Poás is the eighth canton of the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica. The city of San Pedro, is located about 35 km northwest of the capital San José, in the foothills of the Central Volcanic mountain range. It has an extension of 73.84 km² and is divided into 5 districts. It limits to the north with the cantons of Valverde Vega and Alajuela, to the south and east with Alajuela and Greece, and to the west with Greece. It was founded on October 15,1901. Its head is the district of San Pedro de Poás. According to the 2011 National Census, the population of the canton was 29,199 inhabitants, of which 7.5% were born abroad.
The same census highlights that there were 7,906 occupied homes, of which, 70.1% were in good condition and there were problems of overcrowding in 4.1% of the houses.57.9% of its inhabitants lived in urban areas. Among other data, the literacy level of the canton is 97.4%, with an average schooling of 7.5 years. The same census details that the economically active population is distributed as follows: Primary Sector: 16.8%. Secondary Sector: 24.4%. Tertiary Sector: 57.8% For the year 2012, it had a human development index of 0.713, according to the United Nations Development Program. The main economic activities of the canton of Poás are agriculture and tourism. The coffee that is produced in the canton of Poás is one of the most recognized in the country, since it is a tall coffee grown in a soil rich in volcanic material.
The canton is also known for the cultivation of strawberry, high quality thanks to the fertility of the land and altitude. Another outstanding product of the area is the palmito cheese, a Costa Rican Creole cheese made from whole milk with spun pasta. Ferns and flowers are also grown for export. A growing number of the population works in the service sector. In the canton of Poás one of the greatest natural wonders of the country rises, the Poás volcano, an active stratovolcano of 2708 meters above sea level, whose national park is the most visited in Costa Rica. The large number of water springs that emerge from the slopes of the volcano has caused the canton of Poás to be known as "the water district of Costa Rica".