Cuilapa, city, southeastern Guatemala. The city lies in a bend of the southward-flowing Los Esclavos River on the southern flanks of the central highlands at an elevation of 2,916 feet (889 metres). In 1913 Cuilapa was destroyed by an earthquake; rebuilding was completed in 1920. Cuilapa is known primarily for its coffee and sugarcane plantations and for its processing plants. It is on the Inter-American Highway 40 miles (65 km) from Guatemala City and is about the same distance from the border with El Salvador. Pop. (2002) 14,028.