On Sunday, April 19, 2020, Rincón de la Vieja volcano, which is one of three volcanoes located inside of Área de Conservación Guanacaste, had a moderate eruption. According to the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), the eruption occurred at 10:14 AM and lasted for approximately one minute. A column of gas, ash, mud, and other materials rose 1.5 kilometers above the crater. The National Emergency Commission (CNE) said, “As a result of the hydrothermal explosion, materials such as sludge, rocks and sediments were expelled from the crater toward the rivers of the north face.”
Rincón de la Vieja last erupted in January of this year, but the trail to the crater has been closed in recent years due to increasing volcanic activity. The entire park is closed currently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.