Guápiles, Limón Province, Costa Rica

🇨🇷 Guápiles is a district of the Pococí canton, in the Limón province of Costa Rica.

Toponymy The origin of the name of Guápiles seems to come from the two rivers that run to both sides of the population, since they are said that they are "Guapes" (Twins). Whereas Pococí, name of the canton, corresponds to the name of the native cacique that inhabited this place to the arrival of the Spaniards. Other caciques that inhabited the region were Camaquiri and Cocorí mentioned in historical primers and national Literature.

History Guápiles was created on 19 September 1911 by Ley 12.

Geography Guápiles has an area of 222.63 square km or 85.96 square miles and an elevation of 262 metres or 860 feet.

Guápiles is settled to an altitude of 268 metres or 879 feet and is considered the main door of entrance to the Costa Rican Caribbean.

The main city is Guápiles, one of the country's major settlements outside of the Central Valley. It lies 64 km or 40 miles to the north-east of San Jose on route 32. The coastal city of Limón lies 99 km or 62 miles to the east.

The population centres of the district are: City • Guápiles; Neighborhoods (Barrios) • Cecilia • Coopevigua (1,2,3) • Diamantes • Emilia • Floresta • Garabito • Palmera • Los Sauces • Toro Amarillo • La Urba; Villages (Poblados) • Blanco • Calle Ángeles • Calle Gobierno • Corinto • Flores • Marina • Prado (part) • Rancho Redondo • San Rafael

Demographics For the 2011 census, Guápiles had a population of 36,469 inhabitants.

Economy At present (as in the rest of the Caribbean zone), the main economic activities are agricultural: banana and pineapple, sowing of basic grains and livestock activity.

There are regions of great tourist interest for the beauty of the landscape.

Transport: Road The district is covered by the following road routes: • National Route 4 • National Route 32 • National Route 149 • National Route 247 • National Route 249.