Nekokiaw

Nicoya was an important Indigenous center on the peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and the gulf that bears its name. Its inhabitants belonged to a region with close cultural ties to Mesoamerica; Spanish observers described a complex society with specialized groups. The settlement gave its name to a wider district whose history developed separately from that of the Central Valley.

Gil González Dávila reached Nicoya during his expedition along the Pacific coast in 1523. Spanish accounts describe his meeting with the local ruler, the exchange of gold and the baptism of many inhabitants. In 1529 the territory was incorporated into the newly created province of Nicaragua. Centuries later, in 1824, Nicoya joined Costa Rica, bringing a long period of separate colonial administration to an end.

The later city of Liberia lies here.