Looking for the best day of adventure in Costa Rica?

[Shannon Farley]

If you are visiting the north Pacific region of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, the best day of adventure you can dream of is at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano.

Put simply, you can have the best day of Costa Rica adventure tours 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