Nicoya (canton)


Nicoya is the second canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 1,333.68 km², and has a population of 52,606. Its capital city is also called Nicoya.
The Río Tempisque establishes the northeast boundary of the canton, which cuts through the midsection of the Nicoya Peninsula, touching the Gulf of Nicoya on the east before curving southward to the Pacific Ocean.

Districts

The canton of Nicoya is subdivided into seven districts :

History

Nicoya was first mentioned as a canton in a decree dated December 7, 1848.
On September 5, 2012, Nicoya was struck by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake, destroying houses in the canton.