Cantón de Parrita

Had anyone ever heard of a town named after a simple shopkeeper? Welcome to Cantón de Parrita, a place with just such a quirky origin story. Cantón de Parrita, the 9th canton of Puntarenas province, sits nestled on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, right on the road to the famed Manuel Antonio National Park. It’s surrounded by a vast African palm plantation, a testament to the agricultural heart of this region. The story goes that the name “Parrita” comes from a woman named Rita. She ran a small store in one of the early settlements. Packages arrived constantly for her, and the phrase “Es pa’ Rita” (It’s for Rita) echoed so frequently that it eventually morphed into the canton’s name, Parrita. Cantón de Parrita has a unique history. It was once home to the indigenous Huetar people, who were part of the Quepoa kingdom. European explorers, like Gil González Dávila and Juan Vázquez de Coronado, passed through this area in the 16th century. Much later, in 1924, a German entrepreneur named Agathón Lutz established the first banana plantation here, kickstarting a wave of immigration and development. The United Fruit Company later took over banana production, drawing workers from Nicaragua, Guanacaste, and the Central Valley. This influx of people led to the establishment of settlements like Barbudal and La Julieta, which eventually merged to form present-day Parrita. In 1941, during Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia’s presidency, Parrita officially became the ninth district of Puntarenas canton. Later, in 1948, it was designated the second district of the newly formed Aguirre canton. Finally, on July 5, 1971, Cantón de Parrita gained its full autonomy. The canton’s first church, dedicated to San Antonio de Padua, was built in Pueblo Nuevo in 1942. The current church, located in La Julieta, was constructed in 1967 and is dedicated to San José. Cantón de Parrita even has its own unique festival. Every February, the “Festival de las Mulas” (Mules Festival) fills the streets with music, food, and traditional celebrations, including a lively mule race. Today, Cantón de Parrita is home to about 22,000 people, 9% of whom were born outside Costa Rica. While African palm cultivation dominates the economy, tourism is steadily growing, thanks to the proximity of stunning beaches like Esterillos and the draw of Manuel Antonio National Park. So, as you journey onwards to Manuel Antonio, remember the story of Rita and her packages. It’s a reminder that even the smallest details can shape the identity of a place like Cantón de Parrita.