May Special
This month of May, Hacienda Guachipelin offers a very special discount: 25% off the regular rate. Guests will also receive $25 resort credit that can be applied for tours or massage. May is the month of the transition from the dry season to the rainy season. Actually May has a very nice weather, not very rainy and not very hot, yet the sunsets are still the famous Guanacaste sunsets.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park is 14, 161 hectares big. It was declared This national park is named after the active Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. The summit is 1895 meters high. The main attraction is Las Pailas trail, a 3+ km trail with fumaroles, hot springs, mud pots and a strong sulfur smell , that surrounds the area. There are other attractions in the trail, like the little volcano, a very active hole that bursts with steam and a very loud jet like sound.
The mountain has another volcano, the inactive one, Santa María Volcano, whic has an altitude of 1916 meters, the highest by the way. The area has other attractions like the summit, presently closed to visitors due to activity, and very nice waterfalls. The most famous is La Cangreja, which is another “Rio Celeste“. This is a phenomenon that happens around volcanoes and the water turns blue.
(This offer only applies for reservations through Trip Advisor and does not apply with other offers or promotions, valido for the month of May)
Day Trips Guanacaste
We received this wonderful review from our tours from a group of journalists, and we wanted to share it with everybody
“…..
Day trips
Outings are easily arranged with the local tour operators who eagerly welcome bookings at the lobby. Then there are those amiable tour reps who like to hang by the beach practicing their English as they ask what country you are from.
One day local tour operator Swiss Travel took us to Rincon de la Vieja, the largest active volcano in the country’s northwest and the closest to the beach. It’s part of a national park of the same name, which translates roughly to “old woman’s nook.”
In the morning we rode horseback through lush tall grasses bearing spiny Pochote trees. This stretch of heaven is the remnant of volcanic activity eons ago but the region is still very active. Guanacaste is located like much of Costa Rica in a volcanic zone. Just around us nine craters are visible.
Locals call this place “Little Yellowstone” because of the rich biodiversity and its numerous boiling mud pots. It emits an otherworldly ambiance as the sulphurous fumaroles cast small mushroom clouds over the terrain in some parts.
By the Rio Negro (so named due to the black lava rock), we bid the horses adios then resumed the next leg: white water tubing.
Churning around and around, laughing in hysterics the entire way, I couldn’t get over myself. I mean I’m no shrinking violet when it comes to battling rapids. A Niagara Falls-born gal I am, so hitting the infamous Niagara Gorge in a turbo jet is done on a lazy afternoon (okay I was a passenger on that one, but still) and splashing around rapids outside Ottawa I’ve done in a day.
But this one was like nature’s amusement ride. It helps its dry season from December through April so water levels are low. Still the turning action as I spun around this tempest in a teapot got my heart pounding as I twisted and turned through this jungle canyon.
Giddy with excitement, I snuck my neck inside the tube like a cautious turtle bracing myself for the unknown. Instead as I looked above a heavenly blue butterfly fluttered watching over me.
That night at the resort we laughed and reminisced on how we conquered the Rio Negro.
Boy would I do it again. ”
Las Pailas Trail at Rincon de la Vieja
The most visited National Park in Guanacaste is Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. Every year around 70.000 visitors enjoy the wonders of this national park.
The most visited trail in Rincon de la Vieja National Park is Las Pailas. The trail has a total distance of 3.5 km. The hike lasts around 2 hours.
The main reason to visit is the secondary volcanic activity, not to mention the waterfalls and the pristine rivers. The volcanic activity is manifested as mud volcanoes and fumaroles, a roaring little crater, hot springs, boiling mud pools, sulfur springs, lagoons full of boiling water. Other attractions are the 200 bird species, large mammals like the tapir, smaller mammals like howler monkeys, capuchin or white faced monkeys, spider monkeys, and more. Here are some recent pictures of the flora in the park.
Some important regulations to follow are:
- do not use soap in rivers and ponds
- stay on the path, there are dangerous high temperatures of the waters and vapors
- never feed the animals
- do not interact with any for of wildlife
- do not extract anything from the park (plants, animals or minerals)
- the use of proper shoes is mandatory
The admission $10 per person. Las Pailas is open from Tuesday to Sunday. The entrance is open to visitors from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, but the parks closes at 5 pm.
The park was created by Law in October, 1973. Its has an extension is of 14.083.9 hectares. It is divided into two sectors: Santa Maria and Las Pailas.
There is a little convenience store at the park’s entrance. Things like bug spray, water, beer, ponchos, sunscreen, and snacks are sold. Free WIFI is also available. Very convenient to stay connected.
Birds at Rincon de la Vieja
Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is slowly becoming a renowned birdwatching destination. Hacienda Guachipelin has sponsored several bird counts. This year’s event will most likely take place in October.
Birds are now becoming another reason to visit the area.

Cesar Guell
Here we will share a bird list provided the naturalist guide Cesar Güell. Cesar is a professional guide graduated from a Costarrican official training program for naturalist guides. What Cesar most enjoys is to share his knowledge with visitors. He really enjoys a day full of nature in the park or in the surroundings. The bird count in the area exceeds the 200 mark, but Cesar in his past year has registered 65 birds in his own personal list. Come to Rincon de la Vieja and experience the wildlife of Costa Rica with Cesar.
- Black Vulture – Zopilote negro – Coragyps atratus
- Turkey Vulture – Zopilote Cabeza roja – Cathartes aura
- Broad-winged hawk – Gavilan aludo – Buteo platypterus
- Crested Caracara – Carga huesos – Caracara cheriway
- Red billed pigeon – paloma piquiroja – Patagiones cayensis
- Inca dove – paloma inca – Colombina inca
- White fronted parrot – lora de frente blanca – Amazona albifrons
- Crested owl Buho crestado Lophostrix cristata
- Collared trogon – trogon collagero – Trogon collaris
- Keel billed Toucan – Rhamphastos sulfuratus
- Hoffmanns woodpecker Mellanerpes hoffmannii
- Masked tityra – Tityra semifaciata
- Red crowned ant tanager – Habia rubica
- Rufous naped wren – campylorhynchus rufinuca
- Tropical kingbird – Tyranus melancholicus
- Long tailed manakin – chiroxiphia linearis
- Yellow green vireo – Vireo flavoviridis
- White throated magpie jay – Calocitta Formosa
- White lored gnatcatcher Palioptila plumbea
- Kentucky Warbler Oporornis formosus
- Red crowned ant tanager Habia rubra
- Summer tanager Piranga rubra
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula.
- Northern Barred – woodcreeper – Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae.
- Olivaceous woodcreeper – Sittasomus griseicapillus
- Long-tailed Woodcreeper – Glyphorhynchus spirurus
- Dusky Antbird – Cercomacra tyrannina
- Great Curassow – Crax rubra
- Crested Guan – Penelope purpuracens
- Osprey – Pandion haliaetus
- White hawk – Leucopterni albicolis
- Roadside Hawk – Buteo magnirostris
- Short-tailed Hawk – Buteo brachyurus
- Swainsons hawk – Buteo swainsoni
- Gray-necked wood rail – Aramides cajanea
- Leser Ground cukoo – Morococcyx erythropygus
- Spectacled owl – Pulsatrix perpicillata
- Pacific screech owl – Megascops cooperi
- Common pauraque – Nyctidromus albicollis
- White collared Swift – Streptoprocne zonaris
- Ruby throated hummingbird – Amazilia boucardi
- Long billed starthroat – Heliomaster longirostris
- Turquoise browed Motmot – Eumomota superciliosa
- Yellow- eared toucanet- Selenidera spectabilis
- Groove billed Ani – Crotophaga sulcirostris
- Squierrel Cuckoo – Piaya cayana
- Lineated Woodpecker – Dryocopus lineatus
- Pale billed Woodpecker – Campephilus guatemalensis
- Dusky Antbird – Cercomacra tyrannina
- Bare crowned Antbird – Gymnocichla nudiceps
- Piratic Flycatcher – Legatus leucophaius
- Olive sided Flycatcher – Contopus cooperi
- Black phobe – Sayornis nigricans
- Great Kiskadee – Pitangus sulphuratus
- Boat billed Flycatcher – Megarhynchus pitangua
- Social Flycatcher – Myozetetes similis
- Tropical Kingbird – Tyrannus melancholicus
- Philadelphia Vireo – Vireo philadelphicus
- Tropical Gnatcatcher – Polioptila plumblea
- Kentucky Warbler – Oporornis formosus
- Red crowned ant Tanager – Habia rubica
- Red legged honeycreeper – Cyanerpes cyaneus
- Bronzed Cowbird – Molothrus aeneus
- Montezuma Oropendola – Psarocolius Montezuma
- King Vulture – Sarcoramphus papa

Tapir in Rincon de la Vieja NP by Cesar Guell
Jessica Gallant’s journey to Rincon de la Vieja
Despite all challenges, Jessica Gallant was able to hike Rincon de la Vieja. Not to the top, since there has been serious activity on the top, but to pristine waterfalls and through trails.
According to The Edmonton Journal 29 Team Diabetes members had raised more than $228,000. That is a lot of money. We are really happy for the Canadian Diabetes Association.
According to the article, Jessica mentioned “It didn’t matter. I had no idea I could hike six hours on rugged trails with two new hips and a wonky knee.”
Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is a magic place. We are proud that Jessica chose this destination for her challenge.
Canyoneering Next to a Volcano
Instead of ziplining through the trees and crossing swing bridges on the Caribbean/rainforesty side of the country, however, we were able to go whole hog on the Pacific/dry forest side in the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park of the Guanacaste region, where canopying combines with ziplining, rappeling, rock climbing, canyoneering and…….. as it was mentioned by haunted.com
This is one of the most popular tours at the Hacienda since it has a bit on everything, traversing on trees, traversing in the canyon, up and down, on ropes, on the wall………
This tour is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM. Rincon de la Vieja is a and active volcano close to the beaches in Guanacaste.
Concurso Radio Malpais
Este video lo realizo nuestro amigo Luis Alvarado, de Radio Mal Pais. Don Luis visito Hacienda Guachipelin para recoger información de los servicios que se ofrecen en la Hacienda de cara a un concurso que se estara realizando proximamente con los radioescuchas de esta radio. El obsequio sera de 1 fin de semana para 2 personas con tours y alimentación incluido.
La idea del concurso es dar a conocer las bellezas de la zona del volcán Rincon de la Vieja y sus alrededores. Hacienda Guachipelin fue escogido por la diversidad de actividades que se ofrecen, para todas las edades y todos los gustos.
Esperamos que este concurso Radio Mal Pais – Hacienda Guachipelin sea de agrado para todos los que escuchan esta Radio. Para mas información visite la pagina de Facebook de Radio Mal Pais y a pagina de Facebook de Hacienda Guachipelin.
Volcan Activo

Rincon de la Vieja
Es muy agradable poder contar con un volcan activo en la zona que hasta la fecha no representa un peligro para la zona. El Volcan Rincon de la Vieja ha entrado en una fase activa despues de 12 años de casi ninguna actividad.
El volcan Rincon de la Vieja es el único volcan activo en la cordillera volcanica de Guanacaste. Este volcan se ubica a 25 kilometros de la ciudad de Liberia . Ha tenido periodos de actividad fuerte registrados entre 1966 y 1967, en 1983, en 1991 y en 1995.
Como prevención, el Ovsicori instaló tres nuevos sismógrafos en los alrededores del macizo para el monitoreo más detallado de la actividad sísmica-volcánica. Esto según salio publicado en el Diario La Nación.
2011 EcoPhoto Challenge
The 2011 Costa Rica EcoPhoto Challenge will taking place this year from August 13th to August 20th. This unique event will be sponsored by EcoGuide Costa Rica and X-Ray Magazine.
The event will include underwater shooting in oceans, mountains, volcanoes, and jungles of Costa Rica. The highlights include the Natural Park in Guanacaste and touring the steamy summit of Volcan Rincon de la Vieja, while underwater bull sharks, reef sharks, and other large fish. More information on the event can be obtained through the official website http://www.ecoweekcostarica.com/ .
EcoWeek Costa Rica is an annual Celebration of the Environment and Culture of Costa Rica. Throughout the week from August the 13th to August 19th, Costa Rica will celebrate its environment with a series of events and activities for both nationals and visiting tourist.
Nature Air to Managua

nature air
Nature Air is proud to announce its new route to Managua, Nicaragua.
Nicaragua is home to some of the oldest architecture on the continent, a rich culture and friendly people. After a trip to Rincon de la Vieja, Nicaragua is the next must-see destination for adventurous and discerning travelers.
The flight will connect Liberia to Managua, making it very convenient for travelers to fly into Liberia, travel around Guanacaste and then discovering this new destination, Nicaragua.
This is just a 30 minute sightseeing flight to the country’s capital from Liberia, Costa Rica.
More information on this Air flight on Nature Air’s website.

