It is the sixth canton of Guanacaste. Better known under the name of the ¨canton del riego¨ (the ¨watering canton¨), as closely to the city the canals that water the different cultivations of this area go past, as well as those for the sustenance of the water for the cattle.

This canton was inhabited by the native corobicíes, who were led by the ruler Corobicí.
The place was discovered by González Dávila in 1522, where the friar Martín de Bonilla in 1562 evangelized between 600 and 700 natives. Before baptizing the place with the name of Cañas, it bore the name of Escarbadero. 

It is said that it was given the name of Cañas for the reason that at the shores of the river Cañas huge quantities of wild cane existed and that the people then settled down at the shores of the river.