Limon Travel Guide
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160km (99 miles) E of San José; 55km (34 miles) N of Puerto Viejo
It was just offshore from present-day Limón, in the lee of Isla Uvita, that Christopher Columbus is believed to have anchored in 1502, on his fourth and last voyage to the New World. He felt that this was potentially a very rich land and named it Costa Rica (Rich Coast), but it never quite lived up to his expectations.
The spot where he anchored, however, has proved over the centuries to be the best port on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, so his judgment wasn't all bad. From here the first bananas were shipped to North America in the late 19th century. Today Limón is primarily a rough-and-tumble port city that ships millions of pounds of bananas northward every year and accepts a fair share of the country's ocean-borne imports and a modest number of cruise-ship callings.
Limón is not generally considered a tourist destination, and I don't recommend it except during Carnaval or as a brief logistical stop on your way to someplace else. Most travelers use it primarily as a gateway to Tortuguero to the north or the beaches of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo to the south.
If you do spend some time in Limón, you can take a seat in Parque Vargas along the seawall and watch the city's citizens go about their business. There are even some sloths living in the trees here -- maybe you'll spot them. Take a walk around town if you're interested in architecture. When banana shipments built this port, many local merchants erected elaborately decorated buildings, several of which have survived the city's many earthquakes. There's a certain charm in the town's fallen grace, drooping balconies, rotting woodwork, and chipped paint. Just be careful, particularly after dark and outside of the city center -- Limón has earned a reputation for frequent muggings and robberies.
If you want to get in some beach time while you're in Limón, hop in a taxi or a local bus and head north a few kilometers to Playa Bonita, a small public beach. Although the water isn't very clean and is usually too rough for swimming, the setting is much more attractive than downtown. This beach is popular with surfers.
