By the late XVI century the inhabitation of the areas west of Cartago started, and from there on the colonization of the Province of Costa Rica continued during the XVII and the XVIII centuries, at a rather slow pace. Being a land lacking in precious metals or other valuable resources, Costa Rica was a rather poor place.
The colonial period in Costa Rica was different than in other countries. Colonists had to work themselves and plant what they ate, because native labor was scarce and the economic situation was very poor. Such scarcity even affected currency, which at times had to be substituted with the native equivalent cacao beans. By the end of the XVIII century the first seeds of coffee are introduced to the country.
By the beginning of the XIX century Costa Rica was part of the Capitania General de Guatemala, the administrative entity in charge of the lands of Central America.