Rincón de la Vieja Volcano

Rincón de la Vieja is an active andesitic complex volcano in north-western Costa Rica, about 23 km from Liberia, in the province of Guanacaste.

Its name means "The Old Woman's Corner", a reference to a local legend about princess Curabanda whose lover Mixcoac, chief of a neighboring enemy tribe, who was thrown into the crater by her father Curabande, when he learned about their affair. She went on living on the side of the volcano, giving birth to a son. To be with its father, she threw her son into the volcano, too. She continued to live on the volcano and became a recluse living on the mountain, and was credited with powers of healing.Rincón de la Vieja stands 1,916 metres above sea level, and its summit is the highest point in Rincón de la Vieja National Park. It erupted most recently in June 2020. The volcano has many fumaroles and hot springs on its slopes. It is formed by felsic lava.