Zapata is a small, gated subdivision mountain community in southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, with about 950 homesites freckling the western slope of Blanca Massif.

Zapata looks out over the expansive valley to the San Juan mountains on its far edge, and residents enjoy colorful sunsets and some of the most striking views in the area. The dramatic, ever-changing dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve are visible from many lots and common areas, and enchanting Zapata Falls is just down the road to the south. Across the street from the gated Zapata entrance is the historic Zapata Ranch, operated today by the Nature Conservancy.

Zapata is located near the Colorado towns of Mosca, Blanca, Alamosa, Fort Garland and Monte Vista. La Veta and Pueblo lie just over the Sangre de Cristos to the east, and Salida sits just beyond the north edge of the San Luis Valley.