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Dark slope of Rincón de la Vieja with clouds around the summit.

Costa Rica · Rincón de la Vieja

Closed or restricted because of the volcano

What you cannot do during the 2026 eruptive phase and what to do instead.

3 places3 closed or restricted, flagged

  1. 1

    AdventureClosed or prohibited

    Active crater trail

    Summit of the massif, above the Pailas sector2.9 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Former trail of about 16 km round trip from Las Pailas to the rim of the active crater and the Von Seebach crater lookout, near 1,900 m.

    Closed since the September 2011 eruption because of phreatic eruptions and gases. In 2026 the volcano has frequent eruptions (level 3, caution) and OVSICORI asks people to avoid the summit and nearby riverbeds. Instead, walk the Las Pailas loop or the waterfalls trail, which show the geothermal activity safely.

    Source: ACG – Sector Pailas (oficial) · 2025 · +2

    Cannot be saved: it is closed or prohibited.

    Practical details and sources

    Nearby: Rincón de la Vieja National Park (2.9 km) · Escondida waterfall (3.9 km) · Las Pailas trail (6 km)

    Sources: ACG – Sector Pailas (oficial) · Wikipedia – Rincón de la Vieja Volcano · Tico Times – Rincón de la Vieja, 21 eruptions (8 Sep 2026)

  2. Rincón de la Vieja National Park2

    Photo: Wilma Compton, CC BY 2.0

    NatureRestricted access

    Rincón de la Vieja National Park

    About 25 km north-east of Liberia0 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    8:00 to 15:00
    Booking
    Required

    Volcanic park with fumaroles, mud pots, waterfalls and forests from dry to cloud forest, split into the Pailas and Santa María sectors; the volcano is in an elevated eruptive phase.

    The Pailas and Santa María sectors remain open with online tickets, but the summit is off-limits (crater trail closed since 2011). Since 2 July 2026 the volcano has been in its most active phase in years: OVSICORI has kept it at level 3 (caution) since early August, counted 249 phreatic eruptions and nine lahars by mid-September, and the CNE declared a green alert on 2 September 2026 for Curubandé, Cañas Dulces, Mayorga, Dos Ríos and Aguas Claras. Check SINAC and CNE notices before you go and keep away from riverbeds on the north flank.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja · 2026 · +4

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $16.95 for non-resident foreign adults ($5.65 for children 2 to 12), VAT included.
    Hours
    Pailas sector: Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 to 15:00. Santa María sector: Thursday to Monday, 8:00 to 15:30.
    Booking
    Mandatory and online only through SINAC’s system since 1 August 2023; nothing is sold at the gate.

    Tip: Do not hire guides offering to take you to the crater: it is prohibited and dangerous.

    Nearby: Active crater trail (2.9 km) · Escondida waterfall (5.7 km) · Las Pailas trail (6.9 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja · ACG – Sector Pailas (oficial) · Tico Times – Rincón de la Vieja, 21 eruptions (8 Sep 2026) · Infobae – Alerta verde por el Rincón de la Vieja (2 sep 2026) · El Observador – Casi tres meses de intensa actividad

  3. Santa María sector hot springs3

    Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0

    WellnessRestricted access

    Santa María sector hot springs

    Santa María sector8 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Hot springs beside a cold stream, about 3 km from the homestead, once a popular soak inside the park.

    You can hike to them, but bathing is prohibited to protect endemic organisms (ACG; sign confirmed in 2025). To soak in thermal water, use the private day-pass centres: Río Negro (Guachipelín), Borinquen, Buena Vista or Rincon Thermals.

    Source: ACG – Sector Santa María (oficial) · 2025 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $ · under US$15

    Nearby: Santa María sector (2.5 km) · Tubing on the Río Negro (2.8 km) · Las Pailas trail (3.2 km)

    Sources: ACG – Sector Santa María (oficial) · Two Weeks in Costa Rica – Santa María sector

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