# Top 5 Cantons of Alajuela Province

> Alajuela province has 16 cantons; its first 5 by official number are Alajuela, San Ramón, Grecia, San Mateo and Atenas. This guide lists their current districts from the 2025 official territorial division, with short notes on each, including the changes since we first wrote it.

Source: https://costarica-yoga-retreats.com/top-5-cantons-of-alajuela-province/
Last checked: 2026-11-04

![Map of Alajuela province](/static/img/old/2012-11-alajuela-province.webp)

Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces, 84 cantons (counties, each with its own municipality) and about 490 districts. Every canton has an official number within its province. This article covers Alajuela province's first 5 cantons by that number, numbers 1 to 5, rather than a ranking. Areas and district lists come from the official 2025 territorial division published by Costa Rica's government.

Alajuela province stretches from the western Central Valley to the Nicaraguan border and has 16 cantons. The newest, Río Cuarto, was created in 2017 from a district of Grecia. Its capital is the city of Alajuela.

### 1. Alajuela

The canton of Alajuela holds the provincial capital, which received the title of city in 1824. Juan Santamaría, the national hero of the 1856 battle against William Walker's forces, was from Alajuela, and the country's main international airport, which carries his name, is in this canton.

**Area:** about 392 km². **Districts (14):** Alajuela, San José, Carrizal, San Antonio, Guácima, San Isidro, Sabanilla, San Rafael, Río Segundo, Desamparados, Turrúcares, Tambor, Garita and Sarapiquí.

### 2. San Ramón

San Ramón was created as a canton in 1856, with the title of villa. It's a large canton: from the town of San Ramón, at about 1,060 m, it runs north into cloud forest and lowlands. Its newest district is San Lorenzo, in the northern lowlands.

**Area:** about 1,022 km². **Districts (14):** San Ramón, Santiago, San Juan, Piedades Norte, Piedades Sur, San Rafael, San Isidro, Ángeles, Alfaro, Volio, Concepción, Zapotal, Peñas Blancas and San Lorenzo.

### 3. Grecia

Grecia sits on the slopes of the Poás Volcano northwest of Alajuela. It used to have 8 districts; in 2017 its Río Cuarto district became Alajuela's 16th canton (Law 9440), so Grecia now has 7, and its district number 6 is officially left vacant.

**Area:** about 142 km². **Districts (7):** Grecia, San Isidro, San José, San Roque, Tacares, Puente de Piedra and Bolívar.

### 4. San Mateo

San Mateo was created in 1868 from the canton of Alajuela, and in 1908 Orotina was split off from it. It's a small, warm canton on the way down from the Central Valley toward the Pacific. It now has 4 districts, including Labrador, the newest.

**Area:** about 125 km². **Districts (4):** San Mateo, Desmonte, Jesús María and Labrador.

### 5. Atenas

Atenas was created in 1868 from the canton of Alajuela. Its town, at about 700 m on the western edge of the Central Valley, is known for its mild climate.

**Area:** about 126 km². **Districts (8):** Atenas, Jesús, Mercedes, San Isidro, Concepción, San José, Santa Eulalia and Escobal.

## Yoga in the province

Alajuela's yoga is spread out. Near the airport, the western suburbs of San José are close by; see [Krama Yoga](/krama-yoga-center/) in Santa Ana. In the north of the province, around La Fortuna and Arenal, some lodges offer yoga; see our [La Fortuna guide](/popular-destination-in-costa-rica-la-fortuna-de-san-carlos/) and [Rancho Margot](/rancho-margot/) by Lake Arenal. For the whole country, see [where to do yoga in Costa Rica](/where-to-do-yoga-in-costa-rica/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a canton in Costa Rica?

A canton is the level of local government below the province, roughly like a county, with its own elected municipality. Each canton is split into districts.

### How many cantons does Alajuela province have?

16. The newest, Río Cuarto, was created in 2017 from Grecia's former Río Cuarto district.

### Is the San José airport in Alajuela?

Yes. Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) is in the canton of Alajuela, west of San José.