Puerto Limon, Costa Rica Information
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica Information
THE CARIBBEAN COAST: emerging major tourism destination
Caribbean coast is emerging as a major tourist destination zone for ecotourism enthusiasts and visitors wishing to enjoy all the diversity Costa Rica has to offer. Traditionally, pacific coast has provided much of the tourism activities for Costa Rica, but growing interest in ecotourism, tropical flora & fauna, active sport & fishing tourism, conservation of endangered animals and cultural tourism has made Caribbean coast a major emerging tourist destination as it offers these attractions in abundance.
With the structural change occurring in tourism industry from "Sun & Beach" tourism to "Something more than Sun & Sand", the tourism market demands are increasingly seeking destinations that provide a diversity of opportunities and tourist attractions involving "Natural environment & Culture" as the emerging new markets for enthusiasts of ecotourism, adventure water sports and endangered flora & fauna. Caribbean is one of the major zones in Costa Rica to offer these and including traditional tourist attractions of Sun, Beach & Entertainment. Over the last decade Caribbean coast has slowly & steadily become a major tourism destination and increasing its share of tourism market of Costa Rica.
Caribbean coast enjoys abundance of Sunshine & Rain, making it a year round warm & green area. Out of 10 rain zones in Costa Rica, Caribbean coast is the 5 th making it neither the driest or wettest area in the country. Caribbean coast enjoys 1800 hours of Sunshine a year, avg 5 hrs a day. This unique balance of sun & rain weather makes it truly a natures paradise with an incredible amount of diversity in tropical Flora & Fauna to make it a major ecotourism destination.
Government has recognized this growth in tourism on the Caribbean Coast by increasing major public investments in tourism infrastructure involving Cruiseship terminals, City Center, Bus Terminals, Airport and Roads and in the protection of natural environment & endangered life. This growth is evident by the increase in ecotourism visitors to Tortuguero Canal zone, on the northern Caribbean coast, making it the number one ecotourism attraction; tremendous increase in cruiseship arrivals, from 3 in 1993 to 76 currently and bookings of 146 arrivals for year 2003 on the Caribbean coast terminals; arrival of international charter flights to the caribbean coast airport of Limon and planned expansion to make it a major international terminal for the country on the Caribbean coast; large public and private investment in commercial, industrial and Tourism related services; and revitalization and beautification projects for City center.
Ongoing government interest and investments in Caribbean region together with the increased focus on Caribbean economy & the political environment created by the new govt headed by a president who hales from the Caribbean; has made this region the fastest growing economy in the country.
LIMON, THE CARIBBEAN ESTATE OF COSTA RICA:
The Coastline Outside of Puerto Limon
Language and Currency
What is Puerto Limon Like?
What is the Weather Like?
Where Does the Ship Dock?
Where is the Shopping?
What is There to Buy?
What is There To Do?
Is There Anything of a “Don’t Miss Quality?
Are There Any Great Restaurants or Bars?
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica Port Reviews
Language and Currency
The official language of Costa Rica is Spanish, however English is widely spoken. The currency is the Costa Rican colon, but the dollar is widely accepted.
What is Puerto Limon like?
Puerto Limon (Splendour of the Seas docked)
Puerto Limon is a port city that at one time was a vibrant shipping port for the banana trade that flourishes around Puerto Limon. Abandoned, for the most part for the port of Moin some 10K to the north of Puerto Limon, the city fell victim to a savage earthquake in 1991 from which it has never really recovered. The cities rough appearance leaves some visitors with the felling that it is unsafe, but Costa Ricans are known for their hospitality and friendliness. However, one should be careful about wandering the city by one's self, as they would in any major city. The real reason for visiting Puerto Limon lies in the surrounding areas, as there is much to see and do.
What is the weather like?
Puerto Limon is tropical and as such, is hot the year around. With temperatures in the 80-s and 90s, the wettest months are November through January where rainfalls averaging 15 inches pert month are not uncommon. The driest months occur from February through April and then again in September. Be aware that it can rain at any time in this tropic environment.
Where does the ship dock?
The ship docks right downtown Puerto Limon so that one can easily walk into town just a couple of blocks away.
Where is the shopping?
Puerto Limon's Shopping District
First, there is an excellent crafts market within the compounds of the port itself. There are also telephones located there as well. The prices are great and the selection as good as you will find. Walking into town presents more opportunities at the open air market two blocks into town and then one block u0p the pedestrian street. The stores in Puerto Limon (with some exceptions on the streets adjacent to the port entrance) are selling primarily to the population of Puerto Limon.
Shopping may also be found at points where tourist congregate. We found excellent crafts at Playa Bonita and made a couple of purchases there of items that were not available anywhere else.
What is there to buy?
There are quite a few unique craft items to consider. We purchased several wooden boxes that were carved out of solid hardwood into designs with hidden compartments to hide jewelry and other treasures. They are actually very clever and unique and quite inexpensive. There were also lots of wood carvings and items, leather goods of all kinds, silver jewelry and the traditional souvenirs. Cashews are huge in this area as is cashew wine, a unique tasting beverage that you will not forget. HINT: If you are offered raw cashew nuts in the shell, do not bite into them as the oil in the shell is poisonous and will immediately cause a rash like infection on whatever skin touched it (I know from personal experience.)
What is there to do?
There are many different choices one has when visiting Puerto Limon. First the city is worth exploring even though it is not the perfect environment for carefree tourists. The open air market is interesting and the side streets are worth a visit. There are several Internet Cafes and communication centers. This would be an excellent port to take a ship sponsored shore excursion if you are at all squeamish about taking off on your own in a foreign land and do not speak any Spanish at all. That said, there are local tour operators and taxis set up right off the ship if you want to "do it yourself" in Puerto Limon. But, be aware that they are paying a premium to be there and will also stick you with a guide that expects a tip. Just outside the port gates there are a number of other taxis and tour operators that are not willing to pay to gain entrance to the port and will offer you more for less, as it were. Following would be the main attractions if you chose to do as shore excursion.
Folks looking to spend the day relaxing at a beautiful beach do not have to go any further than Playa Bonita Beach some 4 kilometers from downtown Puerto Limon. It is a short taxi ride, but be sure to arrange for transportation back to the port. There is a restaurant and bar here, as well as a small shopping area. There is also a rideable left break here for surfers.
Puerto Limon's Tortuguero Canal
One very interesting thing to do is to take a panga up the Tortuguero Canal to enjoy the wildlife and coastal scenes. The canal connects several rivers and parallels the coastline from just north of Puerto Limon all the way to the Nicaraguan border some 200 kilometers to the north. During the excursion one sees many different and unusual birds, cayman, bats, water plants and sometimes, sloths.
Tortuguero Canal Two Toed Sloth
The Tortuguero Canal also opens up miles of deserted coastline. Here is a shot of a beach that I took at one stop. There is a high potential for excellent surf in the area to the north.
Tortuguero Canal Deserted Beach
One option that is available from Puerto Limon is to take an all day excursion to Costa Rica's capital city of San Jose over 100 kilometers from the port. This is a great trip if you are new to Costa Rica as it takes in a national park, the city, some local communities and offers time for shopping opportunities.
The Rain Forest Ariel Tramway is one of only three in the world. This offers a tram ride through the canopy of a rain forest to see the flora, bird and wildlife. Be aware that most tours arrive too late in the day to really see many animals, which are normally sleeping midday.
White water rafting on the Reventazon River is an excellent class III rafting trip that may be enjoyed by everyone. The Green train is a narrow gauge railroad that operates between Puerto Limon and the village of Banaito where local crafts are available.
The "Crazy Monkey Canopy Ride"
To the south of Puerto Limon lies several great areas of interest. The Almonds and Coral Lodge offers the "Wild Monkey Canopy Ride" a unique experience for those that want an active way to visit the rain forest canopy. South of Almonds and Coral lies Manzanillo Beach with excellent restaurants and sandy beaches. Just a tad north lies Puerto Viejo, a large and primarily American beach community that offers great restaurants, restaurants and bars. There is also rideable surf in this area for surfers (mostly beach breaks)
Is there anything of “Don’t Miss” quality?
Yes, I would say that a ride on the Tortuguero Canal is fascinating and a unique experience not to be missed.
Are there any great restaurants or bars?
Not that I am aware of. Do you know of any?
Puerto Limon, Costa
Rica Port Reviews
(Click on the Review
you are Interested in Reading)
Special Report
Nancy Norris; Crazy Monkey Canopy Ride
Port Reviews
Horace Plotkin,
Full Day Tour with Charlie Soto
Marilyn;
Flores Tropical Garden tour
Ted Blank; Sloth Sanctuary and Canoe Adventure
John Watson;
Exploring Puerto Limon
Eddie Valmer; On
Our Own With Help of Local Travel Agent
Lisa; Jungle
River Pontoon Boat Excursion
Linda; Rainforest
Excursion
Bob Hersey; Ship’s
Tortuguero
Canal - Amazon of
Costa Rica
Greg & Glenda
Watkins; Rainforest Aerial Tram and Green Train
Emily Schaffer;
Jungle River Eco Adventure – Ship’s Excursion
Cuqui; Puerto
Viejo and Manzanillo Beach
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