On the Caribbean coast, Puerto Limon and the province of Limon, Costa Rica, are the laid back avenues of rest and relaxation for resident and tourist alike.

The province of Limon, Costa Rica is mostly populated by the remnants of failed railroads, banana plantations and port workers. The railroads were the first to bring in immigrants from Jamaica, China and even Italy. These workers were brought to Limon under the helm of an American by the name of Henry Meiggs. Meiggs was charged with the management and construction of a railroad which was going to stretch from the capital of San Jose to the port of Limon (Puerto Limon).

Meiggs eventually brought his nephew Minor Keith in to reassess mismanaged Costa Rican Funds, and Keith, subsequently, became the major factor in the make-up of ethnicities in Limon, Costa Rica. Now the Caribbean coast has a distinctly Afro-Caribbean community and culture. The culture is remarkably different from much of the rest of Costa Rica in both festivities, art, dress, music and food.

Among the many national parks of Limon, there is Tortuguero National Park, Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge and Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. All of the national parks in Limon will offer up individual experiences, and the flora and fauna, although somewhat similar in places, will be of differing varieties, also. For instance, because Tortuguero National Park is located on the coast, it will have mangroves, canals, caimans, alligators, green sea turtles and exotic birds of paradise. In contrast, Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve will contain species of flora and fauna which differs a great deal from Tortuguero.

The number of large resorts in Limon is significantly less than the province of Guanacaste on the other side of the divide, but there are many little guest houses, bed & breakfasts, hostels, surf shacks and what not up and down the coast. A number of the lodgings in Limon, Costa Rica, consist of Casa Caribe, Mawamba Hotel & Lodge, Hotel Playa Westfalia and Cabinas El Oasis.

The beaches up and down the coast have much to offer visitors, too. Near to Panama, the city of Puerto Viejo and the beaches nearby offer laid back and serene beaches and beach communities. To the north, the beaches of Tortuguero National park are the habitat for green sea turtles, and are the preferred settings for watching this animal in its reproductive phase.

Capital City: Puerto Limon
Places of Interest: Punta Uva, Talamanca Mountains, Tortuguero Canal
Hotels: Casa Caribe, Mawamba Hotel & Lodge, Hotel Playa Westfalia and Cabinas El Oasis
National Parks: Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge, Tortuguero National Park, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Barbilla National Park, Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve, Chirripo National Park, La Amistad International Park, Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, Cahuita National Park
Beaches: Playa Cocles, Manzanillo Beach, Playa Limon, Playa Puerto Viejo, Playa Tortuguero
Airports: Tortuguero Domestic Airport, Limon Domestic Airport

Related Read:

The Province of Cartago in Costa Rica
The Province of San Jose in Costa Rica