District · San Ramón Canton # San Rafael San Rafael is a district of Costa Rica in San Ramón Canton, Alajuela Province. It had an estimated 10,783 people in 2021 on 31 km² (about 351 per km²). 23 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 47 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools. - 10,783 people (2021) - 30.7 km² - 47 mapped services - 1,090 m typical elevation ## How many people live in San Rafael? San Rafael had an estimated 10,783 people in 2021 — 11.4% of San Ramón Canton, 155th of 472 districts. There are 996 women for every 1,000 men (close to the San Ramón Canton figure of 991). Spread over 31 km², that is about 351 people per km², 181st of 472 districts. 19.5% of people are children under 15 and 10.7% are 65 or older; the median age is about 34 years (it is 33 across San Ramón Canton). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 43 children and older people. - 0–4 676 - 5–9 717 - 10–14 713 - 15–19 697 - 20–24 862 - 25–29 911 - 30–34 991 - 35–39 860 - 40–44 726 - 45–49 655 - 50–54 665 - 55–59 622 - 60–64 537 - 65–69 431 - 70–74 293 - 75+ 427 Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, population 2021 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO). ## Where is San Rafael? San Rafael lies in San Ramón Canton, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. It borders 9 other districts: Desmonte, La Granja, San Isidro, San Isidro, San Mateo, San Ramón, Santiago, Santiago and Zaragoza. By area it is the 258th largest of 492 districts in Costa Rica. It covers 3.0% of San Ramón Canton. The centre of San Rafael is about 44 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 10.0318° N, 84.4741° W. Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO). ## Things to see in and around San Rafael OpenStreetMap lists 3 named sights in San Rafael: 2 attractions; 1 monument. - El Rincón del Poeta · attraction - San Ramón's Letters · attraction - Monumento al Gran Poeta Ramonense · monument ### Nearby, outside San Rafael - Reserva Biologica Madre Verde · nature reserve, La Granja 2.6 km - Proyecto Abandonado Condominio Castillo Real · ruins, La Granja 4.6 km - Parador fotográfico de Palmares · attraction, Buenos Aires 5.0 km - Garabito, Cacique Huetar · monument, San Ramón 5.8 km - Mariposario · zoo, Alfaro 5.9 km - El Toledo Coffee Tour · attraction, San Isidro 6.2 km - Museo José Figures Ferrer · museum, San Ramón 6.2 km - Museo Regional de San Ramón · museum, San Ramón 6.3 km - Minas del Aguacate · cave, Desmonte 7.0 km - Ecomuseo Minas del Aguacate · museum, Desmonte 7.2 km - Mirador · viewpoint, Escobal 8.8 km - Mirador Monumento al Espíritu Santo · attraction, Palmitos 9.5 km Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements. Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed. ## Know before you go: San Rafael - Time zone UTC−6, no daylight saving · America/Costa_Rica - Currency Colon (CRC) - Country calling code +506 - Languages Spanish, English - Plug types Type A, B · 120 V - Driving side Right - Postcode format 5 digits (#####) ### Nearest airports - Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) · San José (Alajuela) 29 km - Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) · San Jose 38 km ### Nearest railway station Barranca (Barranca), about 26 km from the centre. ### Daylight Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:16) and shortest in Dec (about 11.5 hours, sunrise around 05:46, sunset around 17:19). Source: GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-03; OurAirports (public domain). Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling. ## Villages and localities in San Rafael Open gazetteers list 23 villages, towns and localities in San Rafael. The largest with a recorded population: San Rafael (3,624). Settlements here lie between about 913 m and 1,341 m above sea level (median 1,090 m). - Alto El Llano - Berlín - Calera - Chavarría - Ciudadela La Esperanza - La Esperanza - La Unión - Las Palmas - Llano Brenes - Los Parques - María Auxiliadora - Orlich - Orozco - Palmitos Sur - Pata de Gallo - Puente Hamaca - Rincón Orozco - Rincón de Mora - San Joaquín - San Rafael - Unión - Urbanización Tres Marías 1 - Zamora Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features; © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements. ## Landscape and landmarks of San Rafael Named natural and historic features inside San Rafael, from the GeoNames gazetteer. ### Water 4 rivers and streams. - Quebrada Calera - Quebrada Caracol - Quebrada Robles - Quebrada Rosa ### Hills and mountains 4 mountains. - Cerro Lorito · 1,376 m - Cerro Raicero · 1,255 m - Cerro Triste · 900 m - Alto Llano · 879 m Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features. Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate. ## Weather in San Rafael and the best time to visit Using the climate of San Ramón Canton, the warmest month is Apr (average 25 °C) and the coolest is Dec (22 °C). About 1,793 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Oct (301 mm) and the driest Feb (22 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are December to April. - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec | Month | Average °C | Rain mm | | Jan | 23 | 38 | | Feb | 24 | 22 | | Mar | 25 | 29 | | Apr | 25 | 76 | | May | 24 | 220 | | Jun | 24 | 209 | | Jul | 23 | 184 | | Aug | 23 | 198 | | Sep | 23 | 256 | | Oct | 23 | 301 | | Nov | 22 | 188 | | Dec | 22 | 70 | Source: NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29. ## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from San Rafael | Need | Nearest mapped | Distance | | | Hospital | Consultorio Médico Geriátrico · Palmares | 5.0 km | Map | | Bank | Banco Popular · Palmares | 5.0 km | Map | | ATM | ATH · Jesús | 11 km | Map | | Petrol pump | Servicentro JSM · Santiago | 4.6 km | Map | | Hotel | HelveTico Chalets and Reserve · San Rafael | 3.4 km | Map | | Mall | Badicentro · Buenos Aires | 4.9 km | Map | | School | Escuela Rincón de Mora · San Rafael | 1.0 km | Map | | College | UNED Palmares · Palmares | 5.0 km | Map | | Police station | Delegación Policial Santiago · Santiago | 3.8 km | Map | Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Straight-line distance from the centre of the division, within 40 km. ## Hospitals, banks and other services in San Rafael Places mapped inside San Rafael in open map data, by type. - Banks 1 - Petrol pumps 2 - Hotels 2 - Shopping malls 1 - Schools 13 - Colleges and universities 2 - Cinemas 2 - Restaurants 22 - Police stations 1 - Dental clinics 1 Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown. ## Other districts in San Ramón Canton - Alfaro - Concepción - Peñas Blancas - Piedades Norte - Piedades Sur - San Isidro - San Juan - San Lorenzo - San Ramón - Santiago - Volio - Zapotal - Ángeles ## Quick answers - Where is San Rafael? In San Ramón Canton, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica - What is the population of San Rafael? 10,783 (2021 estimate) - What is the median age in San Rafael? About 34 years (2021 estimate) - What is the population density of San Rafael? About 351 people per km² - What borders San Rafael? Desmonte, La Granja, San Isidro, San Isidro, San Mateo, San Ramón, Santiago, Santiago and Zaragoza - What is there to see in San Rafael? El Rincón del Poeta, Monumento al Gran Poeta Ramonense, San Ramón's Letters - What time zone is San Rafael in? UTC−6 - What currency is used in San Rafael? Colon (CRC) - What language is spoken in San Rafael? Spanish, English (main languages nationally) - How many villages are in San Rafael? 23 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap) - What is the elevation of San Rafael? Settlements lie between 913 m and 1,341 m - What is the highest point in San Rafael? Cerro Lorito (1,376 m, GeoNames elevation model) - What is the best time to visit San Rafael? December to April - Where is the nearest hospital to San Rafael? Consultorio Médico Geriátrico, about 5.0 km from the centre - Where is the nearest bank to San Rafael? Banco Popular, about 5.0 km from the centre - Where is the nearest ATM to San Rafael? ATH, about 11 km from the centre - Where is the nearest petrol pump to San Rafael? Servicentro JSM, about 4.6 km from the centre - How many banks are in San Rafael? 1 mapped - How many petrol pumps are in San Rafael? 2 mapped - What is the P-code of San Rafael? CR20206 (OCHA common operational dataset) At a glance - Type: District - Area: 30.7 km² - P-code: CR20206 - Canton: San Ramón Canton --- Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/alajuela/san-ramon/san-rafael/ · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.