San Rafael de Guatuso
Encyclopedia
San Rafael is the capital city of the canton of Guatuso
in the province of Alajuela
in Costa Rica
. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of San Rafael covers an area of 304.1 km² (1), and has a population of 7,195.
The city lies at an elevation of 50 meters above sea level near the western edge of the San Carlos Plain (Llanura de San Carlos) in northern Costa Rica. It is 20 kilometers northeast of Lake Arenal
, 40 kilometers southeast of Upala
,37 kilometers northwest of El Tanque, 90 kilometers northwest of Ciudad Quesada
, 155 kilometers from the provincial capital city of Alajuela
, and 183 kilometers from the national capital city of San José
.
San Rafael, often called Guatuso, is an agricultural town on the Río Frío and Highway 4. Cattle ranching and rice farming are major concerns in the area. The town has a gas station, banks, medical clinic, pharmacy, and a few basic restaurants and cabinas for lodging.
: a watery lowland of lush sloughs and marshes, a seasonal lake, and abundant wildlife. Boats can be hired at San Rafael for traveling 40-plus kilometers up the Río Frío to the reserve. The area is a birdwatcher's paradise. (52 kilometers northeast of San Rafael via Highway 4 to Colonia Puntarenas and Highway 138 to Caño Negro)
Venado Caves: a limestone cave of eight chambers, formed over millennia by a series of underground rivers. Giant spiders, swarms of bats and eyeless fish abound. Visitors must be accompanied by a guide. (25 kilometers southeast of San Rafael via Highway 4 to Jicarito and Highway 734 to Venado; the caves are located four kilometers south of the village of Venado)
Tenorio Volcano National Park
: just 15 kilometers northwest of San Rafael, this park is host to the "teñideros" where the famous Rio Celeste turns from a crystal-clear river to a magnificent light blue one. The river also cascades into one of Costa Rica's most beautiful waterfalls within the park. The park itself is teeming with lush tropical wildlife that visitors can enjoy during several hours of hiking.
Guatuso
Guatuso is the name of the 15th canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of , and has a population of 13,984...
in the province of Alajuela
Alajuela Province
Alajuela is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the north-central part of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north, and clockwise the provinces Heredia, San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste...
in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of San Rafael covers an area of 304.1 km² (1), and has a population of 7,195.
The city lies at an elevation of 50 meters above sea level near the western edge of the San Carlos Plain (Llanura de San Carlos) in northern Costa Rica. It is 20 kilometers northeast of Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal is an artificial lake in Costa Rica, located in the northern highlands of the country. It was enlarged to its present size as a part of a 1979 hydroelectric project by the Costa Rican government to provide electricity to the country.- Geography :...
, 40 kilometers southeast of Upala
Upala
Upala is the capital city of the canton of Upala in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito that includes the city...
,37 kilometers northwest of El Tanque, 90 kilometers northwest of Ciudad Quesada
Ciudad Quesada
Ciudad Quesada is a city in the district of Quesada in the cantón of San Carlos in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is the capital city of the cantón...
, 155 kilometers from the provincial capital city of Alajuela
Alajuela
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area...
, and 183 kilometers from the national capital city of San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
.
San Rafael, often called Guatuso, is an agricultural town on the Río Frío and Highway 4. Cattle ranching and rice farming are major concerns in the area. The town has a gas station, banks, medical clinic, pharmacy, and a few basic restaurants and cabinas for lodging.
Nearby places of interest
Caño Negro Wildlife RefugeCaño Negro Wildlife Refuge
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is a Wildlife refuge, part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, in the northern part of Costa Rica twenty kilometers south of Los Chiles near the border with Nicaragua in the Alajuela province...
: a watery lowland of lush sloughs and marshes, a seasonal lake, and abundant wildlife. Boats can be hired at San Rafael for traveling 40-plus kilometers up the Río Frío to the reserve. The area is a birdwatcher's paradise. (52 kilometers northeast of San Rafael via Highway 4 to Colonia Puntarenas and Highway 138 to Caño Negro)
Venado Caves: a limestone cave of eight chambers, formed over millennia by a series of underground rivers. Giant spiders, swarms of bats and eyeless fish abound. Visitors must be accompanied by a guide. (25 kilometers southeast of San Rafael via Highway 4 to Jicarito and Highway 734 to Venado; the caves are located four kilometers south of the village of Venado)
Tenorio Volcano National Park
Tenorio Volcano National Park
Tenorio Volcano National Park is a National Park in the northern part of Costa Rica, which forms part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area. The jewel of the National Park is the volcano, from which it receives its name...
: just 15 kilometers northwest of San Rafael, this park is host to the "teñideros" where the famous Rio Celeste turns from a crystal-clear river to a magnificent light blue one. The river also cascades into one of Costa Rica's most beautiful waterfalls within the park. The park itself is teeming with lush tropical wildlife that visitors can enjoy during several hours of hiking.