Today, Zwift rolled out its newest addition to Watopia, introducing us to the Southern Coast. It’s a corridor of virtual roads that links Fuego Flats with the Mayan Jungle and offers a whole new virtual world along the southern parts of Watopia’s coastline.
The Southern Coast route is 19 kilometers (about 11.8 miles for those of us stateside), offering a blend of landscapes from captivating coastlines to densely forested Evergreen.
HOW TO RIDE THE SOUTHERN COAST
This route is part of Zwift’s 1.51 game update. As always, updates roll out in phases, so keep an eye out for it on your start-up screen. Once you’re in, you’ll find the Southern Coast under the ‘Routes’ tab.
The Southern coastline is a level-locked route, however, all Zwifters will have access to the new coastal route during the fifth stage of the Tour of Watopia that is going to start on October 30th.
So After the Tour event is over, any Zwift user who has reached level 10 or higher will be able to access the new Southern Coast route. So, in a nutshell: Some people will get access early, everyone else can try it out during the “fifth stage of the Tour of Watopia,”, and if you’re level 10 or above, you’ll get permanent access after the event and you will be able to select the route.
ROUTE DETAILS
The Southern Coast is largely flat but has four new sprint segments to kick up the adrenaline. The update has eight more routes, ranging from 6 km to 48 km, that combine both new and existing roads.
Starting at Fuego Flats, you’ll first hit Googie Springs, a fishing village with a place called Cranky’s Crab Shack. Great spot to pretend to grab a snack. Next, you’ll cycle through the Evergreen Coast, which is basically a dense forest next to a rocky shoreline.
After that, you’ll roll into Ciudad La Cumbre. This colorful town sits right at the bottom of the Epic KOM hill and you can only get there through tunnels from both sides. Keep going and you’ll find Sandy Coast, a Mayan-themed area. Finally, the road wraps up at the Mayan Passage, linking you back to the Mayan Jungle. So, you’ve got a bit of everything: fishing village, forest, small town, Mayan community, and a jungle connection. All in one ride.
New Routes:
- Coast Crusher: 34 km (approx. 21.1 miles) with 172 meters (approx. 564.3 feet) of ascent.
- The Big Ring: 48 km (approx. 29.8 miles) with 268 meters (approx. 879.9 feet) of ascent.
- Accelerate to Elevate: 41 km (approx. 25.5 miles) with 1,152 meters (approx. 3779.5 feet) of ascent.
- Shorelines and Summits: 46 km (approx. 28.6 miles) with 776 meters (approx. 2545.9 feet) of ascent.
- Sugar Cookie: 33 km (approx. 20.5 miles) with 250 meters (approx. 820.2 feet) of ascent.
- Going Coastal: 16 km (approx. 9.9 miles) with 63 meters (approx. 206.7 feet) of ascent.
- Temple Trek: 6 km (approx. 3.7 miles) with 25 meters (approx. 82.0 feet) of ascent.
- Canopies and Coastlines: 22 km (approx. 13.7 miles) with 124 meters (approx. 406.8 feet) of ascent.
THE FUTURE
Zwift says they plan on using this new expansion as a backbone for even more new routes. Think of it like a new highway that’s going to have more exits and destinations added down the road.
