District · Esparza Canton
# San Rafael

San Rafael is a district of Costa Rica in Esparza Canton, Puntarenas Province. It had an estimated 1,701 people in 2021 on 34 km² (about 50 per km²). 8 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 14 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.
- 1,701 people (2021)
- 34.3 km²
- 14 mapped services
- 254 m typical elevation

## How many people live in San Rafael?

San Rafael had an estimated 1,701 people in 2021 — 4.4% of Esparza Canton, 425th of 472 districts. There are 957 women for every 1,000 men (below the Esparza Canton figure of 1,017). Spread over 34 km², that is about 50 people per km², 331st of 472 districts.

24.6% of people are children under 15 and 12.9% are 65 or older; the median age is about 34 years (it is 33 across Esparza Canton). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 60 children and older people.
- 0–4 141
- 5–9 135
- 10–14 143
- 15–19 115
- 20–24 119
- 25–29 102
- 30–34 134
- 35–39 118
- 40–44 105
- 45–49 87
- 50–54 108
- 55–59 96
- 60–64 79
- 65–69 78
- 70–74 50
- 75+ 91

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 Esparza Canton, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. It borders 7 other districts: Caldera, Jesús María, Labrador, Macacona, San Juan Grande, San Mateo and Santiago. By area it is the 241st largest of 492 districts in Costa Rica. It covers 15.8% of Esparza Canton. The centre of San Rafael is about 57 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 9.9847° N, 84.5994° 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

### Nearby, outside San Rafael
- Tecolote Hill · viewpoint, Macacona 4.2 km
- Antigua Iglesia de San Juan de Dios · ruins, San Mateo 4.6 km
- Monumento Simón Bolívar · monument, Espíritu Santo 8.1 km
- San Caralampio · monument, San Mateo 10 km
- Parador Fotográfico Orotina · attraction, Orotina 12 km
- Reserva Huaravito · nature reserve, Piedades Sur 14 km
- Minas del Aguacate · cave, Desmonte 14 km
- Zona Protectora Cerro El Chompipe · nature reserve, Hacienda Vieja 14 km
- Ecomuseo Minas del Aguacate · museum, Desmonte 14 km
- Playa Caldera · beach, Caldera 14 km
- Turu Ba Ri Nature & Adventure Park Aerial Tram · theme park, San Juan de Mata 15 km
- Paradero Turístico Doña Ana · attraction, Caldera 16 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) 43 km
- Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) · San Jose 50 km

### Nearest railway station

Salinas (Caldera), about 12 km from the centre.

### Daylight

Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:17) and shortest in Dec (about 11.5 hours, sunrise around 05:47, 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 8 villages, towns and localities in San Rafael. Settlements here lie between about 204 m and 391 m above sea level (median 254 m).
- Alto Corteza
- El Barón
- Facio
- Guadalupe
- Llanada del Cacao
- Paires
- Parcelas de el Barón
- San Rafael

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

5 rivers and streams.
- Quebrada Barón
- Quebrada Salitre
- Quebrada San Lucas
- Quebrada Vueltas
- Río Obispo

### Hills and mountains

3 hills.
- Alto Corteza · 470 m
- Cerro Porras · 283 m
- Cerro Pato · 281 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 Esparza 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 | Emergencias Clinica Esparza · Espíritu Santo | 6.8 km | Map |
| Bank | BCR · Espíritu Santo | 6.5 km | Map |
| ATM | National Bank · San Mateo | 10.0 km | Map |
| Petrol pump | Gasolinera C.G.N. · Espíritu Santo | 7.4 km | Map |
| Hotel | Cabinas Las Palmas, Paraiso De Esparza, Puntarenas · Macacona | 3.2 km | Map |
| Mall | Plaza Berdinat · San Rafael | 2.3 km | Map |
| School | Escuela Juan Jiménez Granados · San Rafael | 1.2 km | Map |
| College | UCR - Recinto Esparza · Macacona | 5.8 km | Map |
| Police station | Delegación Policial San Rafael · San Rafael | 2.4 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.
- Shopping malls 1
- Schools 7
- Restaurants 5
- Police stations 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 Esparza Canton
- Caldera
- Espíritu Santo
- Macacona
- San Jerónimo
- San Juan Grande

## Quick answers
- Where is San Rafael? In Esparza Canton, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
- What is the population of San Rafael? 1,701 (2021 estimate)
- What is the median age in San Rafael? About 34 years (2021 estimate)
- What is the population density of San Rafael? About 50 people per km²
- What borders San Rafael? Caldera, Jesús María, Labrador, Macacona, San Juan Grande, San Mateo and Santiago
- What is there to see in San Rafael? Tecolote Hill, Antigua Iglesia de San Juan de Dios, Monumento Simón Bolívar, San Caralampio
- 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? 8 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap)
- What is the elevation of San Rafael? Settlements lie between 204 m and 391 m
- What is the highest point in San Rafael? Alto Corteza (470 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit San Rafael? December to April
- Where is the nearest hospital to San Rafael? Emergencias Clinica Esparza, about 6.8 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest bank to San Rafael? BCR, about 6.5 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest ATM to San Rafael? National Bank, about 10.0 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest petrol pump to San Rafael? Gasolinera C.G.N., about 7.4 km from the centre
- What is the P-code of San Rafael? CR60204 (OCHA common operational dataset)

At a glance
- Type: District
- Area: 34.3 km²
- P-code: CR60204
- Canton: Esparza Canton

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Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/puntarenas/esparza/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.