Seven Provinces of Costa Rica
San Jose
San Jose is the Capital City of Costa Rica. It is where the Great Metropolitan Area is located and, it´s the most developed city of the country. San Jose is located in the center of the country, in the middle of the Central Valley, at an elevation of 1170 meters level above sea (equivalent to 3839 feet), which is the reason why the temperature is generally very pleasant.
It is quite likely that during your visit to Costa Rica, your time in San Jose will be very short, maybe a night or two on your way from one end of the country to the next. Truthfully sometimes it is not considered to be “the most attractive part of the country” however, for many others, it´s quite fun to experience it. It is our opinion at Data506 that your experience will vary depending on the information you get. If you get good guidance, it really can be quite the experience.
In general, the visitors whom are mostly exposed our Capital City are those who visit for business purposes. For these group, surely they will not lack of options for hotels or lodges, delicious restaurants, casinos and entertainment venues.
Beyond the Great Metropolitan Area, San Jose is a fairly “spread-out” city, which is the reason why for a tourist, it would take too long to get to know it and actually find their way around it. Ultimately, with a limited amount of time and the fact that most likely your interest in Costa Rica is not the Capital city but our vast and diverse range of biological diversity, our majestic volcanoes, cloud forests, mountains and hundreds of beaches; well, let´s say that prioritizing is a must! We’ll make note of some places that are worth visiting, if your itinerary permits and you find yourself staying for a longer periods of time in our Capital City.
Heredia
Heredia is the smallest province of Costa Rica and is located at a distance of 11 kilometers from the Capital City. It has a warm climate, with far less rain than the rest of the provinces. The North of the province however, has high mountainous areas where the temperature is lower.
Alajuela.
Alajuela is the second most populated province of Costa Rica and the leading producer of coffee, the country´s Star product, among others.
In Alajuela you can find great tourist attractions such as the Poás Volcano and Arenal Volcano.
Cartago
Cartago was the ancient Capital City of Costa Rica over 190 years ago, and just as San José –our current Capital City– Cartago is located in the center of the country.
It is a very mountainous land, with two mountain ranges: the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca. Two very well-known rivers run through Cartago´s green land: the Pacuare and Reventazón rivers, both known for delivering awesome “rafting” and truly beautiful landscapes.
Puntarenas
The province of Puntarenas covers the vast majority of the territory on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
North of Puntarenas you´ll find the Manuel Antonio National Park and beaches like: Quepos, Jacó, and Playa Hermosa, destination loved by the surfers of the world, among many other beaches around Costa Rica.
South of Puntarenas you will find one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica: The Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay and Corcovado National Park.
The city of Puntarenas is located approximately 120 kilometers west of San Jose and though its main city and beach are not the most attractive of Costa Rica, it happens to be “a central point” used to explore other beaches in the province, including: Playa Mal País, Santa Teresa, Playa Montezuma and Santa Elena. For all of those destinations, the most common access is to take a ferry at Puntarenas City and cross the Gulf of Nicoya.
Guanacaste
Guanacaste is located northwest of Costa Rica on the Pacific coast of the country, bordering Nicaragua. It is the hottest and driest province of the country.
Guanacaste´s beaches are very well-known. Here´s some of the most visited ones: Playa Avellanas, Playa Grande, Playa Langosta, Playa Tamarindo, El Coco, Playa Flamingo and Playa Samara, among many others.
For Golf lovers, at Guanacaste you can find very nice resorts with golf courses such as Reserva Conchal, Hacienda Pinilla and the Four Seasons Costa Rica.
Limón
The entire Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica belongs to the province of Limón.
Puerto Limón is the name of the main city of the province and it is where the main port -for commercial use- is located, this is where all imports and exports for and from the whole country happen.
This town is located approximately 152 kilometers from San Jose (2 hours and a half to three hours drive), and is easily accessible by Route # 32 (also called road Guápiles).
From Puerto Limón, following the road south on the coastline, you will hit the beaches: Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Punta Uva and Manzanillo, among others.
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