Puerto Limón, Costa Rica

Description — Puerto Limón, Costa Rica

Limon, also known as Puerto Limón, is a city on the east coast of Costa Rica, in the Limón Province. It is the administrative center of the eponymous canton. Population 105000 (2005). Area 1765,79 km². The city also includes a small island of Uvita in the Caribbean Sea, a few kilometers off the shore.

This is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community, part of which traces its roots to workers from Jamaica who labored here in the 19th century on the construction of the railway connecting San José and Puerto Limón. Another part of the population traces its ancestry to Nicaraguans, Panamanians, and Colombians who hunted turtles and settled on this coast.

Stretching along the Caribbean coastline, Limón offers a fantastic combination of mangrove thickets, pristine beaches, and tropical forests. This picturesque region showcases all the natural beauty that environmentalists are trying to preserve. Visitors can find many banana plantations and tropical jungles, bordered by the mountains.

The Limón Province is located in the eastern part of the country. It borders Eredia, Cartago, San José, Puntarenas, and the states of Nicaragua to the north, and Panama to the south. It is the only province in the country with access to the Caribbean Sea.

Climate

The climate in Puerto Limón is subequatorial, warm, with tropical rains. The weather at this popular resort is wonderful all year round: the average air temperature is +25 - +27 degrees.

However, you need to be prepared for the fact that in Limón there is a rainy season all year. Rainfall slightly eases in spring and winter-this time period is considered the best time to visit the city.

Lemon, Costa Rica
Playa Bonita Beach
Kaayita National Park
Veragua Rainforest Adventure Park
Tortuguero National Park

Location on the map

Sights

What to see

Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero is one of the most important turtle reserves in the world. It is located in the basin of the river of the same name on the Caribbean Sea coast and covers a significant area of about 31200 ha. The park’s territory is covered by rainforest and has practically not been touched by humans. Tortuguero beaches are key nesting sites for endangered sea turtles, such as loggerhead, hawksbill, leatherback and green turtles. In addition, three-toed sloths, jaguars, tapirs, ocelots, macaques, white-faced capuchins and spider monkeys also live here. The park protects them from extinction, as their natural habitat has been significantly reduced. Local waters are home to caimans, manatees and crocodiles, and 375 species of birds inhabit the treetops. The park is one of the best places for ecotourism.

Cahuita National Park

The park is located on the Caribbean Sea coast and is surrounded on one side by a beach with white sand and emerald water, and on the other by lush tropical forest. In 1970, it was designated a National Monument and covers 22,500 hectares, including 600 hectares of coral reefs! Of special note here is the rehabilitation nursery for sloths. Guests not only get to admire the funny sloths-with them, they are taken on an excursion through the tropical forest. With a specialist supervising, you can sample exotic fruits, inhale dizzying fragrances of flowers, and, at the end, personally prepare a package of bananas for yourself on the plantation. There is also diving available in the park: in these waters, you’ll see sea urchins, angel fish, parrotfish, and other marine inhabitants.

Beaches

Here you can find the best beaches in Costa Rica with white, clean sand. Among the best are the luxurious Playa Bonita beach, the black-sand beach in Cahuita (near the same-named National Park), as well as unforgettable beaches Playa Pirekiki, Playa Chiquita, Punta Cocoles and Punta Uva. Further south of the city are coral reefs with an incredibly diverse underwater fauna, perfectly suited for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Recommended excursions

Veragua Rainforest Adventure Park

Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure Park is located 40 minutes from the city of Limón. The park covers 1,300 hectares of private reserve, surrounded by rainforest. The park features the world’s largest display of unusual night frogs, and your eye will be delighted by the butterfly garden, the reptile garden, and the hummingbird garden. During a walk on the aerial tramway above the rainforest, you can enjoy the splendor of the area’s flora from a bird’s-eye view. You can also take part in a Canopy Tour-an opportunity to experience something extraordinary in extreme conditions, sliding along special harnesses on cables stretched between platforms located high in the trees. Equally exciting is a stroll along paths through the tropical jungle to a magnificent waterfall.

For a more detailed list of excursions and their prices, you can check them after booking your cruise in your “Client Personal Account”.