Puntarenas is the name of the first canton

Cantons of Costa Rica

This is a list of the cantons of Costa Rica.Cantons are the second-level administrative division of Costa Rica. The country's seven provinces are subdivided into 81 cantons , and these are further subdivided into districts .A unique feature of the cantons is that they are the only administrative...

 in the province of Puntarenas

Puntarenas Province

Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...

 in Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

. The canton covers an area of 1,842.33 km², and has a population of 109,798. Its capital is the provincial capital city of Puntarenas

Puntarenas

Puntarenas is the capital and largest city in the province Puntarenas, Costa Rica, at the Pacific coast. The eponymous and oddly shaped province has its largest section in the South, far from the capital.Some 100,000 live in the city and close towns...

.

The canton includes areas on both sides of the Gulf of Nicoya

Gulf of Nicoya

The Gulf of Nicoya is an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. It separates the Nicoya Peninsula from the mainland of Costa Rica, and encompasses a marine and coastal landscape of wetlands, rocky islands and cliffs.-Islands:*Chira Island*Venado Island*Isla Caballo...

. From the western coastline, the canton ranges eastward into the Cordillera de Tilarán to include the Monteverde

Monteverde

Monteverde, Costa Rica is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Located in the Cordillera de Tilarán, roughly a four hour drive from the Central Valley of Costa Rica, Monteverde is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica...

 region. The southern portion of the Nicoya Peninsula

Nicoya Peninsula

The Nicoya Peninsula is a peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and lies in the Guanacaste Province in the north, and the Puntarenas Province in the south. It is located at . It varies from 19 to wide and is approximately long, and forms the largest peninsula in the country. It is known...

 is also in the canton, including the popular tourist areas of Tambor, Montezuma

Montezuma, Costa Rica

Montezuma is a town in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica which began as a remote fishing village and has gained popularity since the 1980s among tourists on a budget....

 and Malpais

Malpais, Costa Rica

Malpais is a town in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica which began as a fishing and cattle-farming village, and has become popular among surfers and adventure travelers around the world...

.

The canton of Puntarenas is subdivided into 16 distritos (districts).

1. Puntarenas
   Puntarenas
   Puntarenas is the capital and largest city in the province Puntarenas, Costa Rica, at the Pacific coast. The eponymous and oddly shaped province has its largest section in the South, far from the capital.Some 100,000 live in the city and close towns...
   
   
2. Pitahaya
3. Chomes
4. Lepanto
5. Paquera
6. Manzanillo
7. Guacimal
8. Barranca
9. Monteverde
10. Isla de Coco
11. Cóbano
12. Chacarita
13. Isla Chira
14. Acapulco
15. El Roble
16. Arancibia