Sarapiquí (canton)

Sarapiquí
Cantón
Country	Costa Rica
Province	Heredia
Area
• Total	2,140.54 km2 (826.47 sq mi)
Elevation	292 m (958 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	57,147
• Density	27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−06:00
ZIP codes	410

Sarapiquí is the tenth canton in the province of Heredia in Costa Rica.

The canton includes the major portion of the Province of Heredia, and is named for its major waterway, the Sarapiquí River. The western half of the canton gives way to the San Carlos Plain. Heredia's provincial border with Alajuela, which runs through the middle of the San Carlos Plain, marks the canton's western limit. The southern boundary of the canton is established by La Virgen River.

Access roads

To reach this area, there are three land access routes:

• By the traditional route or route of the heroes (Vara Blanca), where you can see the San Fernando and La Paz waterfalls, mountains, rivers and volcanoes, next to the Sarapiquí river canyon.
• By the Braulio Carrillo road, crossing the National Park Braulio Carrillo National Park of the same name, area of great exuberance, nature and great landscapes of the tropical rainforest.
• For San Carlos, where agricultural crops such as pineapples, palm hearts and ornamental plants are observed.

History

The canton was established by law on November 18, 1970.

The Sarapiquí River, which crosses the canton from south to north, has a relevant history in Costa Rica, for two primary reasons:

It was the first transport route between Costa Rica and Europe. He played a very important role in the defense of national sovereignty, because on April 10, 1856, the filibusters under the command of the American William Walker arrived in Costa Rica by the river Sarapiquí, where the battle of Sardinal was fought.

Geography

The canton covers an area of 2,140.54 km².^[1] The capital city of the canton is Puerto Viejo.

Economy

The main agricultural activities in the region are: banana, pineapple, coffee, corn, cocoa, cardamom, citrus, palm, foliage, ornamental plants, fruit trees and livestock.

The tourism has had an important development in the last years, thanks to the recreational activities practiced in the Sarapiquí river.

Demography

The canton has a population of 57 147.^[2]

The canton of Sarapiqui is divided into five districts:

See also

• District of Puerto Viejo
• District of La Virgen
• District of Horquetas
• District of Llanuras del Gaspar
• District of Cureña

References

• National Institute of Statistics and Censuses
• Municipality of Sarapiquí

Coordinates: 10°27′28″N 84°00′23″W / 10.45778°N 84.00639°W / 10.45778; -84.00639