| Official Name: | Nicoya |
| Settlement Type: | District |
| Pushpin Map: | Costa Rica |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Costa Rica |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 200 |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Costa Rica |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Guanacaste Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | Canton |
| Subdivision Name2: | Nicoya Canton |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Eduardo Gutiérrez Rosales |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1523 |
| Established Title2: | Joined Republic of Costa Rica |
| Established Date2: | 1824-1825 |
| Coordinates: | 10.1062°N -85.4862°W |
| Elevation Max M: | 123 |
| Elevation Min M: | 3 |
| Area Total Km2: | 310.61 |
| Elevation M: | 123 |
| Population Total: | 24833 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 50201 |
Nicoya is a district and head city of the Nicoya canton, in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula.[1] [2] It is one of the country's most important tourist zones; it serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks.
Nicoya has an area of km2[3] and an elevation of metres.
For the 2011 census, Nicoya had a population of inhabitants.[4]
In early 2006, a group of researchers led by adventure writer Dan Buettner and supported by National Geographic Magazine, the National Institute on Aging, and Allianz Healthcare, designated Nicoya as a Blue Zone. This designation is granted to global regions that are characterized by the longest life expectancies. Among the ideal Nicoyan lifestyle characteristics cited by the research were the water's high calcium and magnesium content, intense daily physical activity, year-long fruit consumption, and close inter-generational relationships.
As of 1850, Nicoya harvested pearls for exportation.[5]
The district is covered by the following road routes:
Route 21 is the main road serving Nicoya, connecting the city with Liberia (76 km, north-bound). On the opposite way, Route 21 also connects Nicoya to the rest of Nicoya Peninsula, including Pueblo Viejo (exit to Route 18, and then connecting to Route 1), on the main way to San José (204 km vía Route 1).
Nicoya has also an airport for domestic flights with no current scheduled services.
The town was built in an old colonial style, in the Cordillera Volcánica de Guanacaste. Agriculture and cattle form the backbone of the city's economy, as well as the province which surrounds it.
While the town elected 61-year-old Lorenzo Rosales Vargas[6] as mayor on December 3, 2006, he was only able to serve for about a year before quitting for health reasons. Since May 5, 2008 Eduardo Gutiérrez Rosales has been holding the office as Nicoya's first supply mayor. They are both members of the National Liberation Party (PLN).[7]
A.D. Guanacasteca[8] is the city's major football team, having spent several years in the Costa Rican Primera División. In 2004, they sold their license and were moved away from Nicoya to become Brujas F.C., but were reformed a year later. They currently play their home games at Estadio Chorotega.
This area typically has a pronounced dry season. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Nicoya has a tropical savanna climate, abbreviated "Aw" on climate maps.[9]