Camino de Costa Rica Stage 4
Stage 4
Stage 4 starting kilometer: 81.8 KM
Stage 4 ending kilometer: 88.2 KM
Total distance: 6.4 kilometers
Total elevation gain: 441 meters
Total elevation loss: 271 meters
Mar a Mar rating: Intermediate
Stage 4 is 6.4 km (4 miles) and picks up right where Stage 3 leaves off, which is why most hikers combine the two. Leaving the Cabécar settlement of Tsiobata, the trail heads west and drops steeply through the jungle, a 1.2 km descent to the Pacuare River.
The Pacuare is a major river and often runs too high to cross on foot. Hikers use a hand-operated cable car to get across the river. You and your guide pull the basket across on a rope looped through pulleys on the overhead cable. Once you're across, leave the basket unhooked so the next hikers can pull it back over.
On the far side, the trail climbs into Ganadería Tres Equis, a working ranch that raises aggressive breeding and sporting bulls. Your guide knows how these animals behave and how to move you through safely; stay close and follow their lead. Past the ranch, the trail reaches the entrance to Finca Tres Equis, the end of the stage and the point where you'll say goodbye to the guide who got you through Stages 3 and 4.
Stage 4 lodging
- Rio Vista Lodge | 83.6 kilometers
- Casa de Eric y Fer | 88.1 kilometers
- Finca Tres Equis | 88.1 kilometers
- Rancho de Cucho | 89.8 kilometers
- Cabañas el Paso del Viento | 90.1 kilometers
- Pacuare Mountain Lodge | 91 kilometers