Travel Guide Parque Nacional Rincon De La Vieja

The volcano that gave its name to the 17,000-hectare park is not the highest in the region, dominated by one of the volcanic massifs of the Cordillera de Guanacaste, which also includes Miravalles and Santa María. Its last eruptions date back to the spring of 2017. On its slopes are numerous hot springs and mud pools. By preventing water from evaporating, the dry forest that surrounds the volcanoes of the cordillera is the starting point for the many rivers that originate there. The Rincón de la Vieja Park was created in the 1970s to protect this formidable reservoir. In the forest, you can observe a multitude of orchids, including the guaria morada (national flower), and many birds, mammals and insects. Until further notice, it is no longer possible to attempt to climb the Rincón. But don't let that stop you from going to the park, because there is still plenty to see. From the guard posts of Las Pailas or Santa María, there are trails that lead to volcanic sites. Some of them, several kilometers long, go to mud pools (too hot to dive into) or thermal water at 40°C. It is necessary to stay there the whole day to enjoy it, and ideally to spend one or two nights. The hotels are several tens of kilometers apart, connected by the bad tracks that lead to the volcano, and there is no real stopover town, as it is the case of Bijagua for the Celeste river.