# Top 5 Cantons of Puntarenas Province

> Puntarenas province, along most of the Pacific coast, has 13 cantons; its first 5 by official number are Puntarenas, Esparza, Buenos Aires, Montes de Oro and Osa. They include the yoga towns of Montezuma and Mal País in Cóbano district and Uvita and Dominical in Osa, and this guide lists their current districts from the 2025 official territorial division.

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

![Map of Puntarenas province](/static/img/old/2012-11-puntarenas-map-png.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 Puntarenas 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.

Puntarenas is the largest province, at about 11,300 km², and runs along most of the Pacific coast, from the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula to the Panama border. It has 13 cantons; the two newest are Monteverde, created in 2021, and Puerto Jiménez, created in 2022. Its capital is the port city of Puntarenas.

### 1. Puntarenas

The canton of Puntarenas is split by the Gulf of Nicoya. On the mainland it holds the port city and its long sandspit; across the gulf it takes in the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, including Paquera, where the ferry from Puntarenas lands, and Cóbano district, home of Montezuma, Cabuya and Mal País (the Santa Teresa area). Isla del Coco, the national park far out in the Pacific, is also one of its districts. Its old Monte Verde district became a canton of its own in 2021, so its district number 9 is officially left vacant.

**Area:** about 1,787 km². **Districts (15):** Puntarenas, Pitahaya, Chomes, Lepanto, Paquera, Manzanillo, Guacimal, Barranca, Isla del Coco, Cóbano, Chacarita, Chira, Acapulco, El Roble and Arancibia.

### 2. Esparza

Esparza, already called a city in an 1825 decree, moved from Alajuela to Puntarenas in 1851. It's just inland from the port of Caldera, which became its newest district.

**Area:** about 217 km². **Districts (6):** Espíritu Santo, San Juan Grande, Macacona, San Rafael, San Jerónimo and Caldera.

### 3. Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, in the south, was created in 1914, originally under the name Osa. It's one of the largest cantons in the country, at about 2,380 km², and includes several indigenous territories, among them Boruca.

**Area:** about 2,383 km². **Districts (9):** Buenos Aires, Volcán, Potrero Grande, Boruca, Pilas, Colinas, Chánguena, Biolley and Brunka.

### 4. Montes de Oro

Montes de Oro was created in 1915, split from Puntarenas. Its name means "mountains of gold", and its main town is Miramar, inland from Puntarenas.

**Area:** about 248 km². **Districts (3):** Miramar, La Unión and San Isidro.

### 5. Osa

Osa was created in 1940, with its main town at Puerto Cortés (Ciudad Cortés). It runs along the South Pacific coast and includes Bahía Ballena district, with Uvita and Dominical, and Bahía Drake on the Osa Peninsula. Puerto Jiménez, on the other side of the peninsula, is now its own canton.

**Area:** about 1,933 km². **Districts (6):** Puerto Cortés, Palmar, Sierpe, Bahía Ballena, Piedras Blancas and Bahía Drake.

## Yoga in the province

Montezuma and Santa Teresa, in Cóbano district, are among the country's best-known places for yoga and surf, and Dominical and Uvita, in Osa, have jungle retreats such as [Danyasa](/danyasa-yoga-retreats-and-teacher-training/). Our guide to [where to do yoga in Costa Rica](/where-to-do-yoga-in-costa-rica/) compares them, and our [Soul Surfers at Anamaya](/soul-surfers-yoga-retreat-at-anamaya/) page covers yoga and surf weeks above Montezuma.

## 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.

### Which canton are Montezuma and Santa Teresa in?

Puntarenas. They're in Cóbano district, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, which belongs to the canton of Puntarenas rather than to Guanacaste.

### Which canton is Uvita in?

Osa. Uvita is the main town of Bahía Ballena district, which also includes Dominical.

### How many cantons does Puntarenas province have?

13, including Monteverde (created in 2021) and Puerto Jiménez (created in 2022).