Camino de los Mayas

This opening section of the Path of the Jaguar begins in San José, Costa Rica's capital. Riders head west to the Gulf of Nicoya, then climb into the cloud forest of Monteverde for a rest day, with time to walk among the misty treetops looking for the elusive, beautiful quetzal. The route continues through Costa Rica's rolling green hills and across the border into Nicaragua, reaching the stunning beach at San Juan del Sur.

A rest day in Granada lets riders explore its colonial architecture on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, with a night-time visit to the fiery Volcán Masaya. The route then passes León, Nicaragua's cultural capital, to the Pacific coast, where bikes are loaded onto a boat for the transfer to El Tigre Island in Honduras. Here a rest day offers nothing more demanding than lying back and enjoying the island's sleepy atmosphere and ocean views.

Another boat ride brings riders to the mainland in El Salvador, and a few days of cycling past farmers' fields leads to a rest day on the gorgeous beach at El Tunco. From there the route crosses into Guatemala, finishing on the scenic cobblestone streets of colonial Antigua. Riders continuing on can join the second section, Aventura Azteca, to complete the full Path of the Jaguar to Mexico City.

Highlights: The Monteverde cloud forest and its quetzals Colonial Granada, Lake Nicaragua and Volcán Masaya by night León, Nicaragua's cultural capital Boat transfer to sleepy El Tigre Island, Honduras El Tunco beach, El Salvador Finish in colonial Antigua, Guatemala

Surface and terrain:
1–5% unpaved, so mostly sealed roads. Rolling green hills, a sustained climb to Monteverde, flat Pacific lowlands through Nicaragua and El Salvador, and climbing into the Guatemalan highlands to finish.

Likely weather:
Typically the start of the dry season. Expect hot, humid lowlands and beaches at around 28–33°C, cooler and sometimes misty in Monteverde, and pleasant days of about 22–25°C in Antigua with cool evenings.

Suitable for:
Fit, adventurous riders comfortable averaging around 90km a day in hot conditions with some significant climbs, who enjoy a mix of nature, beaches and colonial culture. Adventure category, 3.5/5 difficulty.