Cycling Latin America: Where To Begin?
Latin America represents the final frontier in adventure cycling. The planet’s longest mountain range, largest jungle, driest desert, biggest salt flat, widest street, highest waterfall, tallest volcano – they’re all here, daring you to explore them. But where do you begin? Well, it depends on how much time you have. Keep in mind, environmental factors […]
Argentina: The Highs And Lows
Many cyclists end their Latin American tours in Ushuaia, Argentina’s (and the world’s) southernmost city. But Ushuaia’s popularity among adventure cyclists is based solely on its location. If it were in the middle of the pampas I’d wager they wouldn’t make any special effort to visit it. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with visiting Ushuaia, […]
Bolivia: The Land They Forgot To Pave
Locked in by land, walled in by mountains, hidden both above the clouds and below the jungle canopy; simply getting to Bolivia by bicycle is an adventure. If you’ve been covering ground quickly up till now, this is where your pace will drop. Bolivia begins where the asphalt ends. Because most cyclists are on a […]
Brazil: Bypassed Behemoth
Half of South America is Brazil. It borders all but two of South America’s nations. It has the continent’s biggest coastline, biggest river, biggest forest, most biodiversity, and largest and most-diverse population. Within Latin America, only Mexico can rival Brazil’s geographical and cultural range. So why do so many cyclists skip it? Partly, it’s geography. […]
Chile: Latin America’s Lumbar
West to east, you could ride across Chile in a day. East to west, you could do it in an afternoon. If you want to cycle Chile north to south, however, you’ll need about half a year. Everyone loves to describe Chile’s unusual outline; it’s a sliver, or a ribbon, or a string bean, or […]
Colombia: Middle Earth
In the very middle of Latin America sits Colombia, the country that best encapsulates the spirit of the entire continent. It’s the only South American state with coasts on both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the only one connected by land to Central America. It’s an Andean nation, an Amazonian nation, a Caribbean nation, […]
Costa Rica: Back To Nature
If the intensity of cycling through northern Central America has left you feeling a little on edge, Costa Rica is where you can relax again. You feel the calm returning the moment you cross the border. Detractors criticize Costa Rica for its lack of pre-Colombian culture and surplus of tourists. They cite real estate signs […]
Cuba: Riding ‘Round The Rules
Cuba is bigger than you might think. You’ll likely use all three months of your visa if you ride the whole island. And I recommend you do because Cuba is like no other country in Latin America – or the world for that matter. But the Cuba you’ll experience as a bicycle traveller isn’t the […]
Dominican Republic: Visited By Many, Seen By Few
Although an estimated four million foreigners visit the Dominican Republic each year, most never venture beyond the walls of their all-inclusive beach resorts (the notable exception is the Samaná Peninsula, swiftly developing in the areas of whale-watching, extreme sports, and ex-pat real estate). As a cyclist, however, you’ll mostly have the country to yourself. The […]
Ecuador: Friendly, Familiar
Ecuador is a favourite starting point for many first-time South American travellers. It’s small and easy to get around in. It has Andean culture and colonial architecture. It uses the US dollar as its currency. It’s the gateway to the Galapagos Islands. It also has a reputation for being a relatively peaceful country, used to […]