Palmares is the seventh canton in the province of Alajuela (Costa Rica). Located in the western Central Valley, was born from the migration of peasants from surrounding areas.

Palmares Valley is located in the Pacific tropics and being a transitional space is affected by the trade winds, humid and warm, they give an average temperature of 25.6 ° C. The dry season between November and April, is warmer and less rainy from August to October.

Palmares The name comes from a place where there is a plantation of palm trees. He earned this name because of the many royal palms that existed in the area before the area was populated. Today you can see many palms planted at the sides of the main access route to the city and Central Park.
 
DistritalesLímites territorial limits:

north and west by San Ramon
south to Athens
the east by the canton of Naranjo
 
Catholic District centralExisten inaccurate about the existence of an indigenous population of around 500 people in this valley by the year 1611, which was decimated by the arrival of the Spanish. For 1713 it is said that only 27 people lived in the area.

During the 1820s, the region remains unexplored due to the impenetrable forest that existed. This was known as the "valley of the palm" by many palms they had in the territory.

Its colonization in the first half of the nineteenth century was based on migration and family oriented neighborhood, late and rather dispersed when compared with other regions of the province. The need to seek new land for cultivation was the fundamental cause of colonization.

National law No. 68 of July 30, 1888 gives everyone the Canton area status.
 
View of Central District (2006) See: Population density in the cantons of Costa Rica

The cultivation of coffee and snuff ranged from a base early in the development of the canton, at present, also other activities such as wooden furniture, the cultivation of ornamental plants for export, the textile industry and production other grains (corn, black beans) and fruits (tomatoes, peppers) is also part of its economy.

In the central district has the largest part of the Canton trade, engaged in a large percentage of the sale of groceries, food, shoes, clothing, jewelry and accessories in general. In the remaining districts the height of this trade is lower, although with the passing of time has seen the emergence of restaurants, bars, small businesses and entertainment centers in different parts of the canton which are very attractive to visitors to Palmares.

Palmares are available in almost all communications services, from public phones, via the cellular network ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad), and Internet cafes. Palmares is covered by residential telephony services, broadband Internet (ADSL) and television (public and private), provided by companies nationwide as ICE, RACSA CableTica and SKY.

The central district has bus connections to all districts of the canton, also to San Ramon and San Jose Naranjo, using the Bernardo Soto Highway, which is part of the North American Highway.

Palmares is 36 km from International Airport Juan Santamaria in Alajuela (it takes about 30 to 45 minutes of travel by car).

Approximate distances from Palmares to different locations in Costa Rica
 
Autopista Bernardo Soto, leg in Buenos Aires PalmaresCiudad Linear Distance [1]-distance road [1]
Puntarenas 44.84 km 58.72 km
San Ramon, 5.21 km 7.14 km
Naranjo 7.49 km 12.24 km
Greece 13.44 km 27.86 km
Alajuela 24.37 km 39.22 km
San Jose, 40.52 km 54.06 km

This canton has at least one primary school by district, two public schools, one located in the central district called Colegio Experimental Bilingüe de Palmares, founded in 1958, [2] is currently the largest student population and in 2008 initiated the International Baccalaureate program [3].

There is also a school located in Zaragoza named Dr. Ricardo Moreno Cañas College, founded in 2000, and another private school called Colegio San Agustin.

On the other hand, is also home to three universities:

Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED)
Universidad Latina de Costa Rica
Universidad Metropolitana Castro Carazo
[edit] Green Mother
 
Indian sugar plantation in the CocalecaCon to protect the headwaters of the creeks and streams in the western canton Fundación Madre Verde born in 2000, which creates a forest reserve land in strategically selected, and the help of many citizens, students and businesses in Palmares, who made donations were able to buy a property of 40 hectares, devoted solely to the protection of these water sources, which will supply the canton for several more years.

With the protection of this area not only benefit is obtained by conserving water sources, but also many endemic species of trees, birds, reptiles and small mammals that inhabit the region.

The maintenance of this reserve is done by volunteers for the most part, and it is hoped that this will be useful to establish environmental education projects, research and development of ecotourism projects in the medium term associated with the strengthening of cultural identity.
 
Plaza de Toros (2007) Officially known as the Fiestas de Palmares Civic is a great festival held in this canton between the second and third week of January, is the largest mass event in Costa Rica, an estimated total attendance amounts to a million people every year. [4] [5] The event is organized by Palmareña Civic Association, an association made to raise funds for community development.

The attractiveness of these parties, rather than by tradition, is the fact that it is carried out at the beginning of the year and top the list of popular festivities in Costa Rica also are great concerts (some of them free) with important national and international artists, which vary every year, the Great Tope (Horse Parade in which races are rewarded and the air), the Festival Ranchero (ranchera music competition) and Carnival (held the second week of festivities ) and many cultural and sports activities for all tastes, and which can assist a lot of people.

Alcohol being one of the key factors to work in these celebrations is important to emphasize the great social work Palmareña Civic Association, as many of the funds raised are donated to social welfare bodies such as the Home for orphans Palmares.

Part of the atmosphere (and a big draw) in these celebrations has always been the consumption of alcoholic beverages such as beer and liquor (the name is popularly known in Costa Rica to liquor). This consumption can be done outdoors. This has made these festivities in a big attraction for people looking for massive events and entertainment, the level of other festivals worldwide [7] as the festival Ballermann (in Mallorca, Spain), Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany) or the famous Spring-Break (Fort Lauderdale, USA. UU.).

Although this has always been a major controversy over community complaints about the problems that brings this kind of excess, not the main disagreement in the activity, standing to the side because the biggest concern is the noise pollution, and insecurity about the increase in crime that brings the people the activity and the amount of garbage generated, although the latter two factors are always strongly resisted.

Since the year 2009 as the IAFA institutions have begun to promote campaigns to reduce sales of alcoholic beverages during activities, to prevent accidents and prevent underage consumption, the municipality and the Cervecería Costa Rica have cooperated by reducing the number of temporary patent granted liquor and reducing the amount of promotional ads respectively.