Rincon de la Vieja National Park sits in the northwest corner of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste province, 230 kilometers from San Jose and 24 kilometers from Liberia. This large 14,127 square hectares (35131 square acres) national park is great for day tours in Guanacaste. You can hike or do the adventure activities offered by the parks in the area.
We’ve done many adventure tours but hiking is the best activity for those who want to see the park in all its glory and beauty. With 7 different trails leading to different viewpoints, waterfalls and other natural attractions, there’s no doubt that this is one of the top for experiencing the tropical dry forest.
If you’re planning on visiting, here are our tips. (The volcano summit hike is now currently closed).
What would you like to read about first? Click the section to skip to it.
- About the park
- Hours and fee
- Location
- The hiking trails
- Where to sleep
- Combination tours
- Hot Springs
- Tips for visiting/what to bring
Rincon de la Vieja National Park Facts
Rincon de la Vieja, or Old Woman’s Nook is an active 1,895 meters tall volcano. It is 1 of 5 of the Cordillera de Guanacaste (Guanacaste mountain range).
The park is divided into 2 sectors: Santa Maria and Pailas, each with different things to enjoy. This national park is especially famous for its large geothermic activity and secondary volcanic activity. The ICE company even has plants in the park, studying and using the natural gas as energy.
Though it is one of the driest national parks in Costa Rica, it still has many rivers and plenty of flora and fauna. The dry tropical forest is one of the most important and endangered ecosystems in the country.
Entrance Fee and Hours
Rincon de la Vieja National Park hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 7 AM to 3 PM (Pailas Sector). The Santa Maria Sector is open every day from 8 AM to 4 PM.
The Rincon de la Vieja Natoinal Park entrance fee is $15 for adult foreigners and $5 for children ages 6-12.
Location and Directions
Rincon de la Vieja National Park map
How to get to Rincon de la Vieja National Park
To Las Pailas sector: Coming from Liberia International Airport, drive to Liberia city (turn left out onto the main road from the airport). At the main intersection into Liberia (Santa Rosa plaza on your right, Burger King on your left, McDonalds in front of you), turn left. Drive about 3.5 kilometers and you will see many signs for “Rincon de la Vieja National Park Las Pailas sector.” Turn right into the entrance after the Ebais clinic on your left and continue on this road for about 20 kilometers to the national park entrance and the trail heads.
There is a parking lot where the administration office is, which is where you’ll buy the entrance tickets.
To Santa Maria sector: Same way from Liberia except don’t turn into Las Pailas sector. You will see more signs for “Santa Maria” on the road, follow those (very good signage).
You don’t need a 4×4 to Rincon de la Vieja. The Santa Maria sector has more unpaved roads so we do recommend a high car to be more comfortable but it is not necessary.
Map and Hiking Trails
There are 7 hiking trails in the park. The Las Pailas sector is the most popular since it’s more accessible and closer to Liberia.
You can do an easy 3 kilometer (1.86 miles) loop around the boiling mud pots, walk 4.3 kilometers (2.67 miles) to Catarata Escondida/La Cangreja at 4.3 kilometers (2.67 miles) or climb 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) to the volcano summit.
*The trail to the crater summit is currently closed due to volcanic activity. Call the national park information center before you go to check if it’s open.*
Sendero Las Pailas (Boiling mud pots trail) – 3 kilometers loop
For our first trip, we did the easy 3 kilometers loop to the Rincon de la Vieja boiling mud pots.
This trail leads to several different interesting things to see: volcancito (little volcano), a seasonal waterfall and the mud pots.
This trail is very easy. There are no switchbacks or steep climbs so it’s an excellent option for an easier hike. It won’t take more than an hour to hike the whole loop, even with stopping here and there.
We did this hike on a hot February day and even though it’s only 3 kilometers, it felt like longer because of the heat. Luckily, we weren’t walking under the hot sun wall day.
The first half of the trail was under the cool forest canopy with a nice breeze and fresh air. It’s normally very hot in Guanacaste but at the park, you’re a few hundred meters up, so it’s a bit cooler.
Once you walk out of the forest, you encounter this everlasting landscape. All you see is the the mountain range, forest and clear skies ahead of you. It’s amazing how polar opposite the landscape is like in dry season since most of it is so yellow!
About halfway through the loop is the seasonal waterfall. They aren’t joking when they named this waterfall, as you can see it’s barely a trickle! This was taken in February but during rainy season this waterfall is completely flowing.
There are two areas where you could observe the mud pots on the trail. One of them looked like a little lake (laguna fumarolica) that bubbled every few seconds or so.
Further down the trail, is Volcanito (little volcano). This part of the mud pots is really active and it’s constantly bubbling which is cool to see.
It’s boiling so much that they reach up to at least a foot and you can hear the splattering of mud meters away when the sulfuric smell slowly penetrates your senses. Watch the video to see the mud!
It was pretty neat to see the boiling mud pots, especially knowing that the country uses this geothermal energy as power. You’re very close to the end of the loop at this part of the hike.
Sendero Catarata La Cangreja (La Cangreja waterfall trails 5.1 kilometers)
If you’re in the mood for a longer hike and want to see a waterfall, head to Sendero Cataratas.
It starts off as one trail and branches off to two different waterfalls. If you want to visit both, make sure to get there early and you have plenty of food and water because the trails are 10.4 kilometers (6.5 miles) one way.
We chose to hike the La Cangreja waterfall since it has a nice pool to swim in. Catarata Escondida is smaller and isn’t quite as “sparkly” (the Cangreja waterfall is known as the blue lagoon).
We set off towards the east (walk up to the left from the entrance office, past a gate) and headed into the forest. For the first half of this trail, you’re under the forest canopy so it was nice and shady.
You have to cross a few small rivers and some parts of the trail under the forest is a bit hilly. Be prepared for when you go back, the last few hundred meters of this trail is very steep!
Soon you’ll notice less and less trees until you get to a clearing. This part, besides the waterfall is the most spectacular part of the hike. You’re surrounded by rolling hills and various layers of yellow grass and green forests around you. It took my breath away!
As you look around you, it’s hard to imagine that there is a waterfall in there somewhere!
The last part of the trail past the sign gets quite steep and I had to get down on my hands and knees to balance myself. As soon as that part is over, you reach your reward. A tall, sparkling waterfall crashing down into a bright blue pool. We wasted no time jumping into the water, It was a very hot and sweaty 2 hour hike!
The water is so refreshing and there are many rocks around to relax on. We spent an hour or so at the waterfall, cooling ourselves off and re-energizing for the walk back.
If you can only hike to one waterfall, I recommend the La Cangreja one over the Escondida. However, this trail is longer. It’s easy for most of it, but there is a difficult section near the end that is quite steep and has tall steps with lots of rocks. I would not recommend it for those who can’t walk for long periods of time or have knee or ankle problems.
It took us 2 hours to get to the waterfall since we stopped a lot to take pictures and videos. It took us 1 hour and 25 minutes to get back without stopping. The trail is a total of 10.2 kilometers, which is 6.33 miles. We didn’t see much wildlife during this hike but we saw spider monkeys on our way back!
You can watch a video of this waterfall hike below.
Rincon de la Vieja Hotels
There are several lodges and haciendas in the Rincon de la Vieja area for those who want to stay close to the national park.
The closest one is Hacienda Guachipelin and Canyon de la Vieja (Las Pailas sector). Buena Vista Lodge and Hotel Borinquen are further away by the Santa Maria sector. Hotel Borinquen is the most luxurious of all of them, situated deep into the forest on a huge property with very elegant rustic cabinas. The other hotels, Guachipelin, Canyon de la Vieja and Buena Vista Lodge are smaller, more rustic and simple rooms.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park Tours
Many of the lodges offer adventure tours such as Buena Vista, Guachipelin, Borinquen and Canyon de la Vieja.
Most of them include a canopy tour, horseback riding, hot springs and a mud bath. Guachipelin has a 5 km white water tubing and Buena Vista has a waterslide. All of them are super fun!
There are also a couple other waterfalls worth a visit in/near the park such as Catarata Oropendola (at the parking lot right below the main parking lot of the admissions office). The Guachipelin tour takes you to another set of waterfalls that you can jump off of!
Rincon de la Vieja Hot Springs
Due to the high volcanic activity and plethora of rivers in the park, hot springs are very popular. Each park (ones mentioned above) has their own hot springs and you can pay for a day pass to any of them.
Our favorite is Guachipelin because it is built with a more natural feel and is right next to a river. Another popular thing with hot springs is the mud baths. You can smear volcanic mud all over your face and body and then wash it off in the river! It’s so good for the skin.
Important Things to Know
- You don’t need a 4X4 for driving to the park.
- You can wear shorts and a tank top for the hike. We went in March, the hottest month and I regretted wearing long pants!
- Bring plenty of water and snacks. There is a hose with drinkable water at the admissions office but bring at least 1 liter for each person if you plan to hike the waterfalls trail.
- I highly suggest bringing an insulated water bottle to keep your water nice and cold. It gets very hot so water in a plastic bottle will get boiling hot!
- A hat, sunscreen and sunglasses are an absolute must. Because it’s much drier in this park, mosquitoes aren’t very bad.
- As for shoes, hiking sandals will be fine. I wore closed toed hiking shoes which I also regretted, it was so hot. But you do need a closed toed shoe or at least a bumper if you have hiking sandals.
- The only bathrooms are near the entrance office.
- There are no changing areas at the waterfalls so wear your swimsuit.
- They give you a map and there are usually volunteers who explain the park and trails.
- If you want the waterfall to yourself, go as soon as the park opens. It gets busy around noon.
- If you’re staying at one of the hotels near the park, I highly recommend renting a car in Costa Rica. You need to go to Liberia for supplies and a taxi will cost around $20 one way depending on the hotel. With a car, you can drive to various parts of the national park since it is huge.
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Sammi says
Hi Christy, I don’t believe so. They have closed the trail to the summit indefinitely as the volcano has been erupting lately and has been very active. I recommend hiking the other trails in the national park to experience the volcano, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is not your typical cone volcano, it is a crater so you won’t be able to see it but you can see the landscapes around it if you go hiking in the park.
Christy says
Will we be able to hike to the summit in January 2018? If so, do you know of a guided tour? If not what is the best way to experience the most of the volcano?
Thanks !
Mimi says
Hi we will be in the area during Christmas Dec 23 – 27 is the park open/closed certain days? Also how should we dress for hiking?
Sammi says
Hi Mimi, I believe the park is open (it may be closed Christmas Day though). For hiking, it’s going to be super hot so shorts, tshirt/tank tops and hiking sandals. If you’re doing the long hike, I recommend hiking sandals or sneakers, not flip flops.
Katie says
Hi. Is this park open in the rainy months (October)?
Sammi says
Hi Katie, yes it is.
Olly says
General question about entrance fees to the parks. If we wanted to spend a few days exploring do we have to pay the entrance fee each day/ time we visit or does it cover a few days?
Sammi says
Hi Olly, you’ll have to pay it each time, the pass is only good for one day.
Amy says
Hi
Amazing blog, I really liked to read it. A question, I’d like to go to Rincon de la Vieja this Sunday and do the crater hike, but is the crater trail already open again?
xx
Sammi says
Hi Amy, I’m not sure, last time we checked was last year and it was closed, I haven’t heard it being reopened again but you can call the station and ask, this is their #: 506 2666 0630
Nisha says
Hi there! I am really enjoying your blog as I am planning my CR vacation for April. How do you suggest we dress to hike Rincon de la Vieja? It looks like you are wearing shorts and t-shirts. Also, do you know if everything in Coco shuts down for Holy Thursday and Good Friday?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Shorts and tank top or short sleeve – it is VERY hot there! Bring tons of sunscreen and lots of bottles of water. All government institutions are closed for the Easter holiday but many businesses in Coco are still open since it’s very touristy.
Nisha Avey says
Do we pay the entrance fee in American dollars or Colones?
Sammi says
You can pay in either, if you want to pay in colones they will do the conversion for you.
ken reed says
I know the summit is roughly 6200 feet. What is the starting elevation of the summit hike? We will be there next week.
Sammi says
I am not sure, I know the trail itself is not very long, only 8 kilometers but the trail to the summit has been closed for awhile so I would check with the park office first before planning on doing that trail.
Mindy says
Hi, do you know how far the Las Pailas entrance (approx distance and time) from the Vida Aventura nature park? We are booked there for 3 nights but really not sure how far to get to the park entrance. We’d also like to the Gauchinpin (sp?) river tubing. Any idea how far that is too? Or can your recommend a better place to stay?
Sammi says
Hi Mindy, I’m not sure where the Vida Aventura nature park is exactly, looks like it’s around Bagaces. You can ask the park to book you a tour to Guachipelin, from Bagaces to the national park entrance is around 30 – 45 minutes.
mindy says
Hi, do you know if the mud pot trail is currently open? We arrive on the 27th of Dec. Also-do you know where I can get a park map, like the one on your website? I can’t seem to find on online anywhere. thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Mindy! The mud pot trail is open, the other one up to the volcano summit isn’t. The maps are available only at the national park, they give one to every visitor when you pay for the ticket.
Sammi says
Hi Sue! Yes the national park is closed Monday. You can take a combo tour though as those are still open, it’s just the hiking trails in the sectors that are closed but the haciendas are actually right outside the park. Guachipeln is super fun and so is Buena Vista if you’re up for a bit of adventure for your last day. If not, then you can also check out Catarata Llanos de Cortes for a waterfall: Catarata Llanos de Cortes.
Sue says
We are heading to CR in March. Our flight out of Liberia is at 7 AM, so we are planning to spend the last night at the Hilton airport hotel. I was trying to come up with a great last day activity. We were thinking of driving up to Rincon from Playa Flamingo (where we will be staying), but it will be a Monday, so I am guessing we won’t be able to do anything at the park?? Any suggestions for our last day when we need to be back at the airport hotel that night. We have a car rental, but have heard not to drive at night, otherwise we would watch the sunset at Playa Hermosa and then head to the Hilton.
Sylvie says
Hello
I just wanted to tell you that your blog is excellent on the Rincon de la viega park. We are planning to go there in 2 weeks and we found a lot of helpful infomation. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Sylvie
Canada
Sammi says
Hi Sylvie, thank you so much! I’m glad the post helped. We love that national park and I’m sure you will too! Have a great time in CR! 🙂
Reno says
leaving on monday 4/3/16 for two weeks in Costa Rica, going to spend a day in Ricon , however Ive been reading that most of the trails are closed , how accurate is this and is it worth the drive from Tamarindo.
Also I would like to hike the La Cangreja falls, what entrance and apporox how long wil i be hiking round trip?
Please advise & Thanks for the great info youve been sharing.
Regards,
Sammi says
The trails to the mud pots and the crater are currently closed to increased activity.
All the info for Cangreja falls is in the post 🙂 It’s about 5 hours walking round trip.
Susan Snover says
We are flying to Liberia from Seattle on April 16, renting a car and will have 4 days to spend in the area before we drive to St Elena area for 4 days and then flying to Drake Bay for five days. Suggestions? –hotels?? in the Guancaste area. We are not very interested in beaches. Hiking and birdwatching are the main interests. Perhaps a visit to El bosque nuevo–butterfly farm. It seems that there is new eruption at Rincón de la Vieja .
Where are you from in the NW? We used to live in Seattle, but now live in the Methow Valley.
Sammi says
I recommend staying in the national park then if you want hiking and birdwatching. There are several like Hacienda Guachipelin, Buena Vista Lodge, Borinquen and Canyon de la Vieja.
I’m from Olympia 🙂
Kristi Miller says
Do you have any more info about hikes in Rincon? About how long did the mud pot hike take? Is there a trail marked for the hidden waterfalls? We will be there in a few weeks – do you think the waterfalls will still be active?
Sammi says
The mud pot hike is pretty short, you can walk the whole thing in probably 30 minutes but we did the short one. The longer one may take an hour or so depending on how long you linger and take to look at stuff. There aren’t really any “hidden” waterfalls in Rincon, they are mostly all marked and you’ll see signs for them. However, it is a huge national park so you may need to drive to the various waterfall entrance. There is one near the Hacienda Guachipelin called Catarata Oropendola where you can jump off of, and then there are a few more in the national park that you can horseback ride to as part of a tour. The waterfalls are always active, in dry season it just has less water.
Sammi says
This park is roughly 2 hours from Tamarindo. There are no buses to this national park, you can take the public bus to Liberia where there you need to get a taxi or a shuttle. I’d get a shuttle, because it’s a bumppy road into the national park and it might be cheaper than a taxi (I’m not sure how much a taxi will charge). You don’t have to do the combo adventure tours, at Hacienda Guachipelin you can choose which activities to do from the ones they offer. So you can do just the river rafting, and not the horseback riding and ziplining. Here is our Tamarindo guide: Playa Tamarindo
Wendy says
Hello,
Just wondering how far is this park from Tamarindo? We are staying in Tamarindo from Jan 15-29, 2016. We are very excited as we have never been to Costa Rica. I don’t really want to spend a bunch of money on tours, I would rather do it on our own. We don’t know yet if we are renting a car or doing buses or shuttles?? what do you suggest? I just want to do all the main hikes there and some river rafting or the springs but not into horseback riding or reppeling. What do you suggest? Any info you can gives on Tamarindo and places to see and do would be greatly appreciated. Oh and one last question, is there any gluten free food there? I have celiacs.
Thanks!
Valerie says
I was just at Rincon de la Vieja – loved all of the hiking there. Also got to lather some volcanic mud at Blue River Eco Resort!
Sammi says
Ooh that sounds lovely. Mud baths are so fun! Glad to hear you liked Rincon, it’s a really nice park for hiking!
amy says
I was not expecting those mud pits to be bubbling so loudly! Amazing how you are so close to desert-like land, rainforest, and beach…in some ways that’s the same reason WA is such a wonderful state 😉 Nature is amazing…
Samantha Wei says
It is isn’t it?! The Pacific NW is really beautiful in it’s own way too. Beautiful mountains, lakes, and great places to hike.
Hector Vanegss says
Hi am I Costa Rican citizen and I would like to do the hiking this Saturday, where or how I can arrange a trip with you?
Sammi says
Hi Hector! If you have a car, you can drive to the national park and go from there, the hike doesn’t require a guide. Have fun!