Montes de Oro is the number 4 canton of the Province of Puntarenas, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Located in the north of the province, it is one of the four cantons of the province of Puntarenas that has no limits with the Pacific Ocean. It has a territorial extension of 244.76 km² and is divided into 3 districts. It limits to the east with San Ramón de Alajuela, to the south with Esparza and to the west with Puntarenas. It was founded on July 17,1915. The head is Miramar. According to the 2011 National Census, the population of the canton was 12,950 inhabitants, of which 4.3% were born abroad.
The same census highlights that there were 3,929 occupied dwellings, of which 62.5% were in good condition and there were problems of overcrowding in 3.9% of the dwellings.68.5% of its inhabitants lived in urban areas. Among other data, the literacy level of the canton is 96.4%, with an average schooling of 7.8 years. For the year 2012, it had a high rate of human development according to the United Nations Development Program. Despite its natural riches, it suffers from unemployment and economic instability, as its economy remains eminently agricultural and livestock, and both are sensitive to market fluctuations. Rice production is of economic importance for the canton. Other growing economic sectors are commerce, rural community tourism and services. The auriferous wealth of the mountains of the region gives rise to the name of the canton. The church located in Cedral de Miramar is a historical-architectural heritage of Costa Rica.