Puerto Limon is the Caribbean with it’s rich jumble of sights, sounds, and smells. It is a laid back place, very hot and steamy.  And rainfall is around three hundred inches per year.  A lot of rain!

The population of this region is a mix.  Afro Latinos who immigrated from Jamaica looking for work in the chocolate  plantations, Chinese came to work on the railroad running from Limon to San Jose (no longer in service) , and the indigenous people of this region called the BriBri who to this day live with  their tribal customs. 

Tourist to this area of Costa Rica are mostly young people from Europe. North Americans also visit but in smaller numbers. In October tourist come to Carnival,  a week long jubilant event of Caribbean music, dance, food, and parades.

The port of Limon receives the most cargo of any other seaport in Costa Rica. This cargo is placed on the backs of very large trucks and transported into the San Jose area creating traffic jams and honking horns. Several cruise ships make a stop at Puerto Limon. 

Puerto Limon is the spot where Christopher Columbus on his fourth voyage to the new world landed in Limon.   He and his men along with their four ships spent eighteen days here to rest and repair their ships. At this time Columbus was only fifty one years old and in poor health.

The Indians of Costa Rica welcomed them and pointed south to great mines of gold.  This proved to be a hoax.  Very little gold was discovered.  Sixty years passed before Spain sent settlers to the Limon area.

Today tourism is the main income of the people living south of Limon and also north of Limon along the Tortuguero Canals. 

How to get there?  A very good paved road goes from San Jose to Limon, and a fairly good road continues south from Limon to the tourist areas of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo.

You can take a public bus from San Jose to these tourist areas.

Also you can fly Sansa Air (small commuter flight) from SJO international airport to Limon and then a taxi to your destination.

Also many tourism companies offer full packages to visit this area, which includes transportation.

What to see and do once I am there.  This is an eco tourism destination.  Cahuita National Park with it’s lovely beaches is a must to visit.  Yoga retreats in the jungle draw young yoga enthusiast. Animals such as sloths, jaguars, monkeys, as well as hundreds of tropical birds can be seen here.    Also visits to the Bribri Indigenous reserve are now available.

 This is a very natural jungle setting with no high rise condos and hotels.  Hotels are small and mostly Europeans come because of the laid back feeling of no luxury, just nature and the natives  playing Caribbean music, eating Caribbean food, and  enjoying the Caribbean culture.

Beaches. Palm trees swaying the the warm tropical winds line the white sandy beaches . Many places along the beach are rocky so you need to seek out a safe place before entering the water.  Snorkel tours and also Scuba diving is offered by local tourism companies.

Weather  Rainy all year .  No rainy season or dry season here.

Here is a link to see the many nature tours offered in the Puerto Viejo area.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g309265-Activities-Puerto_Viejo_de_Talamanca_Province_of_Limon.html

also:    http://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/

I visited the Puerto Viejo area this year and I stayed at Samasati Rainforest Retreat.  I loved it.  Set in the middle of a pristine rainforest, it is famous for its yoga retreats, although I did not participate in the yoga classes.

www.samasati.com

for further question regarding a vacation to this part of Costa Rica contact

anncreed23@gmail.com           www.costaricalearn.com   (a travel company specializing in Costa Rica vacation planning