District · Turrubares Canton
# Carara

Carara is a district of Costa Rica in Turrubares Canton, San José Province. It had an estimated 2,298 people in 2021 on 221 km² (about 10 per km²). 29 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 24 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.
- 2,298 people (2021)
- 221 km²
- 24 mapped services
- 287 m typical elevation

## How many people live in Carara?

Carara had an estimated 2,298 people in 2021 — 33.1% of Turrubares Canton, 400th of 472 districts. There are 921 women for every 1,000 men (close to the Turrubares Canton figure of 915). Spread over 221 km², that is about 10 people per km², 451st of 472 districts.

19.5% of people are children under 15 and 8.7% are 65 or older; the median age is about 32 years (it is 34 across Turrubares Canton). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 39 children and older people.
- 0–4 151
- 5–9 149
- 10–14 149
- 15–19 150
- 20–24 195
- 25–29 260
- 30–34 213
- 35–39 173
- 40–44 159
- 45–49 137
- 50–54 136
- 55–59 122
- 60–64 104
- 65–69 75
- 70–74 50
- 75+ 75

Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, population 2021 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO).

## Where is Carara?

Carara lies in Turrubares Canton, San José Province, Costa Rica. It borders 7 other districts: Chires, Jacó, Mercedes Sur, Parrita, San Juan de Mata, San Luis and Tárcoles. By area it is the 72nd largest of 492 districts in Costa Rica. It covers 53.0% of Turrubares Canton. The centre of Carara is about 57 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 9.6827° N, 84.5350° W.

Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO).

## Things to see in and around Carara

### Nearby, outside Carara
- Rain Forest Adventures - Pacific · attraction, Jacó 8.1 km
- Catarata Manantial de Agua Viva · waterfall, Tárcoles 9.8 km
- Canopy Vista Los Sueños · attraction, Jacó 10 km
- Condominio Sonesta · ruins, Jacó 12 km
- Carara National Park · national park, San Juan de Mata 13 km
- Butterfly · attraction, Tárcoles 13 km
- Donde Miro · viewpoint, Jacó 13 km
- El Miro Ruins · ruins, Jacó 13 km
- Playa Escondida · beach, Jacó 14 km
- Mariposario · attraction, Tárcoles 14 km
- Playa Limoncito · beach, Tárcoles 14 km
- Jacó Viewpoint · viewpoint, Jacó 14 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: Carara
- 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) 50 km
- Quepos Managua Airport (XQP) · Quepos 52 km

### Nearest railway station

Salinas (Caldera), about 32 km from the centre.

### Daylight

Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:17) and shortest in Dec (about 11.6 hours, sunrise around 05:46, sunset around 17:20).

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 Carara

Open gazetteers list 29 villages, towns and localities in Carara. Settlements here lie between about 31 m and 549 m above sea level (median 287 m).
- Alto Espavel
- Bijagual
- Bijagualito
- Carara
- Cima
- Delicias
- El Sur
- Esperanza
- Fila Negra
- Galán
- La Cima
- La Esperanza
- La Pavona
- La Trampa
- Lajas
- Las Delicias
- Mata de Plátano
- Montelimar
- Pacayal
- Pavona
- Playa Bonita
- Quina
- Río Negro
- San Francisco
- San Gabriel
- San Isidro
- San Jerónimo
- Sur
- Tulín

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features; © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements.

## Landscape and landmarks of Carara

Named natural and historic features inside Carara, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

24 rivers and streams.
- Quebrada Altos
- Quebrada Bijagua
- Quebrada Bijagual
- Quebrada Blanco
- Quebrada Charca
- Quebrada Cimarrada
- Quebrada Colacha
- Quebrada Crucero
- Quebrada Espavel
- Quebrada Eta
- Quebrada Gemelas
- Quebrada Lajas
- Quebrada Pavona
- Quebrada Pedregosa
- Quebrada Plata
- Quebrada Quina
- Quebrada Sitios
- Quebrada Turrubaritos
- Río Bijagualito
- Río Danta
- Río Esperanza
- Río Galán
- Río Gamalotillo
- Río San Francisco

### Hills and mountains

3 hills; 2 mountains.
- Cerro Bijagualito · 613 m
- Cerro Bola · 429 m
- Alto Sitios · 345 m
- Alto El Encanto · 128 m
- Alto Encanto · 110 m

### Forests and nature

1 wildlife reserve.
- Refugio de Vida Silvestre Fernando Castro C.

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 Carara and the best time to visit

Using the climate of Turrubares Canton, the warmest month is Mar (average 28 °C) and the coolest is Oct (25 °C). About 2,288 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Oct (337 mm) and the driest Feb (29 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 | 26 | 51 |
| Feb | 27 | 29 |
| Mar | 28 | 39 |
| Apr | 28 | 108 |
| May | 27 | 277 |
| Jun | 26 | 265 |
| Jul | 26 | 281 |
| Aug | 26 | 268 |
| Sep | 26 | 294 |
| Oct | 25 | 337 |
| Nov | 25 | 235 |
| Dec | 26 | 104 |

Source: NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29.

## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from Carara
| Need | Nearest mapped | Distance | |
| Hospital | Clinica 611 Medicina y Fisioterapia. · Jacó | 11 km | Map |
| Bank | National Bank · Jacó | 12 km | Map |
| ATM | Scotiabank · Jacó | 13 km | Map |
| Petrol pump | Servicentro Jacó · Jacó | 11 km | Map |
| Hotel | Macaw Lodge - Rainforest · Carara | 5.4 km | Map |
| Mall | Centro Comercial El Único · Tárcoles | 11 km | Map |
| School | Escuela La Esperanza · Carara | 2.8 km | Map |
| College | Liceo Rural de Tárcoles · Tárcoles | 14 km | Map |
| Police station | Delegación Policial Carara · Carara | 6.2 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 Carara

Places mapped inside Carara in open map data, by type.
- Hotels 6
- Schools 14
- Restaurants 3
- 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 Turrubares Canton
- San Juan de Mata
- San Luis
- San Pablo
- San Pedro

## Quick answers
- Where is Carara? In Turrubares Canton, San José Province, Costa Rica
- What is the population of Carara? 2,298 (2021 estimate)
- What is the median age in Carara? About 32 years (2021 estimate)
- What is the population density of Carara? About 10 people per km²
- What borders Carara? Chires, Jacó, Mercedes Sur, Parrita, San Juan de Mata, San Luis and Tárcoles
- What is there to see in Carara? Rain Forest Adventures - Pacific, Catarata Manantial de Agua Viva, Canopy Vista Los Sueños, Condominio Sonesta
- What time zone is Carara in? UTC−6
- What currency is used in Carara? Colon (CRC)
- What language is spoken in Carara? Spanish, English (main languages nationally)
- How many villages are in Carara? 29 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap)
- What is the elevation of Carara? Settlements lie between 31 m and 549 m
- What is the highest point in Carara? Cerro Bijagualito (613 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Carara? December to April
- Where is the nearest hospital to Carara? Clinica 611 Medicina y Fisioterapia., about 11 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest bank to Carara? National Bank, about 12 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest ATM to Carara? Scotiabank, about 13 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest petrol pump to Carara? Servicentro Jacó, about 11 km from the centre
- What is the P-code of Carara? CR11605 (OCHA common operational dataset)

At a glance
- Type: District
- Area: 220.6 km²
- P-code: CR11605
- Canton: Turrubares Canton

---
Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/san-jose/turrubares/carara/ · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.