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In Northwest Costa Rica’s Rincón de la Vieja region, the Vandará Hot Springs & Adventures is an expansive property that offers relaxing and thrilling experiences to all guests. It’s found within the Canas Dulces district of the Liberia canton.

Throughout the park, there are various hot spring volcanic pools, mud baths, zip lines, gardens, and horseback riding. Guests can spend the morning out in the Costa Rican jungle before returning to the park to soak in one of the thermal pools.

Suitable for travelers with young children, the Vandará Hot Springs & Adventures is the perfect place to enjoy a family vacation. Although the park offers night experiences of the park including zip line tours, guests cannot stay overnight.

Mineral Hot Spring Pools

Thermal Hot Spring Pool, Vandara Hot Springs and Adventures, Costa Rica
Thermal hot springs at the Vandara Hot Springs and Adventures in Costa Rica. Photo: Peter Snelling

At the Vandará Hot Springs & Adventures, there are two thermal pools that are heated using natural spring water.

Sitting on top of subterranean volcanic heat sources, the park was able to keep the pools as natural as possible. Both of the pools are nestled in the Costa Rican jungle and they are the perfect depth for soaking.

One of the pools has a stunning setting where heated spring water cascades from a small cliff face into a river. Guests can bathe in the pool beneath the waterfall but should take caution not to sit directly underneath the falls. When visiting the all-natural pool, it’s recommended to wear water shoes because the riverbank is lined with large, slippery rocks.

Temperatures of the pools can fluctuate between 84°F (28.8°C) and 104°F (40°C). Guests of the park are required to wear clothing or a swimsuit when using the thermal pools and walking around the property.

Spa Services

Unlike some of the larger hot spring properties in Costa Rica, the Vandará Hot Spring has a limited spa. Without extensive services, guests can book casual spa packages like a massage or mud therapy.

Massage prices are not included with day passes and guests who want to use the spa will need to have a reservation. Full body massages are a popular item on the menu, as are the Revitalizing Mud Baths, which use mud from the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano.

Additional Experiences

As an adventure park, Vandará offers thrilling excursions into the Costa Rican wilderness and culture. Guests can book a zipline tour, which takes you through the canopy of a Costa Rican Jungle.

Connected to the park’s cold, outdoor pool is a Splashing Water Slide, which runs for 1,313 feet (400m). Riders use an inner tube to ride down the slide before dropping into the pool below.

Horseback riding is also very popular as it takes you on secluded jungle trails to show you unique tropical ecosystems. Trail rides end at the top of a mountain, which gives you stunning views of the landscape and coastline.

To learn more about Costa Rican culture, guests can visit the Trapiche, which is a mill used to extract juice from sweet sugar canes. Tours of the Trapiche teach guests how sugar cane is processed into products like drinks and treats.

Accommodations

There are no overnight accommodations at the Vandará Hot Springs. Instead, guests looking to visit the Vandará Hot Springs & Adventures will need to stay in the town of Cañas Dulces, which is 3.1 miles (5km) away.

A few of the most popular hotels in the area are the Cañon de la Vieja Lodge (affiliate link) and the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin (affiliate link). Cañon de La Vieja Lodge is 6.5 miles (10.4km) away from Vandará and the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is 4.7 miles (7.5km) away.

Park visitors can also choose to stay at another hot springs hotel, the Borinquen Thermal Resort, which is 3.5 miles (5.6km) away from the Vandará Hot Springs & Adventures.

Getting There

Officially a part of the Rinón de la Vieja National Park, Vandará Hot Springs is 14.7 miles (23.8km) to the north of Liberia, Costa Rica. The closest town to the park is called Cañas Dulces.

  • To get to the Vandará Hot Springs & Adventures from Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia:
  • Take a left towards Liberia on Highway 21 when leaving the airport.
  • Make a left at the “traffic lights” (“los semáforos”) onto the Inter-American Highway (CI 1) towards the town of La Cruz.
  • Continue for 7.4 miles (12km) on the Inter-American Highway until you reach the road called Cañas Dulces.
  • Take a right on the road to Cañas Dulces.
  • On the main road, go through the town and continue north for 3.1 miles (5km).
  • There should be a sign for the park.

Details

Address: Vandará, Guanacaste Province, Cañas Dulces, 50101, Costa Rica

Coordinates: 10.7726°N, 85.4426°W

Phone: +506 2479 4100

Age Restrictions: No

Clothing: Yes

Season: Year-round with reservation

Day Pass: Yes

Website: vandara.travel