Hiking in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Las Pailas Trail
Nature Tours in Rincón de la Vieja, Guanacaste
Hiking in the Rincón de la Vieja National Park is a must-do activity while you are staying at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín.
The Las Pailas section of the Rincón de la Vieja National Park is located very near Hacienda Guachipelín’s ranch. On this loop trail of about 2.5 miles (3.5 km), you can enjoy the best views of the active Rincón de la Vieja Volcano without climbing the main crater.
Here you can find a great variety of vegetation and trees, and the Park is home to mammals like raccoons, white-nosed coatis, Central American agoutis, armadillos, tapirs and three species of monkeys, as well as birds such as the Blue-crowned Motmot, the Crested Guan and the Emerald Toucanet.
The most impressive and spectacular features of the National Park are its volcanic elements. Steam and sulphur pour out of the yellow and rust-colored ground at natural fumaroles. Clay and coffee-colored pools bubble with boiling hot volcanic water. Smooth grey volcanic mud froths and explodes upward at the “Cauldrons” (“Las Pailas” in Spanish), for which this section of the Park is named. You’ll also find beautiful little rushing rivers and small waterfalls crisscrossing the trails.
To get to the National Park’s main gate and back, you may either go by car (10 minutes) or horseback (45 minutes on scenic forest trails) from the Hacienda. You can only enter the National Park by foot. Please note that the Park is closed on Mondays.
Tour times: Every hour, from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM (to 1:00 PM for horseback ride)
Tour duration: 2.5 hours (4 hours including horseback ride)
Tour Prices: USD $35 adults (11+ years) / USD $25 children (4-10 years)
Park entrance fee ($10/person) is not included in tour price.
