Tilarán is a canton in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica . The head city is in Tilarán district.
6-587: Tilarán was created on 21 August 1923 by decree 170. Tilarán has an area of 638.39 km² and a mean elevation of 579 metres. The canton surrounds Lake Arenal except for the lake's southeast end, which belongs to the province of Alajuela . The northern border is in the Cordillera de Guanacaste , touching the Corobicí River at its northernmost limits. The southern part of the canton is in the Cordillera de Tilarán (mountain range). The canton of Tilarán
12-562: A natural lake, Lake Arenal was tripled in size with the 1979 construction of the Presa Sangregado Dam at its northern end. All land below the 550-meter level was expropriated by the Costa Rican government. The old towns of Arenal and Tronadora now lie at the bottom of the lake; their residents were resettled in the new town of Arenal to the northeast. The dam also displaced a large cattle operation, Hacienda La Rosita, which
18-621: Is subdivided into the following districts : For the 2011 census , Tilarán had a population of 19,640 inhabitants. The canton is covered by the following road routes: This Costa Rican location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lake Arenal Lake Arenal ( Spanish : Lago Arenal ) is a lake in the northern highlands of Costa Rica . It is the largest lake in Costa Rica at 85-square-kilometre (33 sq mi). Its depth varies between 30 and 60 meters (100–200 feet) seasonally. Originally
24-494: The world's foremost windsurfing and kite surfing areas. Wakeboarding is gaining popularity in Costa Rica, with Lake Arenal being the center of this activity. Stand up paddling and kayaking are also popular activities for tourists visiting the lake's Eastern part near the earthen dam. There is much good fishing (primarily for rainbow bass) and now kayak fishing opportunities in the shallow and secluded coves. The area surrounding
30-475: Was a driving force behind Costa Rica's green energy policy. Fish species in Lake Arenal include the machaca and the rainbow bass . There are also many species of plants, 120 of mammals (including jaguar and tapir ), and 300 of birds (including quetzal ). From November through April the strong, dependable winds attract windsurfers and kite surfers to its western end. Many consider Lake Arenal one of
36-450: Was owned and operated by P. Eckrich & Sons, a subsidiary of the U.S. corporation Beatrice Foods . Hacienda La Rosita occupied most of the land that is now Lake Arenal as well as additional land surrounding the lake. The Presa Sangregado Dam hydroelectric project at the western end of the lake is strategically important to Costa Rica. It initially generated 70% of the country's electricity, though now it generates closer to 17%. It
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