Bagaces is the fourth canton of the province of Guanacaste, in the north of Costa Rica. Its head is the homonymous city of Bagaces. It has no outlet to the sea but it is the canton that adjoins with more similar ones in the province, because it shares boundaries with Upala, Liberia, Carrillo, Cañas, Nicoya and in a small portion with Santa Cruz. According to the 2011 National Census, the population of the canton was 19,536 inhabitants, of which 8.3% were born abroad. The same census highlights that there were 5,615 occupied homes, of which 53.3% were in good condition and there were problems of overcrowding in 6.5% of the houses.47.4% of its inhabitants lived in urban areas.
Among other data, the literacy level of the canton is 96.2%, with an average schooling of 7.0 years. The same census details that the economically active population is distributed as follows: Primary Sector: 29.2%. Secondary Sector: 12.6%. Tertiary Sector: 58.2% 15 km north of Bagaces is the Miravalles Volcano, with an elevation of 2028 meters above sea level and a crater of about 600 meters in diameter. Currently it presents secondary volcanic activity in the area called "Las Hornillas". On the slopes of this volcano, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute develops the Miravalles Geothermal Project.