Vázquez de Coronado, and commonly known just as Coronado, is the eleventh canton in the province of San José in Costa Rica. The head city of the canton is San Isidro.

Toponymy

Named in honor of the first Spanish colonial governor of Costa Rica, Juan Vázquez de Coronado, nephew of the famous explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado.

History

Vázquez de Coronado was created on 15 November 1910 by decree 17.

Geography

Vázquez de Coronado has an area of 223.93 km2 and a mean elevation of 1414 m metres. The canton of the highlands rises out of the suburbs of San José to encompass a major portion of the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range) and Braulio Carrillo National Park. The Sucio River forms the western boundary of the canton, while the Macho, Zurquí and Patria rivers establish the canton's limits to the east. The northern tip of the canton is marked by the confluence of the Sucio and Patria rivers. The canton is geologically formed from volcanic materials associated with the Irazú and Barva volcanoes. It has an irregular morphology with soils suitable for agriculture and dairy farming. Coronado has a maximum altitude of 1,510 m in San Rafael district and a minimum of 1,335 m in Patalillo district. The canton has rivers that descend to the Atlantic seaboard such as Sucio, Patria and Zurquí that also serve as boundaries with the provinces of Cartago, Heredia and the canton of Moravia respectively. In the Pacific slope, the rivers Agra, Ipís and the Virilla and its tributaries (Durazno, Macho, Quebrada Varela). The rivers Ipís, Durazno and Macho serve as boundaries of the canton, the first two with Goicoechea and the last with Moravia.

Government

Mayor

According to Costa Rica's Municipal Code, mayors are elected every four years by the population of the canton. As of the latest municipal elections in 2024, the National Liberation Party candidate, Yamilet Quesada Zúñiga, was elected mayor of the canton with 25.57% of the votes, with Oscar Delgado Araya and Luisa María Vega Matamoros as first and second vice mayors, respectively.

Municipal Council

Like the mayor and vice mayors, members of the Municipal Council (called regidores) are elected every four years. Vázquez de Coronado's Municipal Council has 7 seats for regidores and their substitutes, who can participate in meetings but not vote unless the owning regidor (regidor propietario) is absent. The current president of the Municipal Council is the Authentic Farmer's Party of Coronado member María Jimena Alvarado Zúñiga. The Municipal Council's composition for the 2024–2028 period is as follows:

Climate

The canton has high rainfall and a typical mountain climate, in fact, many Costa Ricans traditionally associate this canton with its cold climate.

Districts

The canton of Vázquez de Coronado is subdivided into the following districts:

Demographics

Vázquez de Coronado was estimated to have a population of 67,078 people in 2022, up from 60,486 at the time of the 2011 census. In 2022, Vázquez de Coronado had a Human Development Index of 0.801.

Economy

The main economic activities include dairy farming, dairy and agribusiness, coffee and other agricultural products, trade, and services such tourism. The municipality has a vibrant commercial activity of the most diverse nature which involves factories, supermarkets, grocery stores, private health services, agro-veterinary services, bank branches, clothing and footwear, electrical shops, restaurants, video stores, bars and more.

Public Services

Since the fire that affected Dr. Rafael Calderon Guardia Hospital Nacional in 2005, the Coronado Integrated Health Center serves 24-hour emergency and outpatient. Emergencies of all kinds are served and the center supports Goicoechea and Moravia cantons that do not have emergency services 24 hours, or on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. Currently the Directorate Medical Center is in charge of Dr. Rojas Cerna, and coordination of emergency services is in charge of Soto Porras, Charpantier and Rivera doctors.

Institutions

The canton of Coronado is home to important institutions such as :

Transportation

Road transportation

The canton is covered by the following road routes: • CR RNP 32.svg National Route 32 • CR RNS 102.svg National Route 102 • CR RNS 216.svg National Route 216 • CR RNS 220.svg National Route 220 • CR RNT 307.svg National Route 307 • CR RNT 309.svg National Route 309