Volcano Travel · Tour
Rincón de la Vieja: Las Pailas, Oropéndola and Ten Hot Pools
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
TamarindoThree parts and one long day, starting between six and eight thirty in the morning depending on where you are staying. The walk is the Las Pailas circuit, 3.5 km (2 miles), with a bilingual naturalist guide. Rincón de la Vieja is the largest and most active volcano in Guanacaste, and this sector is where that shows: fumaroles pushing steam and sulphur out of yellow and rust-coloured ground, clay pots of boiling water in every shade of brown, grey mud bubbling and spitting, and a mini crater. The park holds more than 300 bird species, along with armadillos, iguanas, coatis, toucans and three kinds of monkey. Then a short walk outside the park to the Oropéndola waterfall and the blue lagoon underneath it, which you can swim in. Lunch is typical Costa Rican, and after it come the Río Negro hot springs: ten pools of clear mineral water heated by the volcano itself, in dry tropical forest, plus the volcanic clay to spread on yourself. Read the pick-up list before booking. Most points are included, but some carry a separate transport fee, charged per booking rather than per person: $70 from Playa Penca, from the Papagayo peninsula hotels and from Las Catalinas, and $50 from Hacienda Pinilla and the JW Marriott. At RIU hotels the pick-up is at the main security gate rather than the lobby, and you need a copy of your passport. If you are driving yourself, you meet the guide at the park entrance at 9:00 am.
What's included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- National Park fees
- Bottled water
- Driver/guide
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- Lunch
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Itinerary
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Playa Penca, Ruta Nacional 159 km 3, Carrillo
Playa Penca, Ruta Nacional 159 km 3, Provincia de Guanacaste, Carrillo, 10901, Costa Rica
7:30 am. A $70 fee applies here, charged per booking and not per customer.
Frente al Aeropuerto Inter Daniel Oduber, Ruta 21, Liberia
Frente al Aeropuerto Inter Daniel Oduber, Ruta 21, Provincia de Guanacaste, Liberia, 50101, Costa Rica
Hilton Garden Inn, opposite LIR airport, at 8:20 am.
Hacienda Pinilla, Guanacaste
Hacienda Pinilla, Provincia de Guanacaste, Guanacaste, 50309, Costa Rica
Hacienda Pinilla and the JW Marriott at 6:00 am. A $50 fee applies, per booking and not per person, billed separately. Let security know the pick-up is coming.
Liberia
Guanacaste Province, Liberia, Costa Rica
Meet the guide at the park entrance at 9:00 am.
Plaza Sta Rosa, Guanacaste, Liberia Centro. Centro Comerial, Liberia, El Sitio
Plaza Sta Rosa, Guanacaste, Liberia Centro. Centro Comerial, Provincia de Guanacaste, Liberia, El Sitio, Costa Rica
Liberia, the Peri supermarket at the main Liberia intersection, at 8:30 am.
Peninsula Papagayo, Liberia
Peninsula Papagayo, Provincia de Guanacaste, Liberia, Costa Rica
Andaz, Four Seasons and Planet Hollywood, at the main gate, 7:20 am. A $70 transport fee applies, per booking and not per person, billed separately.
Playa Panama
Playa Panama, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
Secrets Papagayo at the main gate rather than the lobby, Mangroove and other hotels, at 7:30 am.
Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, Guanacaste Province, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
Villas Sol main gate, Condovac main gate, Occidental Papagayo main gate, and other hotels, condos and private houses in Hermosa, at 7:30 am.
Coco
Playas del Coco, Provincia de Guanacaste, Coco, Costa Rica
Pick-up at 7:20 am.
Playa Matapalo, RIU Guanacaste Route, Sardinal
Playa Matapalo, RIU Guanacaste Route, Guanacaste Province, Sardinal, 50503, Costa Rica
RIU hotels, at the main security gate rather than the lobby, 6:45 am. Bring a copy of your passport.
4km Norte de Playa, Playa Danta, Las Catalinas, Potrero
Playa Danta, Las Catalinas, 4km Norte de Playa, Provincia de Guanacaste, Potrero, 50304, Costa Rica
6:30 am. A $70 fee applies, per booking and not per person.
Playa Grande
Playa Grande, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
Hotels, condos and private houses in Playa Grande, at 6:30 am.
C6M5+74W, Flamingo Beach Road, Playa Flamingo
C6M5+74W, Flamingo Beach Road, Guanacaste Province, Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica
Hotels, condos and private houses in Flamingo, at 6:30 am.
Playa Conchal
Playa Conchal, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
Hotels, condos and private houses in Conchal, at 6:45 am.
Tamarindo
Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo, 5009, Costa Rica
Hotels, condos and private houses in Tamarindo and Langosta, at 6:30 am.
Tamarindo
Tamarindo Beach Costa Rica, Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Hotels, condos and private houses in Tamarindo and Langosta, 6:30 am.
C. Central, Tamarindo
C. Central, Provincia de Guanacaste, Tamarindo, 50309, Costa Rica
Driving yourself: 9:00 am at the park. Pinilla and the JW Marriott: 6:00 am. Langosta and Tamarindo: 6:30 am. W and Westin Conchal: 6:45 am. Catalinas, Grande, Flamingo and Potrero: 6:30 am. RIU hotels, main gate: 7:00 am. Coco: 7:20 am. Secrets, Villas Sol and Mangroove: 7:30 am. Liberia: 8:20 am. Andaz, Four Seasons and Planet Hollywood: 7:20 am.
Parque Nacional Rincon de la Vieja
The national park walk. With a bilingual naturalist guide, 3.5 km (2 miles) round the Las Pailas circular path, through tropical forest, with the best views of the volcano along it. The park holds more than 300 species of bird and a great many other animals: armadillos, iguanas, coatis, white-faced, howler and spider monkeys, toucans and more. There are stops for the volcanic activity, the bubbling mud pots, the fumaroles and a mini crater. The Las Pailas sector is where the power of Rincón de la Vieja, the largest and most active volcano in Guanacaste, is most obvious. Steam and sulphur come out of natural fumaroles in yellow and rust-coloured ground. There are clay pots in several shades of brown with volcanic water boiling in them, and fine grey mud that bubbles and, in the larger pots, throws itself about. No other volcano in Costa Rica does this.
Oropendola Warterfall
After the hike, a short walk off the path to the Oropéndola waterfall, just outside the park, where you can get into the blue lagoon underneath it.
Rio Negro Hot Springs
Hot springs and volcanic mud bath. After lunch, the drive to the springs. The Río Negro hot springs sit in dry tropical forest and have ten pools, with water heated by the Rincón de la Vieja volcano itself. The mineral water is clear and untreated. There is also the volcanic mud, which you smooth over yourself and let dry.
Playa Conchal
Pick-up at 6:40 am.
Province of Guanacaste
Pick-ups run between 6:00 am and 7:45 am.
Playa Flamingo
Pick-up at 6:30 am.
Tamarindo
Pick-up at 6:30 am.
Tamarindo Beach
Pick-up at 6:30 am.
Sardinal
Pick-up at 7:00 am, RIU Guanacaste and RIU Palace.
Playa Hermosa
Pick-up at 7:30 am.
Playa Panama
Pick-up at 7:40 am.
Playas del Coco
Pick-up at 7:20 am.
Playa Matapalo
Pick-up at 7:00 am, RIU hotels.
Las Catalinas
Pick-up at 6:15 am.
Playa Penca, Ruta Nacional 159 km 3, Carrillo
Playa Penca, Ruta Nacional 159 km 3, Provincia de Guanacaste, Carrillo, 10901, Costa Rica
Frente al Aeropuerto Inter Daniel Oduber, Ruta 21, Liberia
Frente al Aeropuerto Inter Daniel Oduber, Ruta 21, Provincia de Guanacaste, Liberia, 50101, Costa Rica
Hacienda Pinilla, Guanacaste
Hacienda Pinilla, Provincia de Guanacaste, Guanacaste, 50309, Costa Rica
Liberia
Guanacaste Province, Liberia, Costa Rica
Plaza Sta Rosa, Guanacaste, Liberia Centro. Centro Comerial, Liberia, El Sitio
Plaza Sta Rosa, Guanacaste, Liberia Centro. Centro Comerial, Provincia de Guanacaste, Liberia, El Sitio, Costa Rica
Peninsula Papagayo, Liberia
Peninsula Papagayo, Provincia de Guanacaste, Liberia, Costa Rica
Playa Panama
Playa Panama, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, Guanacaste Province, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
Coco
Playas del Coco, Provincia de Guanacaste, Coco, Costa Rica
Playa Matapalo, RIU Guanacaste Route, Sardinal
Playa Matapalo, RIU Guanacaste Route, Guanacaste Province, Sardinal, 50503, Costa Rica
4km Norte de Playa, Playa Danta, Las Catalinas, Potrero
Playa Danta, Las Catalinas, 4km Norte de Playa, Provincia de Guanacaste, Potrero, 50304, Costa Rica
Playa Grande
Playa Grande, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
C6M5+74W, Flamingo Beach Road, Playa Flamingo
C6M5+74W, Flamingo Beach Road, Guanacaste Province, Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica
Playa Conchal
Playa Conchal, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
Tamarindo
Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo, 5009, Costa Rica
Tamarindo
Tamarindo Beach Costa Rica, Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
C. Central, Tamarindo
C. Central, Provincia de Guanacaste, Tamarindo, 50309, Costa Rica
Not included
- Transportation from Andaz, Four Seasons, Planet Hollywood, Las Catalinas, Waldorf Astoria
- JW Marriott/Pinilla Pick Up Fee
- Gratuities
- Towel - Bring Your Own
Good to know
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Use "Special Requirements" field upon checkout to advise dietary information
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- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required, if you are a solo traveler please contact us
- If you do not need transportation, please meet us at the entrance of the National Park at 9:00 am.
- If your hotel is not listed, contact us for quoting
- Due to a new requirement issued by the Ministry of Tourism and the National Park Systems of Costa Rica, we need each person to send us the following information: Full Name on Passport, Passport number, Passport issuing country. You must carry a picture of your passport with you on your tour!
- Up to 15 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en, es.
Reviews
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Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor