Tarrazú is the name of the 5th canton in the province of San José in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 297.50 km²,[1] and has a population of 15,142.[2] The capital city of the canton is San Marcos.
The Río Pirrís (also known as Río Parrita) establishes much of the northern boundary of the three-pronged canton, which reaches south across the Coastal Mountain Range to its border with the canton of Aguirre in Puntarenas Province.
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The canton of Tarrazú is subdivided into three districts (distritos):[3]
The canton was established by a legislative decree of August 7, 1868. It was part of the Desamparados canton by that time.
Tarrazu is located about 70 kilometers south of the Capital San Jose, in a pristine valley surrounded by mountains that are part of the Talamanca Sierra in southern Costa Rica. Downtown San Marcos is 1350 meters above sea level but is surrounded by peaks as high as 3000 meters above sea level.
Highland coffee is the main source of income of local people. However, tourism, and Avocado are of increased importance. During the months of December, January and February, population increases three-fold due to harvest time. San Marcos, the biggest town in the region, has become the center of economic activity. More recently the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity has invested millions of dollars in the Pirris Hydro Dam, scheduled to start generating energy by March 2011. The Hydro Dam is now the highest structure of its kind in Central America and will be key to the economic development of the region, not only in the highlands but the coastal regions of Quepos and Parrita.
Following, there is a gallery of pictures that best represent this lesser known part of Costa Rica.
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