If you like a place where time seems to stand still and less commercialized on your Costa Rica honeymoon, Puerto Limon is the place to be. Puerto Limon located in the south in the province of Limon and facing the Atlantic Ocean is the most under developed city in Costa Rica but that is exactly where the charm is as tourists both foreign and local are attracted to the old buildings and slower ace of life here.
The population in Limon Costa Rica is small compared to other cities in the country. They come from very diverse ethnic background with the early settlers being the Afro Caribbean folks who helped o build the railway tracks around the city. There are also a sizeable number of Hispanics and Asian immigrants who were attracted to the port business here and the port continues to provide a livelihood to many of the locals till today. Aside from the port, tourism is becoming a major source of income for the people here. With the pristine beaches, charming old building architecture, lush greenery, majestic mountains and romantic settings, it’s hardly surprising that many people choose to come here for their holidays.
There is nothing short of things to do in Puerto Limon and the Limon region. There’s the famed Tortuguero National Park where you and your partner can spend the day taking the guided tour to visit one of the most diverse and unique habitats in the region. It consists of among others beaches, swamps, rainforest and lagoons. The beaches of the park are also homes to the endangered sea turtles such as the Leatherbacks, Green and Hawksbill which is the main attraction of the park. The rainforest is delightfully filled with a variety of animals such as birds, jaguars and the unique sloth which is synonymous with the Central America rainforest. After spending a day of hiking in the rainforest, there is no better way to rest that tired feet at the spotless, white sandy beaches. If lounging around on the beach is not your idea of relaxation, there are the other activities that you can try such as snorkeling, scuba diving and of course surfing which is becoming a popular sport on this part of the Caribbean coast.
The other thing that you must do in Puerto Limon is to visit the Municipal Market or Mercado Municipal in Spanish. It is one of the largest and liveliest outdoor markets in the region and the perfect place to sample the many types of Costa Rica food and fresh tropical tropical fruits sold by the street vendors here. Some of the street vendors have been in business for decades. If you happen to drop by on the second week of October, you shouldn’t miss the annual Carnaval or Carnival which is the largest outdoor event in the city. The celebration is filled with the locals wearing colorful traditional costumes, display of colors, musicians, street performers and party revelers swaying away to the beat of the wonderful reggae and calypso music. Basically this is the only time that you can see Limon being turned into a boisterous and loud city.
The only thing which is a drawback here is that not many high quality hotels are available. However for those handful few, they have good service and value for money especially if you have a tight budget. One of them is Maribu Caribe hotel which is located on the Caribbean coast near the town of Portete in the Limon region. The hotel consists of African designed bungalows with some of them having a full view of the Atlantic Ocean. The rates are very reasonable and it starts as low as USD25 per night.
The other popular hotel is Hotel Playa Westfalia which is also located on the Caribbean shore with the great view of the ocean. Some of their guests have sworn that this is the best hotel in the province. The service and warmth of the hotel staff is well known and they are very prompt to attend to every need and requirement of their guests. The rooms are well constructed and equipped with comfortable beds and spacious bathrooms. The average rates is around USD80-90 per night but it is a small price to pay for a comfortable night sleep and wonderful service.