Kostarika

Costa Rica rewards cyclists who like their gradients honest and their scenery lush. With four catalogued climbs reaching as high as 1,860 metres, this is a place where a single afternoon can deliver a genuine test of legs and lungs. None of the ascents here carry an hors catégorie rating, which makes the country an inviting proving ground: challenging enough to earn the view from the top, yet approachable enough to tackle without needing a Grand Tour pedigree.

The marquee efforts give the region its character. Alto del Común and Alto del Palo de Campana headline the list, while Alto de la Granadilla and Alto de los Coto round out a quartet worth building a trip around. Ride them back to back and you get a compact but varied sampler of what Costa Rican climbing has to offer, each summit a reason to keep turning the pedals.