The northern mountain ranges are the Cordillera de Guanacaste and the smaller Cordillera de Tilarán. The Tilarán range abuts the Cordillera Volcánica Central that surrounds San José in the middle of the country.

The broad depression between the Central mountains forms the Meseta Central, a valley at a height of between 1,000 and 1,500 meters (3,289 and 4,934 feet) above sea level. The volcanic soil and temperate climate make this region the country’s agricultural breadbasket.

There are two very different lowlands to either side of these four mountain ranges. Low-lying mangrove marshes, rivers, natural canals and soft sandy shore mark the 212-km (133-mile) Atlantic coastline. The uneven Pacific coastline features a rocky base, with dramatic bluffs and hidden beaches.