Costa Rica Provinces

Guanacaste Province

• Driest province in Costa Rica
• Contains 11 cantones (counties)
• Capital is Liberia
• Home of Costa Rica's national tree - The Guanacaste
• Cattle, rice, & sugar cane farming
• Best parks - Arenal, Guanacaste, Palo Verde, Rincon de la Vieja
• Includes famous beaches like Tamarindo, Samara, Nosara & Flamingo

Alajuela Province

• Wet mountainous region extending to the central valley
• Contains 15 cantones (counties)
• Capital is the city of Alajuela
• Includes the Juan Santamaria International (San Jose) airport
• Best parks - Poas Volcano National park and Waterfall gardens
• Sarchi and the ox cart factory
• Includes portions of Central, Tilaran and Guanacaste Mountain Ranges

Heredia Province

• Capital is the city of Heredia
• Contains 10 cantones (counties)
• Farming - coffee, sugar cane, banana, beans, and corn
• Includes the Volcano Barva and the Braulio Carrillo rainforest
• Tropical forests, spectacular waterfalls, and raging rivers
• Lowlands in the north run into the Central mountain range

San Jose Province

• Capital city is San Jose, the nation's capital
• Contains 20 cantones (counties)
• Fertile central valley includes coffee, sugar cane, and fruits
• Most densely populated area in the country
• Fairly moderate temperatures year round
• Great nightlife downtown (El Pueblo) and elsewhere
• Fun shopping at Avenida Central
• Tours featuring historical landmarks and cultural info

Cartago Province

• Cool climate year round due to elevation
• Capital city is Cartago, Costa Rica's first national capital
• Contains 8 cantones (counties)
• Turrialba volcano & Irazu Volcano National Park
• Guayabo National Monument - most impressive ancient ruins
• White water rafting rivers, Pacuare and Reventazon flow through this province

Limon Province

• Capital city is Puerto Limon
• Contains 6 cantones (counties)
• Includes Tortuguero National Park (canals / rivers / turtles)
• Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve and Cahuita National park (best kept secrets)
• Warm and humid all year round
• Beautiful secluded nature beaches in the south
• Bananas, fruit, and fishing are mainstay activities
• Jamaican rasta influence in the south including rum and reggae music

Puntarenas Province

• Capital city is Puntarenas
• Wet and humid to the south
• Contains 11 cantones (counties)
• Longest coastline of all provinces
• Corcovado National park is the gem of Costa Rica
• Manuel Antonio National Park and Jaco are the most frequented areas