Bagaces is a canton in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.

In the Pre-Columbian era, Bagaces was home to the Nicarao people who settled in Guanacaste after migrating from Central and southern Mexico.

Evidence of Mesoamerican style markets and Jade showed that Bagaces had flourished during Pre-Columbian times.

[1] Bagaces is also one of the oldest settlements in early Spanish conquest in the 1540s.

Bagaces was a necessary night stop and later acquired fame because of its dry bisquist (Biscocho) and cheese (Queso Bagaces), an important supply for the long ride.