Aguas Zarcas is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

of the San Carlos canton, in the

Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of the province, it i ...

province of

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Toponymy

The name of Aguas Zarcas, comes from the hot spring waters that could well be called "Aguas de azul suave".

History

From 1800, Germans, Italians and Spaniards formed the ancestors of Aguas Zarcas, the same ones that founded the Spanish colony. Its colonizers were in charge of carrying out bites in the mountain to facilitate the arrival to the inhabitants that came from Villa Quesada looking for a place where to live.

Geography

Aguas Zarcas has an area of km² making it the eighth district of the canton by area and an elevation of metres. It is located at an elevation range of 100 to 2100 meters above sea level. This great variation of altitude is due to the fact that in the South of the district are the mountain foothills of the Central Mountain Range, whereas in a northerly direction, the territory follows a clear descent towards the plains of San Carlos. It is located in the northern region of the country. It borders the districts of Cutris to the north, La Palmera to the west, Pital and Venice to the east. While to the south it borders with the canton of Sarchí. Its head, the city of Aguas Zarcas, from where it has an excellent view of the hills of the

Juan Castro Blanco National Park Juan Castro Blanco National Park is a National Park, part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, in the northern part of Costa Rica. Location Located about 100 km north of San José, to the east of Ciudad Quesada in Alajuela Pro ...

, is located 16.6 km (30 minutes) NE of Quesada, and 88.4 km (2 hours 20 minutes) to the NW of San José the capital of the nation.

Demographics

For the 2011 census, Aguas Zarcas had a population of inhabitants making it the second most populated district in the canton.

Transportation

Road transportation

The district is covered by the following road routes: * CR RNP 4

National Route 4 * CR RNS 140

National Route 140 * CR RNS 250

National Route 250 * CR RNT 747

National Route 747 * CR RNT 749

National Route 749 * CR RNT 750

National Route 750 * CR RNT 751

National Route 751

Locations

The 17 population centers of the district are: * Aguas Zarcas (head of the district) * Altamira * Caño Negro * Cerro Cortés * Concepción * Coope-San Juan * Esquipulas * Garabito * La Caporal * La Gloria * Los Chiles * Los Lotes * Los Angeles (Las Delicias) * Montecristo * Pitalito * Santa Fe * San Jose

Art and sport

The district is home to one of the country's Civic Centers, which are special sports and recreational areas, promoted by the government and supported by private entities, to promote citizen coexistence through art and sport.

Culture

Every year there are popular festivals in the community, where there are mechanical games and bullfights. Also must be mentioned a kind of horse riding call El Tope, in which the riders wear their best clothes on their colorful horses.

Economy

Poultry has an important presence, with chicken farms distributed throughout the district. Local crops of cassava and pineapple (along with citrus production from other districts) focused on exports form the basis of the local agroindustry, represented by processing plants and packing of tropical fruits and tubers. In the city of Aguas Zarcas, there are health, educational, financial, legal, lodging, post, car repair and construction services. Entertainment services are also offered with synthetic courts, gyms, swimming pools and nightlife venues. In terms of trade, the sale of fast foods, groceries, shoes, clothes, appliances and accessories in general stands out. Also vegetables, chicken meats and milk produced locally are brought to the center to be sold at different points of sale.

Striking sites

1-The central square has a historical Catholic church. Although, earthquakes have destroyed much of the original Spanish architecture in Alajuela, this beautiful temple still stands. With an old construction style, it is undoubtedly the most representative symbol of the community. It rises impeccably in the center of the town, dominating the urban landscape and being observable from many points of the city. 2-Within the limits of the district, there are hot springs, the biggest tourist attraction in the surroundings (shares the deposits with the neighboring district of La Palmera). These sources of heated mineral water are not related to volcanism, but to the depth of where the waters flow, along tectonic faults.

References

{{CostaRica-geo-stub Districts of Alajuela Province Populated places in Alajuela Province