Casona Santa María (historic ranch house, Rincón de la Vieja)
Landmark · Guanacaste · hidden gem
An adobe ranch house from the old Hacienda Santa María, restored in 1997 and now the ranger station of the park's Santa María sector — one of the few surviving casonas of Guanacaste's cattle era, with an old sugar mill along the short Colibrí trail.
Tuesday and Wednesday
- Cost
- about $16.95
- Time there
- 1 h
- Best time
- morning
- Kids
- 7 / 10
- View
- 6 / 10
- Crowds
- 1 / 10
- Swimming
- 2 / 10
- Effort
- 2 / 10
- Location
- 10.76513, -85.30304 — Google Maps
- Ratings
- 4.5 on Google (105)
Before you go
- Entry
- $16.95 for visitors · ₡1,130 for residents · 2–12: $5.65 foreigners / ₡565 nationals · camping +$4 per person per day
- Payment
- online
- Tickets
- Online only, book ahead
- Road
- Gravel — a regular car is fine
- Walk
- 470 m
- Facilities
- restrooms, showers, drinking water
- Dogs
- Not allowed
- Season
- often cloudy and windy; mornings are sunnier
- Checked
- 2026-10
Tip
Fit in the steep 600 m climb to the sector's mirador for a view over the Guanacaste plains to Miravalles Volcano.
Be careful
No restaurant or phone signal to count on — bring food and water. Cooking with firewood and campfires are not allowed.
Getting there
Santa María sector of Rincón de la Vieja NP, about 20–25 km from Liberia via Barrio La Victoria (paved, then gravel). Thu–Mon 8:00–15:30.
Places nearby
- Vida Aventura Nature Park (Vida Aventura Ranch)Tours & AdventureA ranch a few minutes from Rincón de la Vieja National Park offering horseback rides over open hills, canopy and bike trails, with a pool and restaurant.
- Hotel Buena Vista del RincónDay Passes & Hot Springs · takes 4 h–9 h · from $75A big ranch-style adventure park on the slopes of Rincón de la Vieja volcano where one day pass covers ziplines, hanging bridges, a record-long jungle waterslide, a horse ride to a waterfall, volcanic mud baths and hot springs, plus a buffet lunch.
- Hacienda GuachipelínTours & Adventure · takes 1.5 h–8.5 h · from $35A working cattle ranch at the foot of Rincón de la Vieja volcano that packs a week of adventure into one day: horseback with local sabanero guides, whitewater tubing on the Río Negro, a canyon zipline with rappels and a Tarzan swing, then hot springs and a volcanic mud bath.
- Sensoria Rainforest ExperienceParks & Wildlife · from $132Private rainforest reserve on the north side of Rincón de la Vieja with blue waterfalls, thermal pools and mud, visited on guided half-day experiences.
- La Leona Waterfall Adventure HikeTours & AdventureLocal Curubandé operator next to La Leona Restaurant that guides the river hike — wading, swimming and rope sections — to the La Leona waterfall in its slot canyon.
- Soda CurubandéSodas & Local FoodThe one restaurant in the center of Curubandé, the farming village at the foot of Rincón de la Vieja: casados, rice dishes and bocas, cooked the traditional way.
Sources: https://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr/turismo/sector-santa-maria · https://www.visitcostarica.com/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/14_PN%20Rinc%C3%B3n%20de%20la%20Vieja.pdf