Page 79 - NORTHERN GUANACASTE TOURIST GUIDE

Rincón de la Vieja National Park
Sendero con acceso universal
This set of volcanic peaks are the most active in the Cordillera de Guanacaste, where the greatest volcanic activity occurred during the second half of the 1960s. The last major eruption of the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano occurred about 3,500 years ago. All subsequent eruptions, have been smaller, including numerous historical events dating back to the 16th century. Over the last 10 years it has been a very active volcano with phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions. The last eruption of this type was in June 2021.
Although you can visit all year round, one of the best time to visit Rincón de la Vieja National Park is during the rainy season (May to November), as this is when fumaroles and boiling mud pots are most active, as well as when hot springs form small streams with very hot water, furthermore, solfataras (containing sulfur dioxide) fill small holes with the constant spread of muddy water.
The crater is closed and has remained so since 2011. You should therefore contact ACG at 2666-5051, for information about its next opening.
The park has a variety of wildlife, such as more than 300 species of birds, including the three-wattled bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata), the crested guan (Penelope purpurascens), the emerald toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus), the blue-throated goldentail (Hylocharis eliciae), the white-fronted parrot (Amazona albifrons), the Amazonian motmot (Momotus momota), the spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata), the laughing falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans), the black-faced solitaire ( Myadestes melanops), the Montezuma oropendola (Psarocolius
montezuma) and chachalacas. It is the home of the tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula), a species whose distribution is limited to the high parts of the volcanic mountain range of Guanacaste. The mammals seen in the park include monkeys (white- faced capuchins, spider and howler monkeys), peccaries, tapirs, deer, raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, skunks, armadillos, anteaters, sloths, pumas, jaguars and many more. Volcanic chimneys and fumaroles provide a habitat for certain extremophile microorganisms.
Nearly 50 years of conservation efforts have allowed the park to maintain a healthy and abundant population of unique wildlife. In addition, visitors will
RESTRICTIONS
Respect the visiting hours of the Park
No mascotas
No campfires
Watch your belongings
No se permite extraer plantas o animales
Not allowed loud music volume
Stay within the trails
No se permite ingresar bajo el efecto de drogas
The Pailas Sector doesn’t have an area for camping
Don’t feed or harass the animals
Do not pollute
Use the grills lunch area (sector Sta María)
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