Escazú Canton

Escazú is the name of the second canton in the province of San José in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 34.49 km² [Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), 2001.] , and has a population of 56,001 [Estimates of Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), May 2003.] . The capital city of the canton is San Miguel de Escazú, although usually it is called simply Escazú.

Although the canton was one of the earliest established in the country, as the metropolitan area has expanded Escazú has become a suburban area on the west side of the national capital city of San José. It is delineated by the Río Tiribí on its northern border. The peak of Cerro Cedral in the Cerros de Escazú marks the southern limit of the canton.

The canton's urban areas are home to 79.8% of its population. Children under the age of 10 account for 17.88% of the population, while 6.05% are over 65.

The canton of Escazú is subdivided into 3 distritos (districts).

1. San Miguel de Escazú

2. San Antonio de Escazú

3. San Rafael de Escazú

History

Escazú was first mentioned as a canton in a decree dated December 7, 1848.

The name "Escazú" derives from the indigenous word "Izt-kat-zu", which means "resting stone". The story tells of Indians traveling from Aserri (south of San Jose) to Pacaca (near Ciudad Colon), who used to stop and rest at this location, which was about half way between the two villages. The first inhabitants were natives from the Guetaras or Huaca tribes. By 1755, villagers were ordered out of Escazú and moved to San José by force. From 1796 to 1799 the church of San Miguel was built with the cooperation of the people that had already re-established at this site. By 1801 the population of Escazú reached 1,325. On May 28, 1920, the government of Costa Rica granted Escazú the status of City, head of the Canton (County) of Escazú.

Popular legend tags Escazú as "La Ciudad de las Brujas" (the City of the Witches), leading to its municipal seal, a depiction of a witch on a broomstick flying over the surrounding mountains. The local football team is known as Brujas F.C.

Landmarks

Local landmarks in the canton include the Costa Rica Country Club and the MultiPlaza mall.

References