Some Facts
Canton No. 4: Puriscal
Capital: Santiago
Km from Santiago to San José: 41 km
Size: 553,66 km2
Habitants 1999: 33 000
Founded: 1868
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Districts
District 1: Santiago City
District 2: Mercedes Sur
District 3: Barbacoas
District 4: Grifo Alto
District 5: San Rafael
District 6: Candelaria
District 7: Desamparaditos
District 8: San Antonio
District 9: Chires
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History
Settlement of the canton began around 1815. The first chapel was built there is 1858 and in 1871 the present church was built in honor of Sanitago de Gales. This church was recently damaged by a wave of earth tremors that hit the canton. The region today known as Puriscal was formerly called Cola de Pavo. Its present name evolved from the word purisco which refers to the time the beans begin to blossom.
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General Description
The terrain of the whole canton is very uneven, but the soil is fertile. Unfortunately, it is one of the areas most affected by deforestation, which has exacerbated the problems of massive landslides, the washing away of topsoil, and others. The water is scarce in some areas. It is drained mainly by the rivers Turrubares, Pirrís and Grande de Tárcoles.
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Interesting Sites
A good highway links Puriscal to the capital city, making it possible to travel between the two points in less than an hour. Formerly the highway between Puriscal and Puerto Quepos was the only access route to the Central Pacific Zone, but it became much less important when the Costanera Sur Highway was constructed. The old road highway is still, however, the only road linking the districts of this canton.
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Climate
It is cool and pleasantly dry; its average temperature oscillates between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius.
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Cantons of San José
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