Hacienda Guachipelin Hotel, Rincon de la vieja, Guanacaste

Hacienda Guachipelín Hotel, dedicated to ecotourism, is situated at the foot of the Rincon de la Vieja volcano in Costa Rica's beautiful Guanacaste region. The Hacienda is surrounded by gardens with native trees, exotic flowers, a great variety of birds and astonishing views of the Rincon de la Vieja volcano as well as of the Pacific Ocean. In this incredible natural environment a vast number of “adventure” activities await guests looking for a different back-to-nature vacation experience. Together with its strong involvement in ecotourism, Hacienda Guachipelin continues its traditional work of raising cattle and horses.

The Hacienda Guachipelin Hotel is approx. 35-40 mins. from the Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste.

Exciting Tour Activities Right on-site!
Hacienda Guachipelin offers its own Adventure Tours, Canopy Tours, Canyoning Tours, Horseback Riding Tours, Hiking, and more right on-site! - all certified and authorized by the Costa Rican government. Hacienda Guachipelin has 5 waterfalls on the property, 2 different hot springs sites and provides a free shuttle to the adjacent National Park entrance.

Adventure Tours Offered at the Hotel:

• Rio Negro Tubing Adventure
• The Canyon Canopy Tour
• Waterfalls Canyoning Tour
• Horseback riding at Rincón de la Vieja National Park
• Horseback riding to the Sulphur Hot Springs
• Horseback riding to the “Victoria” waterfall
• Horseback riding to the “Río Negro” hot springs
• Mountain Biking
• Cowboy for one day
• One Day Adventure Pass - go at your own pace and select as many activities as you can squeeze into one day! Lunch is included.

Included during your stay:

• National Park Tour & Rio Negro Hot Springs Hike the trails around the National Park and observe steam vents, boiling mud and water and very diverse vegetation. Once at the hot springs (embedded in the tropical dry forest) take a natural sauna for about fifteen minutes; then apply the volcanic mud on your skin, let it dry and shower it off; then relax in the thermal water pools; complete the treatment with a cold shower.
• Río Negro Tubing Adventure Tour After a 45 min. horseback ride through the forest and a short security/instruction briefing, take a short walk to the foot of the Victoria waterfall, where the 2 hr. tubing adventure begins.
• Canyon Canopy Tour, just a short walk from the hotel’s “Adventure Centre”. The canopy is the only one in the country that takes you into a canyon and over a turbulent river. You’ll enjoy 12 cable “rides”, 24 platforms, 2 climbing walls, a hanging bridge, a canyon rappel, swing seats and plenty of thrills, all set in a majestic canyon. Observe a variety of vegetation, birds, mammals, reptiles and more.

A Little History
For over 100 years, Hacienda Guachipelin has been a working ranch. In 1975, Tomás Batalla Esquivel, a renowned cattle and Spanish horse breeder, acquired the property. In recent years, don Tomás's children have joined their father in his efforts to further the family legacy. The property comprises 4000 acres of land, of which 1730 acres are set aside for the conservation of the tropical dry forest; over 1400 acres are used as pastureland; and 800 acres are being reforested with species in danger of extinction.

Weather
The average temperature is about 78ºF. The dry season lasts from December to March with hot and sunny days and magnificent sunsets. From May to November is the rainy season, which is dominated by sunny mornings and rainy afternoons, but is famous for its green and blossom views on the mountain slopes as well as on the plains. Basically, any time of year is good time to visit the area.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park
Rincon de la Vieja National Park is an impressive park surrounding two volcanoes. The park´s nearly 37,000 acres are divided into two sections, Las Pailas and Santa María. Las Pailas (The Cauldrons) includes the active volcano, Rincon de la Vieja (Old Woman´s Place), complete with fumaroles, mud pots and steam vents, plus a number of waterfalls. Rincon de la Vieja volcano is a massive 600,000-year-old geological wonder with at least nine volcanic cones. The rim of the most active crater is 5900 ft. high with near-vertical sides denuded of vegetation. No less than 32 rivers flow down the mighty volcano that bridges the Continental Divide, and its activity once served as a lighthouse for ships at sea.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park´s diverse ecosystems offer a variety of flora. Its high forested slopes feature gnarled dwarfed trees draped in moss mats that provide the arboreal base for orchids and epipythes. It hosts a large population of Costa Rica´s national flower, the Guaria Morada orchid, and in the center of the brushwood is an immense 800-year-old ceiba tree - the start of one of several Canopy Tours available to guests. Rincon de la Vieja is home to 300 bird species including the creted guan, blue-crowned marmot and emerald toucanet, as well as a variety of mammals such as collared peccaries, agoutis, nine-banded armadillos and several species of monkeys.

Note: For the Canyoning and the Tubing Tours kids must be at least 10 years old. Tours at the Rincon de la Vieja National Park do not include the entrance fee ($10). Rincon de la Vieja National Park is closed on Mondays.