Las Pailas Volcanic Loop

Tip

Go early: coatis, monkeys and birds are most active in the morning, and the open sections get hot by midday.

Be careful

Stay on the trail and behind the railings — the ground around mud pots and fumaroles can be scalding and unstable.

Getting there

National park tickets online only (SINAC); the Las Pailas sector is closed on Mondays, and a small private-road fee may be charged at the gate.

Places nearby

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Rincon Thermals & AdventuresTours & Adventure · from $50Big activity park on the slopes of Rincón de la Vieja that mixes hot-spring pools and mud with zipline, horses and a jungle waterslide.