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Puerto Limon Costa Rica

Puerto Limon is the main city on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica. This Caribbean city is the most sparsely populated, least economically developed and most culturally distinct of the seven provinces. Many tourists and locals say that traveling to Puerto Limon Costa Rica is like entering another country. Limon city has always followed a different course of development with more influence from transnational companies or the Caribbean than from the central government or other Costa Rican national institutions. Puerto Limon was founded mainly by Afro Caribbean slaves that were brought to the Atlantic coast to work in the construction of the railway between the port of Limon and San Jose Many of these workers came from Jamaica and when they arrived in Puerto Limon Costa Rica they encountered deplorable work and health conditions. Once the railway was finished many of these workers stayed in Puerto Limon’s banana plantations working for the United Fruit Company. In the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth, the Afro-Caribbean settlers were joined by migrating Hispanics as well as a sizable Asian immigrant population. The city itself boasts beautiful architecture that you will only find here and nowhere else in Costa Rica. If you wish to stay in a hotel in Limon, you can view the available ones that are within the city, but most people head south to Puerto Viejo or Cahuita due to the greater variety of accommodations and things to do. In Limon Costa Rica there are cultural activities, natural hiking grounds hotels, limon restaurants and tours available there. If Puerto Limon is your stop on your Cruise vacation there are day tours available from this city to neighboring areas, ask our travel advisors for more information on this culturally rich destination.

The Atlantic coast is where Columbus arrived when he discovered Costa Rica. In 1502 he anchored near what is now the port city of Limon and provincial capital of the area. The Spaniards where amazed by the gold crafts worn by the indigenous people. This made Columbus believe the place where he had anchored was rich in gold, thus naming it Costa Rica. Today Limon city is a main port for tourism and commerce. Some say that it has the highest crime rate in the country while others point out that crime exists where you are not careful. Follow common sense safety precautions by keeping in lighted busy areas and staying off the streets at night. During the day you can walk to the central park called Parque Vargas, and see the sloths that hang from trees in the park. The central market is in the heart of the city and there is always action which is something interesting to observe in Costa Rica. Puerto Limon travel will give you a new perspective on this beautiful country. If you want to visit a beach while in this town, hop in a taxi or a local bus and head north a few kilometers to Playa Bonita, a small public beach. It used to be a coral beach until the earthquake in 1991 made the ground rise a meter above the water level, creating a new sandy beach locals come to enjoy. Most people decide to drive south to the beautiful beaches and national parks to the north of Limon there are many sharks and it’s mostly protected mangrove areas, so Limon’s south coast is the way to go.

On the road south to Manzanillo, almost on the border between Costa Rica and Panama, you’ll pass through Cahuita and Puerto Viejo. After this road was paved, tourism has been increasing. Beach real estate and business properties all along this road have risen considerably in value. Foreign and local investors have constructed relaxing beach resorts and laid back hotels. The tradition of small farming is dying out, as well as the self-sufficient lifestyle of the population. Although it is rough for the locals to change their way of life due to tourism many of those who didn’t have land for more than subsistence farming are now able to make a living off tourism. When you drive from San Jose to the Atlantic Coast you will pass through Braulio Carrillo National Park. This park has some of Costa Rica’s most breathtaking sceneries. Once in the coastal plains banana and pineapple plantations will stretch out beside the road, and you’ll be able to see some of the remaining working segments of the railroad. To see other activities and things to do in Limon Costa Rica browse through our site, which also has information on car rentals, hotels and tours, and you can easily make reservations online for all your vacation needs.