Liking it hot at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Costa Rica

After a big day of hiking, zip-lining, horseback riding or other adventure tours in Costa Rica, there is nearly nothing better than soaking in steamy thermal springs so hot they make you tingle all over. Your tired muscles are soon relaxed into spaghetti-like existence and the caresof the world melt away.

Mineral-rich hot springs have rejuvenating and therapeutic properties treasured for centuries by people all over the world. Travelers pay big bucks to visit famous spas with mineral springs. At adventure eco-hotel Hacienda Guachipelin at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Costa Rica, you can visit natural volcanic hot springs for free if you’re a hotel guest.

The hot springs are one of the things most talked about by visitors to Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. “We enjoyed the hot springs, hiked to the waterfalls and were impressed by the surrounding nature,” wrote one guest on Hacienda Guachipelin’s TripAdvisor page. “We also visited the hot springs one morning – the hot springs were wonderful – we sat in pools on both sides of the river,” commented another guest.

Sitting on the Pacific Ring of Fire – infamous for its profuse volcanic activity – Costa Rica has more than 200 volcanic formations. The massive 600,000-year-old Rincón de la Vieja Volcano is the largest volcano in northwest Guanacaste, Costa Rica. In and around the Rincón de la Vieja National Park, there are fumaroles, steam vents, bubbling volcanic mud pits, thermal springs and waterfalls.

Located very near the Las Pailas entrance to the national park, Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin has developed the hot springs at Rio Negro (“Black River”) with pools, trails, changing rooms, restrooms and lockers. The eco-hotel offers tours to the hot springs either by a fun horseback ride or by vehicle. Entrance is complimentary for hotel guests, or costs $15 for day visitors.

Surrounded by unique tropical dry forest, Rio Negro flows through seven man-made pools filled with steaming mineral-rich volcanic waters. Heated volcanic mud is available to smooth over your body like a spa “masque,” and after it dries, wash it off with cold river water before jumping back in the hot pools.

Only 13 miles from Liberia, Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is one of the best places to stay in Guanacaste. The adventure park at Hacienda Guachipelin offers the best Costa Rica adventure tours; go for the One Day Adventure Pass to get the most value.

Article by Shannon Farley