The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano is part of the areas protected by the Costa Rican Government under the National Park regime and it is composed of two massifs, the Santa Maria and the one that provides the park's name. Nine craters have been identified, but only one of them is active; nevertheless, around the volcanoes you can observe fumaroles, vapor and volcanic mud spurts.
Rincón de la Vieja is a strato volcano that soars 1,916 meters above sea level and spreads over 400 square kilometers. It was formed by the simultaneous explosion of several volcanic cones that grew and merged into a single mountain. It has been possible to identify 9 sites of volcanic activity on the summit. One is active and the others are slowly eroding.
The Rincón de la Vieja last strong eruption period was between 1966 and 1970, when it produced earthquakes, ash clouds and underground noises. Other eruptions, of lower intensity, took place between 1983 and 1984 without causing much alarm among the scarce population located near the place.
