Horseback Riding to La Oropendola Waterfall & Las Pailas

Ride to La Oropendola Waterfall & Las Pailas Trail on Horseback

Enjoy a perfect day tour in Guanacaste hiking in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, horseback riding, and visiting the spectacular Oropendola Waterfall.

From Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, you ride 45 minutes on a pleasant forest trail to the Las Pailas entrance of the Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Meaning “the cauldrons” in Spanish, the Las Pailas area spectacularly shows off the awesome power of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, the largest and most active volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Steam and sulfur pour out of the yellow and rust-colored ground at natural fumaroles. Clay and coffee-colored pools boil with hot volcanic water. Smooth gray volcanic mud bubbles and explodes in large pits. It’s an experience like no other volcano in Costa Rica.

Hiking in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park on the Las Pailas loop trail takes you 2.5 miles (3.5 kilometers) through dry tropical forest to see the best views of the volcano, incredible nature, volcanic activity, and wildlife. You cross little rivers and see small waterfalls along the trail. Our bilingual naturalist guide points out many of the 300 bird species that live here and many other animals, like white-faced, howler, and spider monkeys, armadillos, collared peccaries, iguanas, snakes, or white-nosed coatis.

When you finish your hike, you are ready for a refreshing swim in the Oropendola Waterfall. It is a short walk from the national park entrance on a trail with varying terrain to get down to the river bottom. The Oropendola Waterfall plunges an impressive 82 feet (25 meters) to a sparkling turquoise pool in the lush canyon of the Rio Blanco (White River), creating a picturesque tropical oasis.

The entrance fee to the park is not included in the price.

What to Bring

• Camera
• Long pants
• Comfortable clothes
• Closed-toe shoes
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Hat