Coronado, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a country located in Central America that borders with the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east and Panama to the south-southeast.

Founded in 1910, Coronado is a municipality in the province of San José in Costa Rica. It became the 11th canton of the San José province. This place owes its name to Juan Vázquez de Coronado, a Spanish conqueror.

Coronado´s location is along the southern border of one of Costa Rica´s stunning National Parks. Located 10 kilometres outside San José, Costa Rica´s bustling and hustling capital, it is a sunny and green suburb. Buses depart for San José every 20 to 30 minutes, so it is a place within easy access of the capital.

There are two well known volcanoes near Coronado, the Irazú and Barva, which have transformed this zone, a territory located at a minimum altitude of 1335m above sea level.

Coronado has a strong agricultural and industrial area in different sectors, including tourism, which includes a variety of services such as hotels, shops, banks, restaurants, etc. It is also home to well known Latin American institutions such as the Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación en Agricultura (Inter-American Institute of Agricultural Cooperation), and the Microbiology faculty, among others.

Regarding tourist attractions, the central region of the canton, the San Isidro area is one to recommend, especially the Town Hall with its colonial baroque style, the building of the San Isidro Labrador church (1928), and plenty of Victorian style houses.

Given that Coronado is found on the edge of the Braulio Carrillo National Park, ecotourism is a paramount activity in the area. It is one of considerable importance as a protected area in the Costa Rican Central Valley.

Coronado is surrounded by a peaceful environment, along with a good range of tourism services which make the area a wonderful place to spend some time in as well as to experience its culture and the Costa Rican way of life while also visiting the wonders awaiting you in Latin America.

A jewel of Central America, Costa Rica is an oasis of calm, a haven for ecotourism and one of the best places to learn Spanish.