Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

The famous east coast of Costa Rica with places like Cauhita, Puerto Limon, Tortugeros and Barra del Colorado is a completely different thing then the west coast.

You can fly here or take highway 32 from San José and enjoy the amazing scenery while driving.

You can drive through Brauilo Carillo National Park and straight down to limón or go north and pass by the Volcano Barva, followed by Puerto Viejo and Sarapiqui.

The temperature stays around high 20s all year but due to rain almost the whole year, the clouds will give some protection from the burning sun.. The best time on the year (to avoid rain) is in February to Mars, and August to October.

You'll find restaurants scattered all along the road if you feel the urge for eating.

Limón is also the place where almost all of Costa Rica's bananas are shipped when exported. Crime has been found somewhat higher then on the west coast so beware.

The Beaches

Four kilometers north of puerto Limón are two small beaches. Playa Bonita with fine yellow sand, palm trees and some hotels. The water is not perfect for tourists though. Playa Portete has a dock where local fishermen land with their catches. Even further north is Moín where the government built a industrial harbor for freight ships back in the 1980's. Going south you'll find the most visited place, the beach Cauhita.

Cauhita is a quite large village with many thousands of inhabitants and is a hot target for backpacking tourists. It can be hard to find a rental in Cauhita. White san beaches fringed with coconut palms, a relaxing atmosphere and a calm Caribbean way of life attract a lot of tourists.

There are also several smaller beaches close by Cauhita. Even further south Talamanca is the place to go. Close by are Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva.

Sights of Limón

Cahuita National Park. Over 1000 hectares of land with more then 14Km of beaches, all with nice mixes of coconut palm trees, mangroves and dense forests, Snorkeling is offered all over the coast for those who would like to try it out.

In the south the Gandoca-Manzanillo Game Preserve is of interest. You can visit punta mona (Monkey Point), said to have received its name from Columbus himself.

Also plan a visit to Tortugeros and a trip on the canals. You'll most likely have to set aside 1-2 days for this trip as it is a long way to go. Make sure you bring clothes to change (after rain), insect repellant and clean drinking water and you'll have a much nicer time!

Not only will you find an extreme jungle here, you may also be lucky enough to encounter a sea turtle or two.

Parque Vargas in Puerto Limón with its tall attractive palms and other tropical trees, flowers and animals close to the waterfront is a pleasant way of enjoying the beauty of the tropics.

Eating

The food on the east coast is everything from local specialties, normal Costa Rican food, Caribbean food to French and Chinese. Be aware of the fact that not all food is compatible with all tourists!

Bars & Nightclubs

Night open bars and cantinas can always be found around the central parks in almost all Costa Rican towns. Puerto Limón is no exception. But many of these places in Limón should be avoided by tourists and single women should not be out after dark themselves without company.

Limón with Cauhita is different from other beaches. The much greener water on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica makes a nice contrast to the bluish west coast water.

You'll often find larger waves on the east coast as well.

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