Rincón de la Vieja is the largest and most active volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Standing at 6,286 feet (1,916 meters) high and 9 miles (15 km) wide, the giant is called the “Colossus of Guanacaste”. The massive 600,000-year-old geological wonder has at least nine volcanic craters, and at least 32 rivers flow down its sides which bridge the Continental Divide.

 

The impressive Rincón de la Vieja Volcano and its dormant sister Santa María Volcano form the center of the fantastic Rincón de la Vieja National Park – part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Guanacaste Conservation Area. Meaning “The Cauldrons” in Spanish, the Las Pailas area spectacularly shows off the awesome power of the live Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. Steaming fumaroles, mini-geysers, bubbling volcanic mud pits, natural hot springs, and jungle waterfalls give you an incredible experience like no other volcano in Costa Rica. 

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Hiking in the Rincón de la Vieja National Park on the Las Pailas loop trail takes you 2.5 miles (3.5 km) through an exotic dry tropical forest to see the wonders of nature.