Blog

Oxcarts may be used all over the world, but the oxcarts in Costa Rica are famous for their bright colors and rich decorations. Find out the story behind the tradition and how Costa Rica’s oxcarts got their colors. Article by Shannon Farley Once the main form of transportation across a mountainous country that depended on agriculture…

The Hacienda Guachipelin ranch in Costa Rica in the early 1900’s was a wild place next to the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. A 1917 natural history book unveils a piece of hidden history about Hacienda Guachipelin. Article by Shannon Farley Discovering old historic documents about a place is like finding hidden treasure in a forgotten attic or cellar. That’s how it was for Jose Tomas Batalla, owner of Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, when a colleague sent him the online link to a 1917 book entitled A Year of Costa Rican Natural History. Written by the husband and wife scientific team of Amelia Smith Calvert, Sometime Fellow in Biology from Bryn Mawr College, and Philip Powell Calvert, Professor of Zoology at the University of Pennsylvania and Editor of Entomological News, the 577-page book describes a long account of the Calverts’ travels and observations of…

Relájese y rejuvenezca en el recientemente reabierto Simbiosis Spa durante su estadía en el mejor hotel de Rincón de la Vieja, el Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín. Simbiosis Spa en Hacienda Guachipelin Artículo de Shannon Farley traducido al español El hermoso Simbiosis Spa ha reabierto sus puertas en el Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín a las faldas del volcán…

Nearly 5,000 acres more dry tropical forest and wildlife habitats are now protected in the newly expanded Rincon de la Vieja National Park by Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. Article by Shannon Farley The Rincon de la Vieja National Park next to Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin has expanded and now protects nearly 5,000 acres more dry tropical forest…

Pasear por el bosque en Costa Rica no siempre es en el bosque lluvioso. Descubra por qué el bosque tropical seco de Guanacaste es tan único. Article by Shannon Farley Todos los bosques en lugares como Costa Rica son bosques lluviosos, ¿cierto? Falso. La mayoría de los turistas se sorprende cuando visita la provincia de Guanacaste,…

Going for a walk in the woods in Costa Rica isn’t always in the rainforest. Find out why the Guanacaste dry tropical forest is so unique. Article by Shannon Farley All forest in tropical places like Costa Rica is rainforest, right? Wrong. Most people are surprised when visiting Costa Rica’s northwestern province of Guanacaste to…

Se dice que en Costa Rica los mejores “vehículos todo terreno” para andar por el país son los caballos. A los costarricenses, o “ticos”, les encantan los caballos y sus tradiciones: sus raíces ecuestres provienen de los españoles que introdujeron estos animales a América Central en el siglo XVI. El corazón y el alma de la vida ecuestre de Costa Rica yace en la provincia de Guanacaste, donde vastas llanuras ondulantes se elevan en imponentes volcanes y montañas en la llamada Cordillera de Guanacaste. El clima soleado, seco y caluroso crean un hábitat único conocido como Bosque Tropical Seco. Durante décadas, Guanacaste se ha dedicado a trabajar la tierra y la ganadería, además de la cría de caballos. Si bien la principal actividad económica de la región ahora es el turismo, las tradiciones del folklore “sabanero”, las costumbres, la música…

Article by Shannon Farley Don’t miss Cowboy Saturdays at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Guanacaste – with  incredible horse riding skills, exciting bull riding, Costa Rican folkloric music, and a traditional Costa Rican oxcart! Every Saturday from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. at Hacienda Guachipelin’s rodeo arena, or redondel in Spanish, guests and day visitors can see an authentic Costa Rica cowboy show. Hacienda Guachipelin’s own ranch cowboys show off their riding skills and cowboy tricks. You’ll see daring practiced ranch hands ride bulls in thrilling rodeo style. A traditional Costa Rican oxcart pulled by Guachipelin’s team of white oxen will parade through the arena. You’ll marvel at how big their great curved horns are! Brightly painted wooden oxcarts are all built and decorated by hand, and are an important tradition in Costa Rica. The oxcart also passes by the hotel’s Adventure Center daily at noon for photographs with visitors. Folkloric musicians…

Relax and rejuvenate at the newly reopened Simbiosis Spa during your stay at the best hotel at Rincon de la Vieja, Hacienda Guachipelin. Article by Shannon Farley The beautiful Simbiosis Spa has reopened at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. All facilities have been refurbished to give a full-service, luxury spa experience to guests, making their stay at Hacienda Guachipelin even more special. Scenically set amid the Guanacaste dry tropical forest along the banks of the bubbling Colorado River, Simbiosis Spa occupies a cozy, intimate space that lets you feel the peace and healing energy of pure nature. The spa features three outdoor pools of thermo-mineral water that comes straight from volcanic springs, a wood-heated sauna, and facilities for massages and spa treatments in the incredible countryside setting. Relax with warm, healing mud baths, provided naturally by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. (Diazepam) Spa treatments…

Eleven airlines from 18 worldwide locations fly into the Liberia International Airport in Costa Rica, making it easy for how to get to Hacienda Guachipelin for your Costa Rica vacation. Article by Shannon Farley Hacienda Guachipelin, located at the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, offers one of the best destinations in Guanacaste for a Costa Rica vacation full of adventure and nature. How to get to Hacienda Guachipelin is easy with the close proximity of the Liberia International Airport. Only 34 km (21 miles) away, it takes less than an hour to drive from the airport to the hotel. (https://www.burtonpools.com/) Hacienda Guachipelin can arrange airport pick-up service with their minivan (by prior reservation). Eleven international airlines and six international charter airlines fly into the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, the Guanacaste province’s principal city. According to the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT),…

Descubra las numerosas caras del Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín a lo largo de los años.   Traducción de artículo por Shannon Farley En 1982, el volcán Rincón de la Vieja en Costa Rica era un lugar remoto y salvaje. Jose Tomas Batalla, dueño del Hotel Hacienda Gachipelín, aún recuerda cómo era cuando se empezaron a dar las…

Thriving cattle and horse ranch to award-winning eco-adventure hotel – discover the many faces of Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin over the years. Article by Shannon Farley Costa Rica’s Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in 1982 was a remote, wild place. Jose Tomas Batalla, owner of Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, remembers what it was like back then when tourists first started visiting the area….