Curubande de Liberia is a small rural village near the Rincon de la Vieja National Park with plenty of adventure and nature, thanks to the spectacular rivers originating from the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano.
These rivers, particularly the Rio Blanco, create the perfect off the beaten path outdoor playground with its waterfalls, river pools and small rapids.
If you’re looking for something different than the beach, Curubande is one of the best places for a day trip from Tamarindo, Playas del Coco, Papagayo Peninsula, Flamingo and Conchal.
In this post, we’ll help you plan the perfect day trip to Curubande with our personal tips and recommendations.
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How to Get to Curubande de Liberia
The best way to get to Curubande is by rental car because it’s a very small community. None of the private adventure parks or Rincon de la Vieja National Park have a direct public bus.
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Guanacaste Airport to Curubande is only a 40 minute drive (26 kilometers/16 miles).
Curubande is about a 1 hour and 45 minute drive from Tamarindo and a 1 hour drive from Playas del Coco.
4×4 required?
It depends on where you are going in Curubande. The road from Liberia to Curubande is completely paved.
If you’re staying at hotels like Hacienda Guachipelin or Cañon de la Vieja Lodge, you don’t need a 4×4 as they’re off the main road.
However, if you’re visiting one of the small private farms, it is required to have a 4wd/4×4 the in rainy season. A high clearance 2wd SUV can work in the dry season.
Curubande de Liberia Town
Curubande is a tiny town with only about 3000 year round inhabitants. There is a small town center with a couple restaurants, convenience stores and the main park.
If you need to get water or snacks, we usually stop at the Mini Super & Licorera Rincon de la Vieja (Supermercado Guevara).
Along the road, you’ll see lots of local houses around. It’s a great way to see what the small rural farming towns in Guanacaste are like.
Curubande Weather
Curubande is very hot and experiences typical tropical climate with dry and rainy seasons.
This area is home to tropical dry forest thanks to the arid climate.
In the dry season months of December – April, temperatures range from 85° to 96° F (29° C to 36° C) during the day with March and April as the hottest months.
Rainy season which is May – November has similar temperatures but with more humidity. October is generally the rainiest month.
Things to Do in Curubande de Liberia
The most popular things to do in Curubande are hot springs, hiking and waterfalls.
Below are our recommendations for best things to do in Curubande.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
Rincon de la Vieja National Park is one of our favorite national parks in Costa Rica. It has two sections: Las Pailas and Santa Maria sector, both of which offer excellent hiking.
Las Pailas sector: Best for a short hike. The 1 kilometer trail goes around the “boiling mud pots” directly from the volcano. There is also a seasonal waterfall.
Catarata La Cangreja: One of our favorite waterfall hikes in Costa Rica. It is about 8 kilometers total (5 miles) through the tropical dry forest, ending at a small turquoise colored waterfall. Also in Las Pailas Sector.
Read about Las Pailas and Catarata La Cangreja in our Rincon de la Vieja National Park post.
In the Santa Maria sector, there is a really nice hike that goes to some natural pools where you can take a dip.
Catarata La Leona and Rio Blanco
If you’re looking for an exciting waterfall hike, then a visit to Catarata La Leona is a MUST.
This is definitely an activity for adventurers and those in good shape only as you have to cross rivers, swim and climb through canyons and hike on natural paths and rocks.
This river has a spectacular blue color due to the sulfur in the water as it originates from the volcano. It is so beautiful!
Catarata La Leona is definitely one of the most adventurous and natural hikes we’ve done in Costa Rica.
We highly recommend it for anyone looking for a more adventurous outdoor adventure. The blue river is absolutely beautiful to see!
Pozas (Natural River Pools)
Although the two main rivers, the Rio Colorado and Rio Blanco run through the private properties, there are a couple of public pools that anyone can go to.
Rio Blanco has a gorgeous blue color as you can see in the photo below.
There are pools like Poza La Pipa, Pozas Los Coyotes and the Finca Don Rafas also has natural pools (for an entrance fee).
Waterfalls
There are a handful of nice waterfalls you can visit in Curubande.
A popular one is the Catarata Oropendola, located in between Hacienda Guachipelin.
This one is easily accessible and is a 5 minute walk from the parking lot. It’s small, but beautiful.
Hacienda Guachipelin has other waterfalls such as the Los Chorros which have a bright blue color. These ones are smaller and you can jump off of them.
Adventure Parks
There are several lodges with their own adventure park on the property.
These lodges used to be farms back in the day, but when the families discovered they could make a living from tourism, they converted their farms into adventure parks and lodges.
Anyone can visit these lodges for a day excursion, you don’t have to be a guest at their hotel.
The most popular ones are Buena Vista Lodge and Hacienda Guachipelin.
Both offer similar activities such as ziplining, horseback riding, hot springs and mud baths.
Buena Vista Lodge also offers a 400 meter water slide through the forest.
Hacienda Guachipelin has the most activities out of all the lodges with mountain biking trails, a spa, white water tubing, waterfalls and canyoning.
An adventure park we love that doesn’t have a hotel is Vandara. They have a water slide, ziplining, horseback riding and hot springs.
Get 10% off your Vandara Passes here!
Mud Baths and Hot Springs
Another popular activity thanks to the volcano is hot springs and mud baths. The lodges mentioned above all have both of these.
They say the volcanic mud is very good for your skin and you’ll feel all soft and smooth afterwards!
We really like the Guachipelin hot springs since they are right next to the river and feel very natural but they’re all great.
Curubande de Liberia Hotels
If you wish to stay a night or two in Curubande, there are a few nice lodges in the area.
These are all modest lodges with similar set ups: Hacienda Guachipelin, Buena Vista Lodge, Cañon de la Vieja and Rincon de la Vieja Lodge.
Curubande Restaurants
There are a couple of local restaurants called sodas.
There is Soda Curubande which is the most popular in town and you can get a decent Costa Rican meal and drinks there.
Plan Your Day Trip to Curubande
For a day trip (adventure): the one day adventure combo tours at the private adventure parks give you the most bang for your buck if you’re looking for a fun outdoor activity.
Hacienda Guachipelin’s one day adventure combo tour includes ziplining, horseback riding, white water tubing, lunch, mud baths and hot springs.
Vandara and Buena Vista include ziplining, horseback riding, waterslide, lunch, hot springs and mud baths.
For hiking: The Catarata La Cangreja hike in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park is our favorite. If you aren’t able to walk that long, the Las Pailas is really interesting and a super easy walk.
For hike + adventure + river: Definitely Catarata La Leona!
If you’re interested, please feel free to contact us and we can help you book tours!
Read About More Things to do in Guanacaste Below!
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Rob says
Are there required entrance fees for La Leona? Do you have to take a guide?
Sammi says
You have to book a tour to La Leona if you want to do the waterfall hike as they require all visitors to go with a guide, you can’t do the hike on your own.