Provinces

Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces, which are further sub-divided into 81 cantons as shown below:

Alajuela Province

Central and north of capital San José; agriculture and industrial manufacturing.

  • Alajuela
  • Alfaro Ruiz
  • Atenas
  • Grecia
  • Guatuso
  • Los Chiles
  • Naranjo
  • Orotina
  • Palmares
  • Poás
  • San Carlos
  • San Mateo
  • San Ramón
  • Upala
  • Valverde Vega

Cartago Province

Former Costa Rican Provincial capital during colonial times.

  • Alvarado
  • Cartago
  • El Guarco
  • Jiménez
  • La Unión
  • Oreamuno
  • Paraíso
  • Turrialba

Guanacaste Province

North-west; important tourist and agricultural area.

  • Abangares
  • Bagaces
  • Cañas Blancas
  • Carrillo
  • Hojancha
  • La Cruz
  • Liberia
  • Nandayure
  • Nicoya
  • Santa Cruz
  • Tilarán

Heredia Province

Central and north of capital; industrial manufacturing.

  • Barva
  • Belén
  • Flores
  • Heredia
  • San Isidro
  • San Pablo
  • San Rafael
  • Santa Bárbara
  • Santo Domingo
  • Sarapiquí

Limón Province

On Caribbean coast; agricultural and eco-tourism area.

  • Guácimo
  • Limón
  • Matina
  • Pococí
  • Siquirres
  • Talamanca

Puntarenas Province

Reaches along most of the Pacific coast, with a large bulge in the south-west and a smaller one at the northern end at both sides of the Golfo de Nicoya, where the eponymous capital is located.

  • Aguirre
  • Buenos Aires
  • Corredores
  • Coto Brus
  • Esparza
  • Garabito
  • Golfito
  • Montes de Oro
  • Osa
  • Parrita
  • Puntarenas

San José Province

Political, technological and economical centre of Costa Rica.

  • Acosta
  • Alajuelita
  • Aserrí
  • Curridabat
  • Desamparados
  • Dota
  • Escazú
  • Goicoechea
  • Leon Cortés
  • Montes de Oca
  • Mora
  • Moravia
  • Perez Zeledón
  • Puriscal
  • San José
  • Santa Ana
  • Tarrazú
  • Tibás
  • Turrubares
  • Vásquez de Coronado