Quepos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Quepos
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District
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Quepos coastline as seen from Concepción, in the Tarrazú highlands, Costa Rica
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 Quepos
Location in Costa Rica
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| Country |  Costa Rica |
| Province | Puntarenas |
| Canton | Quepos |
| Area | |
| • Total | 235.81 km2 (91.05 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 19,858 |
| • Density | 84.212/km2 (218.108/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 |
| Postal code |
60601
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Quepos is a district located in the Puntarenas area of Costa Rica. It's part of the larger Quepos canton.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The town of Quepos gets its name from the native Quepo people. They lived in this area a long time ago, during the time when Europeans first arrived.
A Look Back in Time
This area was originally home to the Quepoa people, a native group in Costa Rica. In 1563, Spanish explorers, led by Juan Vázquez de Coronado, came to the area. They started a settlement called San Bernardino de Quepo. The local Quepo people were then taken over by Juan Vázquez and his explorers.
Later, in 1746, the remaining Quepo people were moved to a special area. This area was already home to another native group. Today, Quepos is known for its great fishing, especially for Pacific Sailfish. The best time for fishing these large fish is from November to April.
Where is Quepos?
Quepos covers an area of about 235.81 square kilometers. It is located at an elevation of 5 meters above sea level.
The town is about 60 kilometers south of San José, which is Costa Rica's capital city. If you travel by road, it's about 157 kilometers away. You would pass through towns like Atenas, Orotina, and Tárcoles to get there.
Local Communities
The main town and administrative center of the district is Quepos itself.
Other smaller communities and villages in the district include:
- Anita
- Bartolo
- Boca Naranjo
- Cañas
- Cañitas
- Cerritos
- Cerros
- Damas
- Delicias
- Espadilla
- Estero Damas
- Estero Garita
- Llamarón
- Llorona
- Managua
- Manuel Antonio
- Marítima
- Mona
- Papaturro
- Paquita
- Pastora
- Quebrada Azul
- Rey
- Ríos
- Roncador
People of Quepos
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 10,456 | — | |
| 1963 | 10,228 | −2.2% | |
| 1973 | 8,767 | −14.3% | |
| 1984 | 9,093 | 3.7% | |
| 2000 | 14,925 | 64.1% | |
| 2011 | 19,858 | 33.1% | |
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Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos |
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According to the 2011 census, Quepos had a population of 19,858 people.
Getting Around
Road Network
Several important roads connect Quepos to other parts of Costa Rica:
National Route 34
National Route 235
National Route 616
National Route 618
What Drives the Economy?
Quepos is on the beautiful Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Its economy is strong and varied. A big part of it comes from tourism. Many visitors come to see its amazing beaches and the famous Manuel Antonio National Park. Tourism helps many businesses like hotels, restaurants, and adventure tour companies. This creates lots of jobs for local people.
Quepos also has a busy Costa Rica fishing industry. The waters near Quepos are full of fish like marlin, sailfish, and tuna. This attracts Quepos sport fishing fans from all over the world. The fishing industry provides jobs and makes money through boat rentals and selling seafood. This helps the region's economy stay stable.
Weather in Quepos
Quepos has a tropical monsoon climate. This means it has a lot of rain for most of the year. From January to March, there is less rain. But for the rest of the months, it rains heavily.
| Climate data for Quepos (1984–2003) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.3 (88.3) |
32.0 (89.6) |
32.4 (90.3) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.4 (88.5) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30.5 (86.9) |
30.4 (86.7) |
30.3 (86.5) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.8 (85.6) |
30.6 (87.1) |
31.0 (87.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.0 (71.6) |
22.0 (71.6) |
22.6 (72.7) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.1 (73.6) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.7 (72.9) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.3 (72.1) |
22.7 (72.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 45.9 (1.81) |
25.8 (1.02) |
40.0 (1.57) |
156.9 (6.18) |
389.0 (15.31) |
413.3 (16.27) |
444.9 (17.52) |
468.7 (18.45) |
544.3 (21.43) |
533.5 (21.00) |
349.0 (13.74) |
159.7 (6.29) |
3,571 (140.59) |
| Average precipitation days | 7.2 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 12.4 | 22.9 | 23.6 | 25.7 | 26.4 | 26.5 | 26.7 | 23.2 | 15.2 | 219.4 |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization | |||||||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Quepos para niños
