Introduction 🌋 Rincón de la Vieja National Park – Las Pailas Sector The Rincón de la Vieja National Park is next-level hiking with stunning landscapes — the perfect way to wrap up our adventure through northern Guanacaste. We explored the two main trails: Las Pailas and the famous La Cangreja Waterfall.
Our experience
Rincón de la Vieja is just 25 km from Liberia. The paved road winds up the mountain until it becomes gravel near the park entrance. We parked in a large lot that was already filling up with cars and microbuses. As usual in national parks, the rangers explained the trail options and then we set off toward La Cangreja Waterfall.
💧 The trail to La Cangreja is super fun but physically demanding, ending with the best reward for any hiker… a refreshing waterfall to relax your muscles and refuel for the return trip. The trail can be broken into three parts:
- Shady Little Forest: This part is cool, you cross a couple of small streams and walk under the nice shade of the trees.
- Rocky Plains with Views: The landscape here is amazing, but there’s no shade, so the sun hits hard. It’s one way, so make sure to stay hydrated and wear proper sun protection.
- Downhill to the waterfall: As you leave the plains, shade returns and you begin to hear the sound of the waterfall getting louder… until suddenly you see it cascading over giant rocks.
🌊 La Cangreja Waterfall drops about 40 meters. The water is neither too cold nor too warm — just right to refresh yourself. If you're sensitive to cold, there's a spot to the left of the waterfall with warm water coming out of the rocks.
🥪 After swimming, we had our signature tuna sandwiches and classic hard-boiled eggs. When we got back to the park entrance, we snacked again under the shade of a big tree. Then we did the Las Pailas trail, which is shorter and easier. At the time, it was being renovated and paved. The trail ends at some mud pots and fumaroles that smell strongly of sulfur (yup… just like eggs).
Around 3:00 pm we packed up and headed back to our base in Liberia to shower and drive home to San José. On the way, we stopped for a nice dinner and caught the Costa Rica vs. Jamaica soccer game.
📅 Trip date – March 2016