Located in the north of Costa Rica, Rincon de la Vieja National Park stretches some 25 km northeast of the town of Liberia, capital of Guanacaste province. Its 14,000 hectares are made up of 9 active craters, where you can enjoy exceptional views of Lake Nicaragua (to the north), the Pacific (to the west) and the plains of Guanacaste.

To do at Rincon de la Vieja

It can be visited on foot, with the option of choosing an itinerary depending on how long you wish to walk. Numerous excursions of 2 to 8 hours’ walk, depending on your courage, will enable you to discover the flora and fauna of this isolated region. The ascent is the longest hike and requires good physical condition.

You can also enjoy the thermal waters, as the volcano’s activity is characterized by pools of sulphurous bubbling water and mud, fumaroles and geysers releasing gas and steam.

The park setting

The forest at Rincon de la Vieja is home to some 300 species of birds, as well as mammals such as white-tailed deer, armadillos, tapirs, peccaries, anteaters, iguanas, coatis and (although difficult to observe) superb ocelots, pumas and jaguars. The park is also rich in orchids, bromeliads and epiphytes.

Straddling the Cordillera, the park benefits from several climates, including a Pacific influence with dry tropical forests, a Caribbean influence with humid forests and, in between, the cloud forest. Primary and secondary forests are found in the Las Pailas and Santa Maria sectors.

The best time to visit Rincon de la Vieja Park is from November to February (from March to May the vegetation is burnt) and from late June to late August.