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Laguna Hule

A forest-ringed crater lake that most people never hear about

Offbeat score 3 of 5AlajuelaLakeNear Río Cuarto

Laguna Hule sits inside an old volcanic crater in the Bosque Alegre wildlife refuge, wrapped in steep forested walls. The lake is calm and dark green, and on a weekday you may share the shoreline with nobody but kingfishers and the odd fisherman.

The walk down from the rim is short but steep, and the trail can be muddy after rain. Bring water and plan to climb back up slowly.

Getting there

From the La Paz waterfall area, continue north towards Río Cuarto and follow signs for Bosque Alegre. The last stretch is gravel and passable in a normal car in dry weather.

Dry tropical forest in Guanacaste

Local tips

Go early on a weekday. Bring insect repellent and shoes with grip for the crater trail.

Travel lightly

Stay on the trail, keep noise down and take every bit of rubbish back up with you.

Photo: Marlonmarinc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Forest photo: Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Shared by Offbeat team