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18
Nov
2010
Go for a hike to Las Chorreras Waterfall
Las Chorreras Waterfall
Just a short hike away from the hotel you will find Las Chorreras waterfall. This is a place that I recommend for everyone who makes a trip to Rincon de la vieja. The trail to the waterfall is a very easy walk. If you are lucky you may see some animals on your way down there such as snakes, birds and the blue morpho, the blue butterfly. Normally I don’t want to be around snakes at all but this day I would have given anything to catch a big wild boa on a photo. That would have been a really good story to tell my friends about. On the other hand I got to see the morpho, probably the prettiest butterfly I have ever seen with its bright blue colors.
Las Chorreras waterfall meets the Rio Blanco (the white river) and the visibility of the water here is just amazing. They tell me that the special blue and green color of the water comes from minerals from the volcano. From a big rock you have a great view over the waterfall and this is a perfect spot for photos. Next time I go to this waterfall I will bring lunch with me for a picnic outside and the most important thing, I will bring my bikini for a swim next to the waterfall.
Saludos, Camilla
14
Nov
2010
My first Canopy Tour
Camilla Canopy tour
Before coming to Hacienda Guachipelin I had only heard about zip lining and Canopy. So I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when the guides started giving us information about the technique. Since I’m a little bit scared of heights this was really going to be a challenge for me and I could feel the excitement in my stomach.
To my surprise I was not scared at all, the guides treated us very well during the entire tour and I felt very secure. I was the last one of the people in the tour and I could hear a woman in front of me giving a shout of excitement, when I got there I understood why. I was going to go down a slide and then continue straight in to the forest. The feeling of relief when you leave the platform is indescribable and the fact that you do this surrounded by rich vegetation, various birds and reptiles is just amazing.
We continued to the canyon where you can choose if you want to go rock climbing or not. The next cable was going to take us thru the canyon with the wild river underneath us. This is where I did something I never in a million years thought I would do, the guide convinced me to go upside down! When I reached the next platform I could breathe again, and I was so proud of myself. Then it was time to do a Tarzan swing over the river, another great experience.
When I reached the last platform and we walked back to the Adventure centre all I could think about was – when can I do this again?
13
Nov
2010
A Swedish student exploring Costa Rica
Camilla at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin
You might wonder who I am and what I’m doing in Costa Rica. So I’m going to tell you. My name is Camilla Ödling and I’m a twenty two year old student from Sweden. Back at home, in the north of Sweden, I study tourism. That is my main reason for coming here. I’m doing a seven week internship in Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin to exchange experience and meet new people. This is my first time on this side of the Atlantic and also the first time I travel alone. In my country winter just started and temperature is below zero so I’m enjoying the Costa Rican climate more then you can imagine. Obviously this is very different for me, with a completely different culture and also the fact that most of the people here only speak Spanish.
During my remaining four weeks in the hotel I’m going to write articles about my time here. I’m going to tell you all about the adventures, the food, the volcano, the beaches, the animals and much more. I hope that you will enjoy it.
Pura Vida, Camilla
14
Sep
2010
Rincon de la Vieja on Fodor’s
As mentioned on the famous travel guide Fodor’s , Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Costa Rica’s mini Yellowstone, is a place worth to visit. Activities like hiking, bird watching and horseback riding.
The author mentions as the top reasons to visit the park :
“Geological Wonders
The 3-km (2-mi) Las Pailas loop trail showcases the park’s famous geothermal features. Along the trail you’ll see fumaroles with steam hissing out of ground vents, a volcancito (baby volcano), and boiling mud fields named after pots (pailas) used for boiling down sugar cane.
rincon de la vieja
Climbing to the Crater
The hike to the crater summit is the most demanding, but also the most dramatic. The trail climbs 8 km (5 mi) through shaded forest, then up a sunbaked, treeless slope to the windswept crater, where temperatures plummet. Be sure to check wind and weather conditions at the ranger station before attempting this hike.
Birding
The park’s forest, alive with the haunting songs of the long-tailed manakin and the loud whinnies of the ivory-billed woodcreeper, is prime bird-watching territory. For intrepid birders, the winding trail leading to the crater is home to the rock wren, which can only be found on these slopes. ”
Rincon de la Vieja is located 22 kilometers from Liberia, in Guanacaste, about a 60 minute from the Papagayo area. Some people choose to stay in hotels in the area. One of the options to stay is Hacienda Guachipelin. Hacienda Guachipelin is a hotel and adventure center located right next to the national park, and offers horseback back rides, canopy tours, canyoning, and hot springs.
For reservations from US or Canada Call Toll Free 1-888-730-3840.Other parts of the world, please call our direct phone ++506-2666-8075 or send us an email to info@guachipelin.com
13
Sep
2010
Happiest Country in the World
As mentioned in the New York Times recent article, Costa Rica is the happiest nation in the world.
“You think it’s a coincidence? Costa Rica is one of the very few countries to have abolished its army, and it’s also arguably the happiest nation on earth.” as Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The Times since 2001, is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner mentioned in his article.
For example the Dutch sociologist on the basis of answers to surveys by Gallup and others, lists Costa Rica in the top spot out of 148 nations. Another approach is the “happy planet index” devised by the New Economics Foundation, a liberal think tank. This combines happiness and longevity but adjusts for environmental impact — such as the carbon that countries spew.
From the staff at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin we want to extend a warm invitation to visit Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. There are direct flights from US and Canada, as well as Europe. We want you to experience Costa Rica and why we are the Pura Vida country.
For reservations from US or Canada Call Toll Free 1-888-730-3840 or send us an email to info@guachipelin.com
Canyon Canopy Tour
11
Sep
2010
gonomad.com
Extreme Tubing
Hacienda Guachipelin was mentioned in an article from gonomad.com . In an article written by Laurie Ellis, she mentions the Hacienda and its realtion with soustainable tourism in Costa Rica. She is a is a massage therapist in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She lives in Arlington with her husband, Shady Hartshorne.
“The Hacienda is located 14 miles outside of Liberia down a rutted dirt road, so if you drive, it’s best to arrive before dark.
Rooms at Hacienda Guachipelin are simple and clean. In keeping with sustainability, some amenities that you might normally expect at a hotel aren’t given out. Bring your own shampoo if you’re fussy about that kind of stuff.
Zip, drop, climb, rockwall handholds, metal bars until – flying, screaming – you come to the end. Your harness is always attached to something, whether a safety line while standing on a platform, or the zip-line itself while cruising through the treetops.
If you’ve never been on a zip-line, you’re in for a treat: it’s like an amusement ride, but with more connection to nature.
This was not the lazy float-down-the-Farmington-River-with-a-beer that I remember from my youth. Careening down the Rio Negro rapids like a pinball gone wild, the ride was more intense than I expected.”
If you want to read more on this article click on http://www.gonomad.com/features/0811/costa-rica-eco-adventure.html
for reservations in Hacienda Guachipelin, please email to info@guachipelin.com or call toll free from US or Canada Call Toll Free 1-888-730-3840
11
Sep
2010
As mentioned in New York Times
Costa Rica cowboy
Simon Romero, from the New York times wrote about Hacienda Guachipelin. Land of Sabaneros is the article.
“I, too, was on a horse, touring Hacienda Guachipelín, a 4,300-acre ranch in northwest Costa Rica. Around me in the pasture were dozens of Andalusian horses.
Our three-day stay last August at Guachipelín, near the foot of Rincon de la Vieja, an active volcano that erupted several times in the 1990′s, was the most rewarding part of the trip.
We then began a three-hour hike to Las Pailas, a site of bubbling mud baths. Our horses waited for us at a hitching post near the park’s entrance. During the hike Juan José spotted a variety of animals and birds, including toucans, an anteater and a group of white-faced monkeys.”
To read the full article follow the link http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/17/travel/land-of-the-sabaneros.html?sec=&pagewanted=1
To make reservations in Hacienda Guachipelin or find more about its tours , Call Toll Free 1-888-730-3840 or email to info@guachipelin.com
15
Aug
2010
Best for Solo travelers
Rincon de la Vieja National Park was mentioned in Travel and Leisure’s article as one of the best places for solo travelers in Costa Rica. Rincon de la Vieja National Park was created in 1974 for the only purpose of protecting the high waters of the Tempisque River. This Park is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area , that presently has an extension of more than 115 thousand hectares. There are many interesting trails to visit at this park:
- Las Pailas Trail: This trail has a total distance of 5.4 kilometers. The duration of a hike on this trail is approximately 2 hours. A visitor will observe secondary volcanic activity, mud and fumaroles, hot springs, mud puddles. Also a great variety of plant life and animal life. Monkeys and large birds are common to observe. Visitors should not cross existing fences since the high temperatures can cause serious burns. Hiking shoes and drinking water is a must.
- The Crater top trail: This trail is for people with a good physical condition. The total distance is 15 kilometers and the time to cover the trail and return back to the rangers station is 7 hours. The final elevation is 1915 meters above sea level. Besides the plant and animal life, visitors will observe the effects of the lava eruptions from a distant past.
- There are 2 more trails in the park that are not so popular, but they are very interesting too. Azufrales , which means sulfur springs, about 14 kilometers and La Cangreja, which means Lady Crab, a blue waterfall similar to Rio Celeste.
la cangreja
Costa Rica is know as a family travel destination and an adventure destination. This country is strategically located south of the United States, just under 3 hours from mayor US airports. If you are interested in visiting Rincon de la Vieja Hacienda Guahipelin is a good place to stay. It is close to the Park and has lots of adventure tours. For reservations, please contact info@guachipelin.com or call toll free from US or Canada to 1-888-730-3840.
1
Mar
2010
CMIGreen Green Traveler Survey
A must read, the Green Traveler Survey Report , produced by Community Marketing, Inc.: a study based on a 2009 survey of 4,109 adults throughout the United States, but exclusively focused on 1,800 respondents (85%) who consider themselves to be extremely or eco-conscious and also took at least one overnight vacation in the past 12 months, has a lot of important information for the travel industry.
When this 1,800 people were asked which hotel brand, airline, cruise line or destination had done a better job in presenting themselves as environmentally friendly, only a few were able to name any. Only one brand seemed to have a clear, green identity: Costa Rica, a small country in Central America, north of Panama, between the Caribean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, 8º north of the equator.
The study reveals that among the interviewed the first 2 initiatives to travelers are:
• 68% say recycling is number one
• 66% say is energy efficiency
• water efficiency
Other interesting findings are that in spite of the prevailing economic situation, 63% of the people were still Maintained green purchases.
Respondents participated in leisure travel relatively frequently: 75.6% had taken at least two vacations away from home during the last year, and 22% took from 5 to 8 vacations during that time.
In Costa Rica eco hotels area classified by leafs, given by the Costa Rica Tourism institute. Hacienda Guachipelin is part of this program, offering many diferent tours, from advenuture to nature tours, hikes to horseback rides. HaciendaGuachipelin is right next to the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park. For reservations from USA or Canada Call Toll Free 1-888-730-3840 or send us an email to reservas@guachipelin.com
20
Feb
2010
Featured at Conde Nast
The Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Guanacaste has recently been mentioned in the Condé Nast online magazine Concierge.com
Located in the beautiful North Pacific region in Costa Rica, the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelinoffers its guests adventure and relaxation in the lands near the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano.
The vast amount of activities as well as the staff’s friendly service has impressed thousands of visitors who have stayed at the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. At Concierge.com, the exciting adventures of the Hacienda Guachipelin have earned it an “Editor’s Pick” with this exclusive organization.
Costa Rica’s diversity in terrain, climate and micro-cultures has made it a preferred vacation destination for millions of tourists world wide. Guanacaste has for long been the top destination within the country due to its incredible variety of mountains, volcanoes, plains and of course spectacular beaches.
The Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin offers travelers a different perspective of the region through its portrayal of local tradition and culture. The Hacienda Guachipelin follows in the century old tradition of the sabaneros or Costa Rican cowboys. The Hacienda encourages its guests to get up at the crack of dawn to experience the morning hustle as staff members groom and feed around 50 horses at the stable.
The tours offered at the Hacienda Guachipelin are adventure-oriented due the surrounding area. Located at the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, guests are encouraged to take hikes or horse back rides to explore the magnificent landscape. From waterfalls to boiling mud pots and vapor vents, the Rincon de la Vieja National Park and Volcano will provide for a day’s adventure.
Other tours available at the Hacienda Guachipelin include zip lining over the tree canopy and canyons, rappelling, mountain biking and tubing down the Negro River. After a couple of days of adrenaline-packed adventure at the Hacienda, a trip to the nearby natural thermal hot springs. The natural pool is filled with volcanic heated water that will sooth your aching muscles and help you feel as good as new for more adventure.
Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Rincon de la Vieja, Guanacaste is a proud member of the Guanacaste Chamber of Tourism, the Costa Rican Chamber of Tourism, the Costa Rican Hotel Chamber and bears the Code of Conduct Stamp.
For reservations from USA or Canada Call Toll Free 1-888-730-3840 or send us an email info@guachipelin.com
Horseback ride