Costa Rica Guide
Guanacaste
Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja
The beautifully dry landscape of PARQUE NACIONAL RINCÓN DE LA VIEJA (daily 8am–4pm; $6), about 30km northeast of Liberia, encompasses terrains varying from rock-strewn savannah to patches of tropical dry forest, culminating in the blasted-out vistas of the volcano crater itself. The land here is actually alive and breathing: Rincón de la Vieja's last major eruptions took place in 1995 and 1998, and were serious enough to evacuate local residents. The danger has always been to the northern side of the volcano, facing Nicaragua (the opposite side from the two entrance points), and the most pressing safety issue for tourists is to be aware that rivers of lava and hot mud still boil beneath the thin epidermis of ground.