March 16, 1579 Earthquake: Cano Island, Costa Rica
An earthquake struck Cano Island, Costa Rica on March 16, 1579. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- March 16, 1579
- Place
- Cano Island, Costa Rica
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 8.705° N, 83.880° W
- Country
- Costa Rica
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
"We set onward, March the 7, shaping our course towards the island of Caines, with which we fell March 16, setting ourselves for certain days in a fresh river, between the main and it, for the finishing of our needful business, while we abode in this place we felt a very terrible earthquake, the force whereof was such that our ship and pinnace, riding very near an English mile from the shore were shaken and did quiver as if it had been laid on dry land." (reference #273)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 4, 1910, Cartago, San Jose, Costa Rica
- April 22, 1991, Limon, Pandora, Panama, Costa Rica
- December 30, 1952, Costa Rica
- January 8, 2009, La Paz, Costa Rica
- September 1, 1955, Costa Rica
- November 20, 2004, San Jose, Parrita, Quepos, Costa Rica
- December 5, 1941, Costa Rica-Panama
- April 3, 1983, W, SE, Panama, Costa Rica
- July 3, 1983, San Jose, Costa Rica
- November 13, 2017, Jaco, Costa Rica
- December 25, 2003, Puerto Armuelles, Panama-Costa Rica
- July 10, 1993, Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica
- December 22, 1990, Alajuela, Santiago DE Puriscal, Costa Rica
- December 6, 1941, Costa Rica-Panama
- March 3, 1882, Alajuela, San Jose, Heredia, Costa Rica
More
Significant earthquakes of 1579The 1500sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 10243.