San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica and the capital of the province of the same name. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley, within San José Canton.

San José is Costa Rica’s seat of the national government, a focal point of political and economic activity, and a major transportation hub. The city is named in honor of Joseph of Nazareth. San José Canton’s population was 288,054 in 2011, and San José’s municipal land area is 44.2 square kilometers (17.2 square miles), with an estimated 333,980 residents in 2015. Together with several other cantons of the central valley, including Alajuela, Heredia, and Cartago, it forms the country’s Greater Metropolitan Area, with an estimated population of over 2 million in 2017.

Liberia is a district and the largest city in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica, located 215 kilometers (134 mi) northwest of the national capital, San José, in the canton with the same name, of which it is the head city or capital. It is a major center for the country’s tourism industry.

Liberia has been nicknamed la ciudad blanca (the white city) due to the white gravel that was once used to make the city’s roads and the whitewashed colonial houses which used to make up a large part of the city. It had a population of 56,899 in 2013.

Cartago is the head city of Cartago canton of the Cartago Province and is composed of the Oriental and Occidental districts, as stated in the administrative divisions of Costa Rica. It was the capital of Costa Rica from 1574 to 1824.

Heredia is a district in the Heredia canton of Heredia province, Costa Rica; as the seat of the municipality of Heredia canton, it is awarded the status of the city, and in virtue of being the city of the first canton, it is the Province Capital of Heredia province as well. Kilometers to the north of the country’s capital, San José.

The city is home to one of the largest colleges in Costa Rica, the National University of Costa Rica, which accepts many international students.

Monteverde is located in Puntarenas, Costa Rica’s Puntarenas Province. It is found in the Cordillera de Tilaran mountains range. Monteverde, located approximately four hours from the Central Valley of the United States, is one of the country’s most popular ecotourism destinations.
This area is home to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, as well as many other natural attractions that draw a large number of naturalists and tourists.