Osa (canton)


Osa is the fifth canton in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica. Located on Osa Peninsula, the canton covers an area of 1,930.24 km2, and has a population of 29,892. Its capital city is Puerto Cortés, formerly known as Puerto de Caballos.

Geography

The canton begins at the Río Barú near Dominical on the central Pacific coast. It continues as a narrow strip of land southward to include the area around Palmar and Sierpe, finally widening to take in the entire neck and upper portion of the Osa Peninsula, where significant gold mining operations are located. As its name suggests, humpback whales and dolphins migrate into the waters to calve, mate, and to rest. Whale watching is available along the coasts. Isla del Caño is part of Osa canton.
The canton of Osa is subdivided into six districts.
  1. Puerto Cortés
  2. Palmar
  3. Sierpe
  4. Bahía Ballena
  5. Piedras Blancas
  6. Bahía Drake
In the canton there are conservation areas that are part of the Osa Conservation Area, such as Corcovado National Park, Ballena Marine National Park and Piedras Blancas National Park.

History

The canton was created by law on July 29, 1940. In pre-Columbian times was populated by Boruca which left legacies such as fields and stone walkways.