North Face Endurance Challenge Costa Rica 2016 Preview

For its fourth year, the intense ultra-trail running endurance race The North Face Endurance Challenge Costa Rica returns to the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. On Saturday, May 28, 2016, hundreds of runners from all over the world will challenge themselves and each other in four endurance trail-running races of 10 km, 21 km, 50 km and 80 km on the slopes of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. All North Face Endurance Challenge Costa Rica 2016 races are individual, with no teams. Demanding trails cover difficult yet beautiful terrain around Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, one of six active volcanoes in Costa Rica, spanning altitudes between 850 feet and 3,280 feet (260-1,000 meters). There will be aid stations along the routes.

Rincón de la Vieja is the largest volcano in the northwest province of Guanacaste. The towering ridge-shaped colossus holds several craters, and peaks at 6,286 feet (1,916m). Surrounding the volcano is Rincón de la Vieja National Park, filled with wild dry tropical forest, rivers, waterfalls and hot springs. The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano and National Park are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Organized by The North Face outdoor gear and clothing company in the USA, The North Face Endurance Challenge is North America’s premier ultra-trail running series of endurance races. Launched in 2007, the races test experienced runners in beautiful scenic locations, while promoting a minimum impact philosophy. Part of the Latin America series, Costa Rica – a big destination for endurance races – held its first North Face Endurance Challenge in 2013. Base camp for the race, and the start and finish lines, are at eco-hotel Hacienda Guachipelin – a major center for adventure tours in Guanacaste, Costa Rica: zip lining, mountain biking, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, nature trails, and natural volcanic hot springs. Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is a top Costa Rica travel destination for adventure and nature lovers. The award-winning hotel next to the Rincón de la Vieja National Park is located 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste’s main city of Liberia, with easy access from the Liberia International Airport.

More Adventure Races at Rincon de la Vieja

The newest Costa Rica adventure race – 160K Rincon de la Vieja Mountain Bike Race – happens Aug. 20, 2016 at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. Racers will compete in three distances: 160 km (100 miles), 100 km (62 miles), and 50 km (31 miles) by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. The fourth annual Rincon de la Vieja Challenge extreme mountain bike race will test elite mountain bikers on a 100-mile (160 km) circumnavigation of the active Rincon de la Vieja Volcano on Sept. 3, 2016. The Rincon de la Vieja Challenge is the first international chapter of the National Ultra Endurance Series (NUE) of the USA.

Article by Shannon Farley

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Ultimate fun day of adventure tours in Guanacaste Costa Rica

For the best things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, you need to go to Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. Put simply, you can have the best day of adventure tours in Guanacaste Costa Rica that you can dream of all in one place. Matter of fact, there are so many fun adventures that most people have a hard time choosing what to do: zip-lines, canyoning, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, mountain biking, nature trails, waterfall swimming, natural volcanic hot springs, an archeology tour, and guided hikes in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park.



That’s why the One Day Adventure Pass is your best bet. With the One Day Adventure Pass, you can fill your day at Rincón de la Vieja with adventures you choose and go at your own pace. An extravagant buffet lunch in Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin’s restaurant is included. The tour prices are incredibly reasonable for all that you get: USD $85 adults (18+ years); USD $80 students (13-17 years); and USD $75 children (4-12 years). Not only hotel guests get to enjoy Hacienda Guachipelin’s Adventure Park; many day visitors staying in other Guanacaste locations come to the popular eco-adventure hotel for tours.



On the  One Day Adventure Pass, you can do as many or all of these following adventure tours as you want. It is possible to do everything if you start between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. For $20 more per person, you can add the Waterfalls Canyoning Tour to your One Day Adventure Pass. Canyon Canopy Tour Get an incredible adrenaline rush on this one-of-a-kind canopy zip line tour in Costa Rica. You will zip line, rappel, rock climb, cross hanging bridges, and ride Tarzan swings in a steep rock canyon over a turbulent river. Tour duration: 2 hours.



Rio Negro Tubing Adventure Bouncing and splashing down a rushing tropical river is incredible fun. Starting at the foot of a waterfall, you will ride special individual river tube rafts down the rapids of the Rio Negro (Black River). Guides go with you and ensure your safety. To get to the river tour from the Adventure Center, you can choose to go by horseback ride or by vehicle. Tour duration: 2.5 hours (with horseback ride).



Horseback Riding You can choose from six different horseback riding tours, or simply ride horses to get to Rio Negro for the tubing adventure. Average tour duration: 2 to 3 hours.



Volcanic hot springs at Rio Negro One of the things most talked about by visitors to Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin are the hot springs. Beautiful and relaxing, the natural hot springs at Rio Negro flow from the largest volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica – Rincón de la Vieja. At Rio Negro, there are thermal pools, volcanic mud baths, trails, changing rooms, restrooms and lockers. Tour duration: from 1 to 2 hours.

Waterfalls Canyoning Tour* (extra charge applies)

This is the ultimate adventure tour in Guanacaste. Canyoning involves thrilling rappels down waterfalls, guided rock climbing, and navigating through pools in the river canyon. To get to the tour, you can go by horseback or by vehicle. Tour duration: 2.5 hours.



If you want a softer day of adventure, there is also a One Day Nature Pass that focuses on nature, wildlife and the Rincon de la Vieja area’s scenic beauty. This tour package is easily realized in a little over a half-day. The same sumptuous buffet lunch in Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin’s restaurant is included in the One Day Nature Pass. Tour Prices: USD $55 adults (11+ years) and USD $45 children (4-10 years).

• Butterfly Garden, Serpentarium and Frog Habitats
• Walk to a Look-out Point where you can see the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Guanacaste Mountain Range, and the Pacific Coast.
• Visit the waterfalls and natural volcanic hot springs at Rio Negro (transport by vehicle)

Hacienda Guachipelin’s Adventure Center is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You should note that tours in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park do not include the park admission fee ($10/person), and that the national park is closed on Mondays.



Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin At the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Hacienda Guachipelin is an award-winning eco-tourism hotel and 3,400-acre horse and cattle ranch. Three rivers crisscross the hacienda, with waterfalls and natural thermal springs, creating an idyllic setting in the distinctive dry tropical forest. The hotel is 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste’s main city of Liberia.

Article by Shannon Farley

 

Costa Rica honors national hero Juan Santamaria on April 11.

Ever wonder who is Juan Santamaria, for whom the San Jose international airport in Costa Rica is named?

This week is a good time to find out. Costa Rica will celebrate its national holiday Juan Santamaria Day on April 11. On this day, Costa Rica celebrates this drummer boy in its national army who heroically gave his life in a decisive battle in 1856 that ensured Costa Rica remained a free country.

Juan Santamaria’s courage and the country’s national pride and freedom are feted with parades and events all over the country on this day, especially in Alajuela, where Santamaria lived and where the Juan Santamaria International Airport is located.

The history goes like this: Costa Rica gained independence from Spain in 1821 and became completely independent from a Central American Republic in 1838. Only 18 years later, the tiny nation was threatened by a mercenary army led by U.S. filibuster, William Walker.

When civil war broke out in Nicaragua in 1854, Walker, originally from Tennessee, took advantage of the political instability to take over the government of Nicaragua and attempt to conquer the other nations in Central America. Costa Rican president Juan Rafael Mora Porras called upon his people to form an army and fight Walker and his men. Juan Santamaría (August 29, 1831 - April 11, 1856), a poor laborer from Alajuela, joined the army as a drummer boy.

After successfully beating a small group of Walker's soldiers at Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, the Costa Rican troops chased them north to the city of Rivas, Nicaragua, near the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border. The battle that began on April 8, 1856 is the Second Battle of Rivas. Fighting was fierce and the situation did not look good for the Costa Rican soldiers. They couldn’t flush Walker's men out of a hostel near the town center from which they commanded an advantageous firing position.

According to historic accounts, on April 11, a soldier was asked to set the hostel on fire to drive Walker’s men out. Some tried and failed; then Santamaría volunteered. He advanced with his torch, and although he was mortally wounded by enemy fire, he succeeded in setting fire to the hostel before dying. The enemy was defeated, and April 11 became a Costa Rica national holiday to commemorate Santamaría’s death and remember the major turning point for freedom.

What happened to William Walker? He ruled Nicaragua until 1857, when he was defeated by a coalition of Central American armies. He ended up being executed by the government of Honduras in 1860.

You can visit the first original battle site of Santa Rosa in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, now protected in the Santa Rosa National Park and Guanacaste Conservation Area World Heritage site.



Where to stay in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, an award-winning hotel in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is close to the Santa Rosa National Park and Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. The adventure park at Hacienda Guachipelin offers top Costa Rica adventure tours and an authentic Guanacaste, Costa Rica cultural experience on their working horse and cattle ranch.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica hotel Hacienda Guachipelin presents new rooms for Christmas

Just in time for Christmas, travelers to Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, can enjoy charming new guest rooms at award-winning eco-hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. At the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is one of the best places to stay in Guanacaste. The eco-tourism hotel is a working horse and cattle ranch and has a fantastic adventure park. They were awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2014.

 

The spacious new Superior rooms have beautiful views. Ten new rooms are equipped with two queen beds or one king-size bed, Wi-Fi, TV, phone, safe box, fan and air-conditioning. Two of the rooms are specially equipped for disabled travelers.

“I love the typical authentic flavor of this traditional Costa Rican hacienda located at the active volcano and national park of Rincon de la Vieja,” commented Daniel Chavarria, founder of Enchanting Hotels Costa Rica.

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin offers comfortable ranch-style rooms and suites with views of the volcano and the Hacienda. Wide and inviting verandas welcome you to relax and meet fellow travelers. A sumptuous breakfast buffet and entrance to the hotel’s natural volcanic hot springs are included for all guests at Hacienda Guachipelin.

The adventure park at Hacienda Guachipelin offers the best things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, including horseback riding, hiking in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, river tubing, natural hot springs and volcanic mud baths, waterfall rappelling, hikes to waterfalls, and the very unique Canyon Canopy Tour.



Article by Shannon Farley

Discover Costa Rica’s awe-inspiring volcanoes

Emphasizing the power of Mother Nature with images of fiery lava and explosive ash plumes, volcanoes have lit up the world news lately.

Mt. Pavlof volcano in Alaska has been intensely erupting since Nov. 12, spewing ash clouds up to 30,000 feet above sea level. The lava flow from Kilauea Volcano advances slowly across the Big Island of Hawaii, continuing its 31 years of near-continuous eruptions.

Costa Rica’s volcanoes also are in the news. The sudden eruption of Turrialba Volcano on Oct. 29 was the largest in 150 years, according to the National Seismological Network (RSN). The massive phreatic explosion ejected ash and rocks from the 3,340-meter-high volcano, the easternmost of Costa Rica's active volcanoes.

Poás Volcano erupted strongly on Oct. 14, ejecting mud and water from its green acid crater lake more than 200 meters into the air, all the way to the observation platform. Northwest of the capital city of San José, Poás is one the most visited – and most active – volcanoes in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica may be a small country but it has abundant active volcanoes lined up down the center like pearls on a chain. There are 10 major volcanoes; among the most active are Poás, Turrialba, Arenal, Rincon de la Vieja, and Irazú volcanoes.

At 3,432 meters, Irazú is Costa Rica's highest volcano, and is opposite Turrialba Volcano. Since a major eruption in 1968 brought it to life, Arenal Volcano has become one of the major tourist attractions in Costa Rica.

Rincón de la Vieja is the largest and most active volcano in the Guanacaste Range in northwest Costa Rica. At 15 kilometers wide, the approximately 9,000-year-old caldera, is known as the “Colossus of Guanacaste.” Rincón de la Vieja also recently increased activity, with phreatic explosions from the main crater starting Sept. 17.

In Guanacaste, Costa Rica, you are ideally located to visit Rincón de la Vieja Volcano when you stay at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. The adventure eco-tourism hotel is one of the best Guanacaste hotels, and received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2014.

Providing the best Guanacaste, Costa Rica adventure tours, Hacienda Guachipelin also hosts the annual adventure races of the North Face Endurance Challenge and the Rincon de la Vieja Challenge.

Article by Shannon Farley

Celebrate Costa Rica Independence Day 2014 in Guanacaste

Parades, lantern ceremonies, traditional music and dancing will take place all over Costa Rica this weekend to mark the day that Costa Rica and four other Central American nations gained their independence from Spain.

Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are all celebrating 193 years of independence from Spain on Sept. 15. On this day in 1821, a Central American congress signed “The Act of Independence” asserting they were free of the Spanish Empire.

Unlike other independence declarations in the Americas, the Central American states did not have to fight for their liberation. Spain actually supported Central American independence because the region had become a burden for the empire, which was exhausted from other wars.

Although Sept. 15 is the day when independence was declared, news of Costa Rica’s new freedom did not reach the territory until almost a month later on Oct. 13, because a messenger had to travel on horseback from Guatemala. Costa Rica finally became a completely independent state in 1838, when it separated from the Central American republic.

For the Mes de la Patria, or “Month of the Nation,” buildings, businesses and even cars are adorned with blue, white and red Costa Rican flags, streamers and decorations throughout September. Monday, Sept. 15, is a national holiday and businesses, banks and government institutions will be closed.

Liberia, the capital city of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, traditionally celebrates Independence Day with colorful events.

On Sunday, Sept. 14, the patriotic party begins at precisely 6:00 p.m. with the Costa Rica National Anthem broadcast nationally on TV and radio. Then comes the traditional nighttime lantern parade (Desfiles de Faroles) reenacting the “freedom torch” that notified Costa Rica of its freedom. Children carrying colorful homemade paper lanterns in the shape of little houses and other objects will parade with their families in town squares. There are usually also typical dances and fireworks.

Monday morning, Sept. 15, school bands and dancers in traditional costumes march through the town streets. Traditional foods are usually sold by street vendors. The celebrations are well-attended by families and are a lot of fun.

Guanacaste Costa Rica hotels

One of the best places to stay in Guanacaste near Liberia is Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. In the foothills of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, the adventure eco-tourism hotel is also a working horse and cattle ranch. Now in green season, you can enjoy great Costa Rica travel deals at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin.

Article by Shannon Farley

Rincon de la Vieja National Park waterfalls show off in Costa Rica green season

Green season in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is when the waterfalls at Rincon de la Vieja Volcano really show off.

Near Rincon de la Vieja hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, four waterfalls flow, and all of them have pools where you can swim. Getting to the waterfalls is an adventure on its own – either by hiking or horseback riding. The Hacienda Guachipelin Adventure Center organizes waterfall tours, which last usually two to three hours and are available between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Victoria Waterfall

The 115-foot (35-meter) Victoria Waterfall on the Rio Negro (Black River) is where the river tubing trips start their adventure downriver. The surrounding canyon has unique vegetation and topography, and you can swim in the pool at the waterfall’s base.

How to get there: A 45-minute each-way horseback ride on a scenic trail, and a short, steep descent to the waterfall; or a one hour each-way scenic hike on the same trail.

Chorreras Waterfall

Two waterfalls cascade into a beautiful sky blue mineral water pool in this amphitheater canyon at Chorreras Waterfall – the closest to Hacienda Guachipelin. It is an excellent place for a cooling swim, or just to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

How to get there: A 25-minute each-way horseback ride on a scenic trail, and short walk to the waterfall; or a 45-minute each-way scenic hike on the same trail.

Oropéndola Waterfall

Located near the Las Pailas entrance to the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, the Oropéndola Waterfall plunges an impressive 82 feet (25 meters) in a beautiful canyon of the Rio Blanco (White River). The sparkling turquoise pool below makes for a refreshing swim.

How to get there: A 45-minute each-way horseback ride on a scenic trail, and short walk to the waterfall; or a 1.5 hour each-way scenic hike; or a 15-minute drive and short walk.

Cangreja (Crab) Waterfall

The Cangreja Waterfall is located inside the Rincon de la Vieja National Park forest. Spilling 130 feet (40 meters) in a white ribbon of water out of the green forest, the waterfall forms a celestial blue pool at its base; its color comes from dissolved copper minerals from the volcano. The only way to get to this waterfall is by hiking 3 miles (5 km) into the national park.

How to get there: 15-minute drive to the national park entrance and then hiking.

Rincon de la Vieja Hotels

Green season is the best time to visit Rincon de la Vieja (May to November), when the volcano’s fumaroles and boiling mud pots are most active. In green season, you can enjoy great Costa Rica travel deals at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014 winner. Hacienda Guachipelin has the best Guanacaste Costa Rica adventure tours, and afterward, you can enjoy a warm volcanic mud bath and soak in the hotel’s natural hot springs.

Article by Shannon Farley

Join the Rincon de la Vieja Bird Count in Costa Rica, June 14-16

The massive Rincon de la Vieja in northern Costa Rica is known for its imposing outline on the horizon, its steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pits, and impressive tropical dry forest. The highly-popular adventure tourism location also is becoming known for spectacular bird-watching.

This weekend, birders from all over Costa Rica will gather at the Rincon de la Vieja hotel Hacienda Guachipelin for the fifth annual Bird Count Rincon de la Vieja.

Bird Count Rincon de la Vieja 2014 will be held June 14 to 16 at Hacienda Guachipelin and the neighboring Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste.

The annual bird count is being co-hosted by the Costa Rica National Parks Association (SINAC), Ornithological Association of Costa Rica, Ornithological Union of Costa Rica and Neo Travel.

Space is still available; contact Hacienda Guachipelin for reservations.

Professional birders and avid bird-watching fans will meet at the top Guanacaste hotel on June 13. The count will begin the morning of June 14 on the trails in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park and on the Hacienda’s enormous property that encompasses protected dry tropical forest and a working cattle and horse ranch, in addition to the hotel facilities and Costa Rica adventure tour center.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area, a World Heritage Site. Diverse micro-climates produce a wide variety of ecosystems. Rincón de la Vieja is home to approximately 300 bird species, including: the Blue-crowned Motmot, Whitefronted Parrot, Spectacled Owl, Laughing Falcon, Lesser Ground Cuckoo, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Black-faced Solitaire, Curassow, Royal Flycatcher, Emerald Toucanet and the Montezuma Oropendola.

See a list of more than 60 birds spotted near Hacienda Guachipelin in the Rincon de la Vieja National park. Get a full list of Costa Rica’s birds here.

One of the best times to visit Rincon de la Vieja is now in the green season (May to November) when the active volcano’s fumaroles and boiling mud pots are most active. The hiking is fantastic while birding at Rincon de la Vieja. Afterward, one of the benefits of Hacienda Guachipelin is to enjoy a warm volcanic mud bath and soak in natural hot springs to relieve sore muscles.

In green season, you also can enjoy great Costa Rica travel deals at Hacienda Guachipelin. The Rincon de la Vieja hotel was recently awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica low season special deals for Rincon de la Vieja

May and June – the beginning of Costa Rica’s low season – are one of the best times for travel deals. The crowds have gone home. Refreshing afternoon rains (though not every day) have transformed the landscape into a vivid tapestry of green and brightly-colored tropical flowers. And many hotels and tours are offering great Costa Rica travel deals.

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, at the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is no exception. Winner of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014 award, the Costa Rica eco-hotel is currently offering three excellent low season specials for 2014.

Low Season Special #1: Reserve 3 nights and only pay for 2!

Low Season Special #2: For reservations of one night only, get a 20% discount.

Low Season Special #3: Sundays are special – receive a 50% discount for hotel accommodations and adventure tours on Sundays (available for Costa Rica residents only).

Offers are valid for the months of May, June, September and October, 2014.

Low Season 2014 discounts at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin include:

• Welcome cocktail
• Buffet breakfast
• Unlimited admission to the Río Negro Hot Springs and waterfalls
• Free shuttle to the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park and Hot Springs
• Special rates in transportation

Additionally, you can receive special discounts at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin when you pay with American Express or a BAC Credomatic network credit card.

Hacienda Guachipelin offers the best things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with their unique Costa Rica adventure tours.

Article by Shannon Farley

Hacienda Guachipelin has best Guanacaste, Costa Rica Adventure Tours

Some of the best things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica are found at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. The dilemma actually is trying to decide what to do, since there is so much from which to choose.

That’s why the One Day Adventure Pass and One Day Nature Pass really are your best bet. If you stay at this Rincon de la Vieja hotel for several days, you can go for both! You don’t necessarily have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the One Day Pass either – you can be a day tour visitor. An extravagant buffet lunch in Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin’s restaurant is included in both passes.

One Day Adventure Pass You can do all of these top Costa Rica adventure tours or just a few. It is completely feasible to do everything if you start by 8:00 a.m.

• Canyon Canopy Tour
• Rio Negro Tubing Adventure
• Horseback Rides – choose one of many tours, or simply ride horses to get to Rio Negro.
• Volcanic mud bath and thermal hot springs at Rio Negro

The Waterfalls Canyoning Tour may be included in the One Day Adventure Pass for an extra charge of $20 per person.

One Day Nature Pass

The Nature Pass is a softer day that focuses on wildlife and the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano’s natural beauty. This tour package is easily realized in a little over a half-day.

• Butterfly Garden, Serpentarium and Frog Habitats
• Walk to Look-out Point
• Visit the waterfalls and mineral hot springs at Rio Negro (transport by vehicle)

Hacienda Guachipelin’s Adventure Center organizes all activities. They are open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You should note that tours in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park do not include the park admission fee ($10/person), and that the park is closed on Mondays.

Resting in the rolling plains at the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Hacienda Guachipelin is a working horse and cattle ranch in addition to being an eco-tourism hotel. Three rivers crisscross the 3,400-acre ranch, with waterfalls and natural thermal springs, creating an idyllic setting in the distinctive dry tropical forest.

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín is located 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste’s main city of Liberia, by the Pailas section of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano.

Article by Shannon Farley

Cultural history of Guanacaste explored in new tour at Rincon de la Vieja National Park

Not much is known about the first native peoples to live near the massive Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province. A new archaeology tour at the area’s eco-lodge Hacienda Guachipelin will help shed some light on the mysteries of these indigenous ancestors of Costa Rica.

“We’re rescuing the cultural traditions of Guanacaste,” said Fernando Camacho Mora, archaeologist in charge of the project. “We don’t know the name of the people who lived here because they did not have a written language.”

What we do know, Camacho explained, is that a tribe known as the Chorotegas migrated south from Mexico through Nicaragua to Guanacaste in about 900 AD. They lived in places along the Pacific Coast from Salinas Bay south to the Nicoya Gulf, but not in the interior. Archaeological findings show that a different people – probably who spoke a Chibchan language – lived in the area now forming the Rincon de la Vieja National Park from about 10,000 BC.

Helping to uncover the secrets are 14 archaeological sites that have been found around Hacienda Guachipelin, which date from about 300 to 800 AD. “The archaeological sites around the Hacienda did not reach the year 900 AD, so the people living there were not Chorotegan at all. They might have had some contact with the Chorotegas – the archaeological findings indicate that – but they probably were another ethnic group, perhaps a Chibchan one,” said Camacho, who has studied archaeological sites in the area for several years.

Almost all of the discovered sites are cemeteries. Camacho said he is planning to do further research to uncover the living areas of the community. Petroglyphs and tomb markers, dating to about 500 AD, have been found in river beds near Hacienda Guachipelin.

The hotel’s new archaeology tour will show off eight stations that give an introduction to the history of Guanacaste and Rincon de la Vieja, and a characterization of life in the indigenous society. The walking tour will start from the hotel Reception, stopping first at the hotel’s new hydroponic garden, and then visiting the exhibit of live snakes and frogs, and the small butterfly garden, before reaching the archaeological section.

Walking narrow paths through the tropical dry forest to a small clearing with a life-size statue of a hunter ready with his spear and a woman kneeling on the ground grinding corn, you can imagine what life may have been like in these first settlements. A recreation of a burial tomb shows a replica skeleton and objects such as jade carvings and ceramic bowls to demonstrate burial practices.

The 60 to 90-minute tour will open to the public toward the end of April.

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín is an ideal place at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano to experience authentic Guanacaste culture and enjoy the best Costa Rica adventure tours. Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín is located 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste’s main city of Liberia by the Pailas section of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano.

Article by Shannon Farley

Sensoria is an extraordinary Guanacaste Costa Rica Eco Tour

Every young child has a special place where they feel happiest. For Fernando Madrigal, as a young boy growing up in Costa Rica, that place was his grandparents’ farm – the Finca La Troya in the Orosi Valley of Cartago.

“I spent practically all of my childhood and youth on this farm until my grandparents sold it,” reflected Madrigal. “I remember that La Troya was a magical place. There was a place at the top of the farm where there was a mountain with primary forest. My uncle, Rodrigo Madrigal Montealegre, would take me, my brother and my cousins walking there. The forest was full of monkeys, sloths, vines hanging from the trees, natural springs full of water and spectacular nature. To me, it was the most beautiful place in the world and I was always very happy there.”

The desire to recapture his childhood magical forest led Madrigal in 2008 to seek out another place of amazing Costa Rica nature. “I went to a prestigious real estate agency in Costa Rica and asked them to find me the wildest place, with spectacular nature, abundant wildlife and plentiful natural springs. We found exactly what I was looking for in the northern foothills of the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, which we now call ‘Sensoria’,” he said.

Talk about an enchanted paradise. On the private nature reserve of Sensoria, rainforest grows thick and wild, sky blue volcanic mineral streams and waterfalls flow bountifully, steaming thermal springs bubble out of the earth, and exotic animals roam freely.

As its name implies, Sensoria is a place for your senses: to hear, see, smell, touch and taste. It is an extraordinary Costa Rica Eco Tour that takes you hiking through pristine wilderness to swim in hidden waterfall pools and volcanic thermal springs. Madrigal said they created the tour for nature lovers to be able to experience the breathtaking beauty of a rainforest. Trails are as natural as possible and accessible for any ambulatory person in good physical condition, he said.

Sensoria’s proximity to the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and National Park, and its verdant jungle on the volcano’s northeastern slope, make it a unique Guanacaste tour. The region of the massive Guanacaste Conservation Area is reported to hold 2.6% of the world’s biodiversity. Madrigal said they protect the fragile ecosystem by limiting the number of people visiting the reserve: maximum 30 persons in a day on two or three different tours.

“This place is easily the most gorgeous place on planet Earth! It feels like a dream here. It’s hard to believe nature can feel so sublime. Thank you for caring for this place and keeping it sacred,” summed up one Sensoria visitor.

How to get there: Sensoria is located north of Liberia and 4.5 km north of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste. The hiking tour lasts three to four hours.

Article by Shannon Farley