A new video, a new country! I'm in Costa Rica! With hundreds of miles of gravel roads, secluded beaches, tropical rainforests and wildlife galore, it's no surprise that Nicoya is Costa Rica's crown jewel. I cycled and camped here for a week. Besides, I spent a lot of time hoping for it to get dry, because it's the rainy season here in this tropical paradise. It has been quite some time since I was able to cycle on, or at least close to, the beach. And I missed it, because with such a beautiful view you can't help but enjoy.

During my journey I have to cross two rivers. That is quite a thing, because there is no bridge and the rivers have to deal with the ebb and flow of the sea. Long story short, I only have one hour to get to the river. Otherwise it will be too deep and I will have to wait another day. Since I'm going to cycle on the beach, I decide to ride on a lower tire pressure. Due to this low tire pressure you can easily drive on the sand and you ensure that you have more rolling resistance, so you also get more grip and are less likely to get stuck in the sand. Fortunately I make it in time and can easily cross the river, which is only 50cm deep at the moment.

I thought the roads in Peru were steep, but the roads in Costa Rica are even steeper! According to other adventurers who have cycled through the countries I also pass, Costa Rica is the country with the steepest roads. Fortunately, they are passable and I can often continue to drive.

A few days later I arrive at another river that I would have to cross. But upon arrival I see it immediately… There is no chance that I can cross this river. I think this river is currently two to four meters deep, so crossing it is not an option. Unfortunately, this is a risk of cycling during the rainy season. So it is a long detour. Some time later I arrive at the river of which I am not sure how deep it will be. After a jump in the water I find out that it is about a meter deep, but with a strong current. All in all, I'm going to make it through here!

After an overnight stay, I decide to go on a small discovery tour the next day. I'll leave my stuff and tent behind for now. The chance is very small that someone will find my camping spot. Finally I found a trail that someone made because the "normal" trail is full of deep mud puddles. I follow the trail that is perfect in the end. Here I can drive at speed and I make a lot of kilometers in a short time. At a certain point I notice that I actually have to stop to put up my tent, but I'm on the road so well that I decide to drive through the evening. Later that evening I immediately regret it, because it is raining hard and I haven't set up a tent yet. Since I'm driving uphill, I also have to deal with the fact that finding a place for my tent is very difficult.

The next day I go on a nature walk. Apparently not many people come here as there are really cobwebs everywhere. Luckily that doesn't matter much to me. The best thing about being in nature is that it reduces stress, improves your cognitive functioning and also improves your mood. My tip to everyone is to be outside as much as possible.

When I look back on my time in Nicoya in Costa Rica I am very satisfied with it. In particular, it was a lot of time in the jungle and driving past farms, so the view was never boring. The road conditions are very good and I was able to drive a lot, which was of course very nice. A minus was the rainy season, but I think September is the perfect period for cycling in Costa Rica.