Costa Rica's Quepos Thrives as Sportfishing Destination

The coastal town of Quepos, Costa Rica, has turned decades of economic change into a comeback story that's benefiting both tourists and locals alike.

Once dominated by banana plantations run by the United Fruit Company, Quepos has reinvented itself as a premier sportfishing destination. Last year, one in four visitors to Costa Rica spent time and money in Quepos and the nearby Manuel Antonio National Park area.

The transformation centers around Pez Vela Marina, a modern complex that opened in the early 2010s. The marina accommodates nearly 200 boats, including vessels up to 200 feet long, and features shops, restaurants, outdoor movie screenings, and a newly constructed condo building.

This season alone, Quepos is hosting eight major sportfishing tournaments, including the Offshore World Championship in April. The marina has become a significant source of local employment and the new heart of the town's economy.

But Quepos hasn't forgotten where it came from. Just a two-minute walk from the gleaming marina sits the Zona Americana, a historic neighborhood with neat wood-frame houses dating back to the 1930s and 40s. These homes once housed United Fruit Company managers and workers.

Even more remarkable is Club Banana, a local institution that's been serving the community since 1939. The clubhouse operates as a restaurant, bar, game room, and gathering place where generations of residents have celebrated weddings, birthdays, and community awards.

The Ripple Effect

On a recent Friday night, Club Banana was packed with locals enjoying karaoke, pool, foosball, and ping pong. Diogenes Zuñiga Navarro, whose family has run the club since the 1990s, says they're not dependent on tourist traffic. The club thrives on community support, hosting events for all age groups.

While thousands of visitors flock to the modern marina each year, few know about the historic club just steps away. But that's exactly how Quepos manages its growth: by welcoming economic opportunity while preserving the spaces that keep its community strong.

As Club Banana approaches its second century of service, it stands as proof that progress doesn't have to erase the past.