Quepos

Quepos is the capital of Aguirre canton in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica, which is in Central America.

Manuel Antonio National Park is a small National Park just south of Quepos. It is a popular tourist attraction and well known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails (closed on Mondays).

The Campesinos Reserve is 25km east of Quepos. It has the longest hanging bridge in the region, and passes through some impressive natural landscape. There are several trails leading to natural pools, a waterfall and there are many points to enjoy gorgeous views of Manuel Antonio. The highest point in the forest has a tramway.

La Selvita Nature Park and Biological Reserve is situated minutes away from Quepos and the world-famous Manuel Antonio National Park. Here you will find some stunning scenery of rainforest and a huge range of flora and fauna. You can also enjoy the numerous hiking trails or a canopy zip line tour.

Orozco Art Gallery, downtown, offers Costa Rica's finest oil and acrylic paintings, beautiful hand carved sculptures, souvenirs and handicrafts.

La Playita is the last beach on the unbroken stretch of sand between Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio and Quepos. It is accessible only during low tide, unless you have a room at the recently-built hotel just up from the beach. La Playita is known for some of the heaviest surf around Manuel Antonio and is popular with surfers. It is also a gay-friendly area. It is characterised by a long, wide stretch of sand and large volcanic rock formations along the shore, one of which you must climb over to access the beach.

Activities on offer include skydiving, fishing tours, horse riding, tennis and boat trips.

Quepos is a mix of tourist-orientated shops, bars, cafes and local businesses. Each Saturday morning, a local produce market sets up along the beach.

Fresh fish and seafood, such as mahi mahi, tuna and sea bass as well as traditional Costa Rican dishes such as 'casados' (rice, black beans, plantains, salad, tortilla and optional meat), 'picadillos' (meat and vegetable combinations) and 'ceviche' (fish and/or shrimp with onions and pickled in lime juice) may be found local restaurants.

International favourites such as Italian, Mexican and American cuisine can also be found in town.

Cruise ships anchor and tender passengers ashore into the marina. From here it is a short walk into town.