District · La Cruz Canton # Santa Elena Santa Elena is a district of Costa Rica in La Cruz Canton, Guanacaste Province. It had an estimated 2,961 people in 2021 on 509 km² (about 5.8 per km²). 12 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 18 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools. - 2,961 people (2021) - 509 km² - 18 mapped services - 13 m typical elevation ## How many people live in Santa Elena? Santa Elena had an estimated 2,961 people in 2021 — 10.7% of La Cruz Canton, 371st of 472 districts. There are 1,025 women for every 1,000 men (close to the La Cruz Canton figure of 1,016). Spread over 509 km², that is about 5.8 people per km², 464th of 472 districts. 29.2% of people are children under 15 and 5.7% are 65 or older; the median age is about 27 years (it is 24 across La Cruz Canton). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 54 children and older people. - 0–4 277 - 5–9 297 - 10–14 292 - 15–19 267 - 20–24 255 - 25–29 254 - 30–34 252 - 35–39 240 - 40–44 192 - 45–49 144 - 50–54 117 - 55–59 113 - 60–64 93 - 65–69 64 - 70–74 42 - 75+ 62 Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, population 2021 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO). ## Where is Santa Elena? Santa Elena lies in La Cruz Canton, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. It borders 5 other districts: La Cruz, La Garita, Mayorga, Nacascolo and Santa Cecilia. By area it is the 15th largest of 492 districts in Costa Rica. It covers 36.8% of La Cruz Canton. The centre of Santa Elena is about 209 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 10.8923° N, 85.7291° W. Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO). ## Things to see in and around Santa Elena OpenStreetMap lists 8 named sights in Santa Elena: 4 beachs; 2 viewpoints; 1 national park; 1 nature reserve. - Guanacaste National Park · national park - Área de Conservación Guanacaste · nature reserve - Playa Gringos · beach - Playa La Virgen · beach - Playa Potrero Grande · beach - Playa Respingue · beach - Mirador Tierras Emergidas · viewpoint - Mirador Valle Naranjo · viewpoint ### Nearby, outside Santa Elena - Playa Toyosa · beach, La Cruz 11 km - Playa Escondida · beach, La Cruz 11 km - Playa Naranjo · beach, Nacascolo 13 km - Mirador Los Patos · viewpoint, Nacascolo 13 km - Hacienda Santa Rosa · attraction, Nacascolo 14 km - Playa Naranjo · beach, Nacascolo 14 km - Museo Histórico Casona de Santa Rosa · museum, Nacascolo 14 km - Mirador Santa Rosa · viewpoint, Nacascolo 14 km - 4x4 Tours CR · attraction, La Cruz 16 km - Playa Bolaños · beach, La Cruz 17 km - Hacienda El Cenizaro · attraction, La Cruz 20 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: Santa Elena - 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 - Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) · Liberia 39 km - Nosara Airport (NOB) · Nicoya 102 km ### Daylight Days are longest in Jun (about 12.8 hours, sunrise around 05:20) and shortest in Dec (about 11.5 hours, sunrise around 05:53, sunset around 17:22). 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 Santa Elena Open gazetteers list 12 villages, towns and localities in Santa Elena. Settlements here lie between about 9 m and 31 m above sea level (median 13 m). - Bella Vista - Cangrejal - Cuajiniquil - Junquillal - Las Comadres - Las Melinas - Las Vegas - Murciélago - Pueblo Nuevo - Puerto Castilla - Rabo de Mico - Villa Burgos Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features; © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements. ## Landscape and landmarks of Santa Elena Named natural and historic features inside Santa Elena, from the GeoNames gazetteer. ### Water 9 rivers and streams. - Quebrada Aserradero - Quebrada Herradura - Quebrada Jorco - Quebrada Limonal - Quebrada Nance - Río Boquerones - Río Centeno - Río Pocosol - Río Potrero Grande ### Coast and islands 12 beaches; 8 headlands. - Playa Blanca - Playa Carrizal - Playa Danta - Playa Gringos - Playa Guarumo - Playa Mariquita - Playa Morritos - Playa Morros - Playa Nance - Playa Potrero Grande - Playa Respingue - Playas Coloradas - Punta Blanca - Punta Calavera - Punta Danta - Punta El Respingue - Punta Pilar - Punta Pochote - Punta Santa Elena - Punta Varas ### Hills and mountains 10 hills; 2 mountains. - Cerro El Inglés · 507 m - Cerro Canelo · 371 m - Cerro La Pava · 310 m - Alto Centeno · 274 m - Loma Nance · 273 m - Cerro Guachipelín · 253 m - Loma Higueronal · 247 m - Cerro Las Lomas · 226 m - Loma Quebracho · 155 m - Loma Calavera · 153 m - Loma Castilla · 132 m - Loma Boquerones · 120 m ### Forests and nature 4 nature reserves; 1 park. - Guanacaste National Park - Junquillal Bay Wildlife Refuge - Miravalles-Santa Rosa Biological Corridor - Parque Nacional Santa Rosa - Santa Rosa National Park ### Getting around 1 airfield. - Murcielago 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 Santa Elena and the best time to visit Using the climate of La Cruz Canton, the warmest month is Apr (average 29 °C) and the coolest is Nov (26 °C), after allowing for this place being about 158 m lower than the climate reference point (about 6.5 °C per 1,000 m). About 1,699 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Oct (363 mm) and the driest Feb (3 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are December to February. - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec | Month | Average °C | Rain mm | | Jan | 27 | 3 | | Feb | 28 | 3 | | Mar | 28 | 3 | | Apr | 29 | 26 | | May | 29 | 216 | | Jun | 28 | 221 | | Jul | 27 | 156 | | Aug | 28 | 215 | | Sep | 27 | 315 | | Oct | 27 | 363 | | Nov | 26 | 163 | | Dec | 26 | 14 | Source: NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29. ## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from Santa Elena | Need | Nearest mapped | Distance | | | Hospital | Clinica De La Cruz, Guanacaste · La Cruz | 23 km | Map | | Bank | BCR · La Cruz | 23 km | Map | | ATM | ATH Scotiabank Four Seasons · Nacascolo | 28 km | Map | | Petrol pump | Servicentro La Cruz · La Cruz | 23 km | Map | | Hotel | Hotel Holìstico Monteverde · Santa Elena | 3.7 km | Map | | Mall | Centro Comercial Don Prieto · La Cruz | 23 km | Map | | School | Escuela Cuajiniquil · Santa Elena | 7.6 km | Map | | College | Academia Nacional de Policía - Sede Centro Formación Policial Murciélago · Santa Elena | 4.7 km | Map | | Police station | Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas · Santa Elena | 7.0 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 Santa Elena Places mapped inside Santa Elena in open map data, by type. - Hotels 5 - Schools 3 - Colleges and universities 1 - Restaurants 7 - Police stations 2 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 La Cruz Canton - La Cruz - La Garita - Santa Cecilia ## Quick answers - Where is Santa Elena? In La Cruz Canton, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica - What is the population of Santa Elena? 2,961 (2021 estimate) - What is the median age in Santa Elena? About 27 years (2021 estimate) - What is the population density of Santa Elena? About 5.8 people per km² - What borders Santa Elena? La Cruz, La Garita, Mayorga, Nacascolo and Santa Cecilia - What is there to see in Santa Elena? Guanacaste National Park, Mirador Tierras Emergidas, Mirador Valle Naranjo, Playa Gringos - What time zone is Santa Elena in? UTC−6 - What currency is used in Santa Elena? Colon (CRC) - What language is spoken in Santa Elena? Spanish, English (main languages nationally) - How many villages are in Santa Elena? 12 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap) - What is the elevation of Santa Elena? Settlements lie between 9 m and 31 m - What is the highest point in Santa Elena? Cerro El Inglés (507 m, GeoNames elevation model) - What is the best time to visit Santa Elena? December to February - Where is the nearest hospital to Santa Elena? Clinica De La Cruz, Guanacaste, about 23 km from the centre - Where is the nearest bank to Santa Elena? BCR, about 23 km from the centre - Where is the nearest ATM to Santa Elena? ATH Scotiabank Four Seasons, about 28 km from the centre - Where is the nearest petrol pump to Santa Elena? Servicentro La Cruz, about 23 km from the centre - What is the P-code of Santa Elena? CR51004 (OCHA common operational dataset) At a glance - Type: District - Area: 509.3 km² - P-code: CR51004 - Canton: La Cruz Canton --- Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/guanacaste/la-cruz/santa-elena/ · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.