While in Costa Rica for a wedding, a big group of us took a day to do the Cangreja Waterfall hike in Rincon de la Vieja National Park. It’s located close to the city of Liberia in the northern part of the country.
Most people visit the national park to see the cinder cone volcano – Rincon de la Vieja, comprised of nine contiguous craters. To get to the crater it’s an 8 km hike with a lot of vertical gain – not something many in the group would have been interested in doing had the trail even been open.
But the trail, as we found out upon our arrival, has been closed for a while as there has been a lot of volcanic activity lately. The last eruption according to Wikipedia was in 1998.
We planned to do the easier 10 km round trip hike to La Cangreja waterfall. Swimsuits were added to our backpacks though none of us really knew what to expect on the Cangreja waterfall hike.
![The Grand Canyon of Costa Rica is how our guide described this canyon seen on the way into the park](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-1.jpg)
![I was surprised by the park hours](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-2.jpg)
![Pickled snakes in the office at the park headquarters](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-3.jpg)
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
The Cangreja Waterfall hike ended up being quite interesting as we made our way through a number of different ecosystems. Starting out it felt more lush and tropical, with big trees and slick trails. But after just a few kilometres it opened up and we emerged on a dry hillside with a view to Nicaragua.
That was totally unexpected. From there it was back into a landscape filled with more giant trees and big roots, seemingly designed to trip you up – all the way until we reached La Cangreja waterfall.
Snake alert
Of course we were all on high snake alert for the duration of the Canrgeja waterfall hike, especially after seeing pickled samples in the park office. Costa Rica is home to loads of venomous snakes including the bushmaster and Fer de Lance – though I don’t know exactly what landscape specifically they prefer.
Fortunately, we didn’t see a single one but we did see a turquoise-browed Motmot (one of 300 bird species that have been sighted in the park), two monkey species, a lizard, an agouti, and several other birds. Biting insects were almost non-existent.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park has loads of other trails we would have loved to explore had we had the time. There are trails that take you by steaming fumaroles, boiling mud pots, and even to thermal hot springs.
What we saw on the Cangreja waterfall hike
![Near the start of the Rincon de la Vieja hike; I always watched where I put my hands](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-4.jpg)
![A few wildflowers are blooming](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-5.jpg)
![We are all dwarfed by the trees we see in the park](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-NP-8.jpg)
![One at a time only on this rickety old bridge](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-6.jpg)
![Interesting blue hue of the water in this small stream](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-7.jpg)
![Giant strangler figs surround and eventually kill the tree](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-8.jpg)
![Fungi in Rincon de la Vieja reminds me of what we see in the Rockies](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-9.jpg)
![Woods with a real mixture in the size of trees](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-10.jpg)
![An ever changing hike - through a section of agave look alikes](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-11.jpg)
![Happy to see lizards and not snakes](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-12.jpg)
![Looking out to Lake Nicaragua](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-NP-6.jpg)
![One of the 13 capuchin monkeys we saw on the Cangreja Waterfall Hike](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-NP-7.jpg)
![What an old man face](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-13.jpg)
![In Rincon de la Vieja National Park I look for snakes when I go through a tunnel of green](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-14.jpg)
![Sometimes the Cangreja Waterfall hike is tough going](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-15.jpg)
![In Rincon de la Vieja Wwe enjoyed a refreshing swim we had once we reached La Cangreja waterfall](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-18.jpg)
![Swimming is refreshing and you warm up quickly once you're out of the water in Rincon de la Vieja National Park](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-NP-4.jpg)
![Our guide handing out papaya](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-17.jpg)
![Lucky to see an agouti in Rincon de la Vieja - prized unfortunately for its' meat; it moves like a bunny](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-19.jpg)
![Spider monkeys in Rincon de la Vieja were way up in the tree so very hard to get good shots](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rincon-de-la-Vieja-National-Park-20.jpg)
For more information on Costa Rica visit the tourism board website.
Further reading on Central America and the Caribbean
- A Volcano in Costa Rica you’ll Want to Hike
- 32 Interesting Facts About Costa Rica
- 5 Amazing Volcanoes to Hike in Nicaragua
- 10 Best Things to Do in Panama
- Gros Piton Hike in St. Lucia
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![A day trip to Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Costa Rica](https://hikebiketravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Costa-Rica__1.jpg)