Day trip to Rincon De La Vieja Costa Rica

Day trip to Rincon De La Vieja National Park Costa Rica

This past week my wife and I took a day trip to Rincon de la Vieja Costa Rica. Rincon de la vieja national park is located about 2 hours from Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Rincon de la vieja national park contains one of the six active volcanos in Costa Rica. It most recently erupted in September 2011. It was a really small eruption! The area is beautiful and the summit of the volcano reaches up to 6,286 ft above sea level. The park covers 34,000 acres and contains both montane forests and dwarf cloud forests. It’s a great day trip from Tamarindo to experience typically cooler temperatures and a diverse landscape.

Once we arrived to the park, we signed in at the ranger station and paid our daily use fee. ($15 for adults / cheaper if you are a Costa Rican resident). The welcome area is going through a re-model with a new parking area and visitor center under construction and they expect to be done in 2016. The attendant provided us with some ideas for a day hike and pointed us in the right direction.

We followed the trail that took us to three great sites, steam vents, boiling mud pits, and a hot spring feed river. The hike was moderate and took us about 2 hours. During the hike we saw some great views and an amazing assortment of plants and birds.

At one point you walk out of the forest into a clearing looking over the gorgeous valley back towards the Pacific ocean. Throughout the valley steam is rising out of vents in the ground giving us a surreal experience we will not forget.

Don’t touch, it is hot!

The trip was a great experience and my wife and I will definitely return when we need a break from the gorgeous beaches of Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Things to bring:

• Sunscreen
• Hiking shoes (I forgot mine and wore flip flops, not the best idea!)
• Water and food
• Bug Spray
• Rain protection

Tour options:

Rincon De La Vieja is a great addition to your vacation to Tamarindo, Costa Rica and offers more than just a day hike. There are several companies and tour operators that RPM Vacation Rentals works with and suggests. These tours can include additional items such as zip-lining, horseback riding, water slides, hot springs, and mud baths. Please stop by our offices or email us about guided tours and transportation to Rincon De La Vieja.

How to get there:

The drive from Tamarindo is mostly on paved road with the last 20 minutes being on a typically well graded dirt road. A car or 4×4 can easily make the trip.  The signs are clearly marked for Costa Rica standards and we typically drive to the last parking lot.