Sámara 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
Nicoya
Nicoya is a Districts of Costa Rica, district and head city of the Nicoya (canton), Nicoya canton, in the Guanacaste Province, Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula. It is one of the country's most important tourism, ...
canton, in the
Guanacaste 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 ...
.
History
Sámara was created on 26 November 1971 by Decreto Ejecutivo 2075-G. Segregated from
Nicoya
Nicoya is a Districts of Costa Rica, district and head city of the Nicoya (canton), Nicoya canton, in the Guanacaste Province, Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula. It is one of the country's most important tourism, ...
.
Geography
Sámara has an area of km
2 and an elevation of metres.
Demographics
For the
2011 census, Sámara had a population of inhabitants.
Villages
Administrative center of the district is the town of Sámara.
Other villages in the district are Bajo Escondido, Barco Quebrado, Buenavista, Buenos Aires, Cambutes, Cangrejal, Cantarrana, Chinampas, Esterones, Galilea, Palmar, Panamá, Playa Buena Vista, Primavera, Pueblo Nuevo, Samaria, Santo Domingo, Taranta, Terciopelo and Torito.
Economy
Tourism
This region was popular long before the arrival of foreign tourists by locals in the immediate area for weekend enjoyment, and by "weekenders" and summer-home owners from the capital of San Jose. The quality of the beaches in Sámara and neighboring
Carrillo made the area a high priority region of tourism industry development for the Costa Rican government shortly after the opening of Liberia's
Daniel Oduber International Airport
Guanacaste Airport, known before as Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Daniel Oduber Quirós) , and also known as Liberia International Airport, is one of four international airports in Costa Rica. It is ...
. Because the beach is accessible from three of Costa Rica's four international airports, influential business owners and well connected landowners were able to secure government-funded improvements to the highway and beach infrastructure earlier than competing tourism regions like Nosara and Guiones, providing easy access to the virtually pristine beaches and calm ocean waters. These calm waters makes Sámara a well-known spot for surf beginners.
Transportation
Road transportation
The district is covered by the following road routes:
*
National Route 150
*
National Route 160
*
National Route 934
Sámara is located approximately 35 km from
Nicoya
Nicoya is a Districts of Costa Rica, district and head city of the Nicoya (canton), Nicoya canton, in the Guanacaste Province, Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula. It is one of the country's most important tourism, ...
, the economic and administrative hub of the region.
Access to Sámara is via paved roads. The paving of the final 35 km of the drive, Route 150 from
Nicoya
Nicoya is a Districts of Costa Rica, district and head city of the Nicoya (canton), Nicoya canton, in the Guanacaste Province, Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula. It is one of the country's most important tourism, ...
to Sámara on through to
Carrillo was completed in early 2006. Public buses operate between Sámara and
Nicoya
Nicoya is a Districts of Costa Rica, district and head city of the Nicoya (canton), Nicoya canton, in the Guanacaste Province, Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula. It is one of the country's most important tourism, ...
; express buses operated by Empresa Alfaro connect Sámara with San Jose.
Air service is provided by
Sansa Airlines
SANSA (''Servicios Aéreos Nacionales S.A.'') is an regional airline based in San José, Costa Rica. It operates scheduled passenger services as part of the former TACA Regional system, and was a subsidiary of Avianca Holdings. Its main hub is Jua ...
to the small
Carrillo Airport
Carrillo Airport is an airport serving Puerto Carrillo, a Pacific coastal village in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. The airport and village are east of Sámara village.
Facilities
The airport has a grass landing strip and a covered shelter ...
, about 5 km east of Sámara.
References
Districts of Guanacaste Province
Populated places in Guanacaste Province
{{CostaRica-geo-stub