The Guarco, is the canton number 8 and is the last to be constituted as such in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica. It is located basically along the first foothills of the Talamanca mountain range, in its slope of the Caribbean Sea, this mountainous system being a natural watershed. It has an elongated shape, slightly rectangular and an extension of 167.69 km². The capital city is El Tejar, which is located approximately 2 kilometers southwest of the city of Cartago, in the Guarco Valley, so it is part of its metropolitan area. This city and its respective district, concentrate little more than 65% of the total population of the canton.
According to the 2011 National Census, the population of the canton was 41,793 inhabitants, of which 2.8% were born abroad. The same census highlights that there were 10,831 occupied dwellings, of which 73.2% were in good condition and there were problems of overcrowding in 2.5% of the dwellings.87.7% of its inhabitants lived in urban areas. Among other data, the literacy level of the canton is 98.4%, with an average schooling of 8.3 years. The 2011 National Census details that the economically active population is distributed as follows: Primary Sector: 12.1%. Secondary Sector: 28.7%. Tertiary Sector: 59.2%.