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

 

"Fiestas Bravas" in Costa Rica

Guanacaste’s celebrations are coming up, exciting dates for this side of the country; full of traditional activities, typical music and folklore dancing.
Up coming for the week of January 15th we have lots of festivities in Santa Cruz, typical Costa Rican rural town, where people gather to celebrate with typical music, folkloric dancing and bullfighting to honor the Black Christ of Esquipulas.

Since 1926 it’s celebrated in commemoration of their catholic religion when Christ suffered before being crucified.

In the corners of the main streets of Santa Cruz marimbas are located to brighten the atmosphere; while the bullfights are held where many people come to a roundabout on the main square to challenge the bulls.

During the week they also celebrate the famous horsemen activity “tope” where hundreds of people from all over the country come with their horses and typical costumes to the main streets of the city and parade. During this activity many tourists rent horses and participate in the festival.

Dancing in the park to the sound of marimba music is another traditional activity, among local meals prepared as part of the celebration including the “rosquillas”, sweet “tamal” and coyol wine.

Santa Cruz is a beautiful town filled with friendly and openhearted people who are always open to help tourists when needed. The town is also close to some of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica, which they have buses travelling back and forth almost each hour.

Between the last week of February and early March the “Fiestas Cívicas” of Liberia are held where folklore and traditions are celebrated with music, rides and concerts throughout Liberia.

The city of Liberia is located on the plains of the province of Guanacaste. It has a warm but dry climate characteristic of the area. Its name comes from the Latin "liber" meaning free and independent.

At just 13 miles away from Liberia and 72 from Santa Cruz, in the surroundings of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is one of the best places to stay in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Now for these celebration dates, you can also enjoy great Costa Rica travel deals at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin and enjoy Guanacaste’s festivities.

Costa Rica's love for “fiesta” is contagious; taste the food, make friends, enjoy traditions and party with the ticos are musts you can’t miss during these dates in Guanacaste, activities you can enjoy at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin.

By Maria Laura Charles

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

The immense plains, powerful volcanoes and dry, sunny climate of Guanacaste are becoming pivotal for Costa Rica’s production of renewable energy. The second largest province in the country is being tapped for its powerful resources of wind, solar and geothermal energy.

Costa Rica currently produces 91% of its energy from renewable sources: 73% from hydroelectric power, 13% from geothermal plants, 4% from wind turbines, and 1% from biomass, according to the Costa Rica Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). Hydroelectric power, however, is climate-dependent, and during the driest months of summer it is stretched to its limits when water reserves are low. This is why Guanacaste Costa Rica is so important.

 

Wind energy

In Guanacaste, Costa Rica – one of the world’s windiest locations – Costa Rican and international companies are harnessing the power of the wind with huge wind turbine farms. There are currently 11 wind energy projects in Costa Rica, most in Guanacaste, and also by Volcano and Lake Arenal and in the Central Valley. Spanish wind engineering firm Gamesa is building a new wind farm in Guanacaste to start generating electricity by 2015.

Solar energy

Solar energy companies are a hot venture in Guanacaste right now. When the Miravalles Solar Plant opened on the slopes of the Miravalles Volcano in November 2012, thanks to a $10 million loan by the Japanese government, it was the first of its kind in Costa Rica and the largest solar project in Central America. Now there are several solar projects in the works for the region.

Geothermal energy

Guanacaste’s North Volcanic Mountain Ridge has been essential for geothermal power generation, tapping the Rincón de la Vieja, Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes. The Miravalles Geothermal Field (opened in 1994) produces almost 14% of the National Electrical System’s (SEN) capacity. The Pailas Geothermal Power Plant opened in July 2011 just outside the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. Last November, President Laura Chinchilla signed an agreement with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a $560 million loan to build three more geothermal power plants near the famous Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste.

Visit Guanacaste

One of Guanacaste’s best areas to visit is the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. Stay at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín, a first-class ecotourism lodge at Rincón de la Vieja.

For things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, try the Costa Rica adventure tours at Hacienda Guachipelin. Their adventure park offers you canopy zip lines, canyoning, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, nature trails, natural thermal springs, and tours into the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park.

Article by Shannon Farley

The immense plains, powerful volcanoes and dry, sunny climate of Guanacaste are becoming pivotal for Costa Rica’s production of renewable energy. The second largest province in the country is being tapped for its powerful resources of wind, solar and geothermal energy.

Costa Rica currently produces 91% of its energy from renewable sources: 73% from hydroelectric power, 13% from geothermal plants, 4% from wind turbines, and 1% from biomass, according to the Costa Rica Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). Hydroelectric power, however, is climate-dependent, and during the driest months of summer it is stretched to its limits when water reserves are low. This is why Guanacaste Costa Rica is so important.

Wind energy

In Guanacaste, Costa Rica – one of the world’s windiest locations – Costa Rican and international companies are harnessing the power of the wind with huge wind turbine farms. There are currently 11 wind energy projects in Costa Rica, most in Guanacaste, and also by Volcano and Lake Arenal and in the Central Valley. Spanish wind engineering firm Gamesa is building a new wind farm in Guanacaste to start generating electricity by 2015.

Solar energy

Solar energy companies are a hot venture in Guanacaste right now. When the Miravalles Solar Plant opened on the slopes of the Miravalles Volcano in November 2012, thanks to a $10 million loan by the Japanese government, it was the first of its kind in Costa Rica and the largest solar project in Central America. Now there are several solar projects in the works for the region.

Geothermal energy

Guanacaste’s North Volcanic Mountain Ridge has been essential for geothermal power generation, tapping the Rincón de la Vieja, Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes. The Miravalles Geothermal Field (opened in 1994) produces almost 14% of the National Electrical System’s (SEN) capacity. The Pailas Geothermal Power Plant opened in July 2011 just outside the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. Last November, President Laura Chinchilla signed an agreement with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a $560 million loan to build three more geothermal power plants near the famous Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste.

Visit Guanacaste

One of Guanacaste’s best areas to visit is the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. Stay at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín, a first-class ecotourism lodge at Rincón de la Vieja.

For things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, try the Costa Rica adventure tours at Hacienda Guachipelin. Their adventure park offers you canopy zip lines, canyoning, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, nature trails, natural thermal springs, and tours into the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park.

Article by Shannon Farley