Tilarán is the eighth canton in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 638.39 km²[1], and has a population of 19,045[2]. Its capital city is also called Tilarán.
The canton surrounds Lake Arenal (Laguna de Arenal) except for the lake's southeast end, which belongs to the province of Alajuela. The northern border is in the Cordillera de Guanacaste, touching the Río Corobicí at its northernmost limits. The south part of the canton is in the Cordillera de Tilarán.
The canton of Tilarán is subdivided into seven districts (distritos):[3]
| District | Postal code | Alt. (m) | Area (km2) | Pop. (2008) | Coordinates | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tilarán | 50801 | 564 | 138.78 | 8,869 | ||
| Barrios: Cabra, Carmen, Juan XXIII, Lomalinda | ||||||
| Poblados: Cuatro Esquinas, Chiripa, Piamonte, Río Chiquito, San Luis, Tejona, Tres Esquinas | ||||||
| Quebrada Grande | 50802 | 725 | 76.02 | 2,909 | ||
| Poblados: Barrionuevo, Cabeceras de Cañas, Campos de Oro, Dos de Tilarán, Esperanza, Florida, Monte Olivos, Nubes, San Miguel, Turín (part), Vueltas | ||||||
| Tronadora (Nuevo Tronadora) |
50803 | 600 | 122.27 | 1,986 | ||
| Poblados: Arenal Viejo, Colonia Menonita, Río Chiquito Abajo, Silencio | ||||||
| Santa Rosa | 50804 | 432 | 71.11 | 1,871 | Ángeles | |
| Poblados: Aguilares, Campos Azules, Montes de Oro (part), Naranjos Agrios, Palma, Quebrada Azul, Ranchitos, Santa Rosa | ||||||
| Líbano | 50805 | 280 | 71.23 | 927 | ||
| Poblados: Alto Cartago, Maravilla, San José, Solania | ||||||
| Tierras Morenas | 50806 | 685 | 83.46 | 1,326 | ||
| Poblados: Aguacate, Aguas Gatas (part), Bajo Paires, Guadalajara, Montes de Oro (part), Paraíso (part), Río Piedras, Sabalito | ||||||
| Arenal (Nuevo Arenal) |
50807 | 620 | 75.52 | 2,449 | ||
| Poblados: Mata de Caña, Sangregado, San Antonio, Unión | ||||||
The canton was established by law on August 21, 1923.