Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park

Rincon de la Vieja Volcan National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location	Costa Rica
Coordinates	10°49′48″N 85°19′26″W
Area	142 km²
Established	16 November 1973
Governing body	National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC)

Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, in Spanish Parque Nacional Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area and the Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site, is a National Park in the northwestern part of Costa Rica which encompasses the Rincón de la Vieja and Santa María volcanoes, as well as the dormant Cerro Von Seebach. The last eruption here was by Rincón de la Vieja in 1998.

Geography

The nearest city is Liberia to the south of the park, and there are two facilities at the park for visitors information and guides the Santa Maria and Pailas stations which are both on the southern side of the park.

The park has a variety of wildlife, such as over 300 species of birds, such as the three-wattled bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata) and emerald toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus), and also various quetzals, curassows, eagles, etc. Mammals seen in the park include cougars, monkeys, kinkajous, jaguars and many more. The volcanic vents and geysers are habitat for certain extremophile micro-organisms. (C.Michael Hogan. 2010)

Gallery

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  Fumerole at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park.

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  Mudpot at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park.

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  Mudpot field at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park.

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  Waterfall at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park.

See also

• Biological reserve

References

• C.Michael Hogan. 2010. Extremophile. eds. E.Monosson and C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington DC