before, but it\u2019s the national bird of Nicaragua, known for its turquoise, green, rust, and black plumage and its distinctive racket-shaped tail feathers. Unfortunately, it was too far away to get a decent photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The others eventually arrived looking a little tired. Most, if not all of them, had indeed been off their bikes and pushing at points on the climb. It was quite reassuring, therefore, that I had found it so easy so far. We sat in the shade for a while before setting off again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again I left them behind immediately and settled into another steady solo climb. It never really did get difficult or steep. I arrived at the top at just over 2,300 m feeling fresh and barely warmed up. Had I known it wasn\u2019t going to get properly steep, I may have put in a little more effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pan American Highway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the top, the road intersected with the Pan American Highway. It was very busy here, with huge, noisy trucks thundering past, belching fumes as they climbed towards the pass or descended away from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some were stopping at the same caf\u00e9 we were heading to for our second breakfast. Doty told us to go in and choose whatever we wanted, it was all already paid for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was almost too much choice: every kind of food you could imagine, plus plenty of things we couldn\u2019t identify, all served with the usual rice and beans. I had an omelette and some deep-fried items, along with salad, rice, and beans, all washed down with some fresh fruit juice of unknown variety. There was a shop selling all sorts of goodies within the caf\u00e9 too.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Goodies<\/a>
Goodies Galore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We had a discussion about the Pan American Highway, which is classed as the world\u2019s longest motorable road network, spanning roughly 19,000 miles (30,000 km) from Alaska to southern Argentina. It is not a single continuous road, but a vast connected system spanning 14 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I questioned this slightly, as I knew there is a major break known as the Dari\u00e9n Gap between Panama and Colombia, a 60-mile stretch of dense jungle and mountainous terrain where no road exists for environmental, political, and safety reasons. Vehicles must be shipped around it. I wasn\u2019t entirely sure how the route still qualifies as a single continuous highway given that gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After filling our tummies, we joined the Pan American Highway ourselves for a fast descent on smooth, sweeping bends before turning off onto a smaller, much quieter road that eventually became a track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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