~CHIRA ISLAND FACTS~

~ Chira Island Facts ~

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Isla de Chira

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"Chira" Chira - derived from "Chi" (life's force) and "Ra" (the Egyptian meaning for sun)

Some say that Chira was the Island of the lady called Chira. It was an old indigene lady that people says her name was CHIRA, and was the first person living there. Others have said that it was a "Cacique", chief .
According to another legend, the island was originally given as a wedding gift to Princess Chira by her love stricken suitor, Nakaome, after he stole her from her Chorotegan tribe. Centuries later, around 3000 inhabitan from a party of attacking Chira Indians. For more History and Culture Background go here

Princess Nosara
According to legend, Nosara was a beautiful Chorotega Indian princess who lived along the Pacific coast of what is today Costa Rica. Nosara, and Curime, a brave warrior who adored the princess, sacrificed their lives to protect their tribe's religious icons and treasures from a party of attacking Chira Indians.
The story tells about a beautiful native girl named Nosara, daughter of the Cacique Nicoya. There was a big celebration going to honor the sun's grace. The Chira indians, a rival tribe took advantage of their party mood and decided to attack at dawn and take their treasure. When they arrived, Curime, a strong young warrior in love with Nosara the princess, together they decided to run away with the treasure to protect it. 
Nacaome the Chira's cacique, when he learned about Nosara's run away send his warriors after then, Nosara and Curime, tired stopped and feeling the enemy too close, buried the treasure on time before the Chiras found them and killed them. Until now the treasure lies somewhere here in this fertile beautiful land where the town of Nosara was funded and the Montaña and Nosara rivers run through it.
 According to legend, the island was originally given as a wedding gift to Princess Chira by her love stricken suitor, Nakaome, after he stole her from her Chorotegan tribe. Centuries later, around 3000 inhabitanfrom a party of attacking Chira Indians.

The largest island in the territory is Chira. Sitting at the upper end of the Gulf of Nicoya. Gulf of Nicoya: This extensive inlet of sea water is the result of a geological fault that has caused the land to submerge, leaving exposed only the tops of what were formerly low hills. These are the various islands that dot the gulf and include Chira Island. It is also the only island with a permanent human population. Although several smaller islands have residents, Chira is the only island with the necessary infrastructure--including electricity, and schools--to support its three thousand inhabitants. The majority of the residents are fishermen or subsistence farmers. Another interesting fact about this seventeen-square-mile island is that about half of it is a protected mangrove swamp.

Main Towns: Puerto Bocana, Jícaro, San Antonio, Pochote, Montero y Puerto Palito.

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Water to the Island

One of the factors that have changed completely the life of the island of Chira is to count on drinking water extracted of two deep wells in San Pablo of Nandayure (in firm ground) and carried by an underwater pipe (almost eight kilometers to the communities of Palito, Montero, EL Muerto beach , Pochote, San Antonio and Bocana.

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