San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
San Marcos department
San Marcos is a department in northwestern Guatemala, on the Pacific Ocean and along the western Guatemala-Mexico border.
The department's capital is the city of San Marcos.
History
Colonial period
The Spanish conquest of Guatemalan Highlan ...
of
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
.
A small town of 4,320 residents.
Red tiled roofs and abundant flowering trees are found there. It is located 13 km southwest of San Marcos. The English translation of the town's name is "At the foot of the steep slope." That is because the town is found along a winding, steep road from San Rafael which rises from 900 meters to 2500 meters in only 15 km.
The town is in the northern department of San Marcos, Guatemala, bordering Mexico. San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta is warmer than the rest of the department. As its name implies, San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta lies at the base of the
Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre (Spanish, 'mother mountain range') may refer to:
Places and mountains Mexico
*Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona
*Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico
*S ...
mountain range. There are many
coffee plantations in the area.
Climate
San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta has a
tropical climate
Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Am'').
Bird sanctuary
The municipality oversees a bird reserve called El Refugio del Quetzal. It is part of the Tacan-Tajumulco Important Bird Area and designated by BirdLife International.
Geographic location
Located 27 km west of
San Marcos
San Marcos is the Spanish name of Saint Mark. It may also refer to:
Towns and cities Argentina
* San Marcos, Salta
Colombia
* San Marcos, Antioquia
* San Marcos, Sucre
Costa Rica
* San Marcos, Costa Rica (aka San Marcos de Tarrazú)
...
and is surrounded by
San Marcos Department
San Marcos is a department in northwestern Guatemala, on the Pacific Ocean and along the western Guatemala-Mexico border.
The department's capital is the city of San Marcos.
History
Colonial period
The Spanish conquest of Guatemalan Highlan ...
municipalities.
See also
*
*
References
External links
{{San Marcos Department
Municipalities of the San Marcos Department