Costa Rica is famous for being a part of the Ring of Fire and is truly a volcanic paradise with hundreds of volcanoes - from active to dormant - dotting the landscape. There are 6 active volcanoes in Costa Rica: Irazu, Poas, Turrialba, Tenorio, Miravalles and Rincon de la Vieja. The Rincon de la Vieja area encompasses a large region of Costa Rica's western Guanacaste province about 30 minutes northwest of Liberia and 30 minutes northeast of Papagayo.

The Rincn de la Vieja National Park became a protected area in 1973 and actually has 9 eruptive craters along its ridge. If you are an avid hiker, you'll have to check in with the ranger station before heading out but there are miles of trails to explore. It's best to go from December to May when it's overall drier, especially if you plan to ascend to the highest peak of the volcanic ridge at nearly 6,000 feet above sea level. As you go along, you'll encounter several climatic zones - from arid dry forest to rainforest, and on clear days, you will be able to see both coasts from the top including the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. You'll also see incredible views of the other volcanoes in the area such as the Tenorio and Miravalles volcanoes. This remote Costa Rican National Park is often compared with Yellowstone National Park in the US and looks like a scene out of a Sci-Fi movie because of its impressive and colorful geothermal activity with bubbling fumarole pools, volcanic geysers and natural hot springs.

There were approximately 400,000 indigenous people living in Costa Rica before the Spanish conquest, and a large population of the Curubaneo tribe lived in this area.

Rincon De La Vieja translates loosely as "special place of the old lady", because legend has it that an old widowed witch doctor that the locals would seek out for magical remedies lived in this region. It is said that you can still hear her crying voice in the wind, and that the waterfalls in this region are her tears.

You'll want to bring a swimsuit if you're visiting this area because there are many up and coming spas and hot springs resorts to enjoy here. It's also a popular destination for one-day tours fro