... Limón – A much needed Face-lift ...
by infocostarica.com staff

Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a darn good reason. For many years the Caribbean port city of Limón has been a way station, a place to pass through on the way to somewhere else. Its run down appearance and lack of sleek attractions have not helped endear it to the average tourist. But with dramatic redevelopment plans recently announced by the Ministry of Tourism, visitors willing to hop off the main tourist thoroughfares for a visit to this fascinating city will be in for a cultural treat.

The area’s first tourist was a guy named Colombo or Columbus, Christopher, I believe. The friendly residents of what would later become Limón greeted his arrival with gifts and stares of amazement, “where’d he get that BIG CANOE”? Confronted with a notable lack of infrastructure, language barrier and tight schedule, Mr. Columbus left for new frontiers, not however, before naming the “new” land Costa Rica, or rich coast.

The few explorers who followed Columbus, intent on finding silver, gold and untold riches, figured Ole’ Chris had drunk one too many fermented coconuts. All they saw were verdant rainforests with beautiful tropical birds and hundreds of species of plants and animals – nothing that would ever generate any real cash!

Thus, Spanish settlement of Costa Rica came not from the Atlantic but from the Pacific side of the country. The periodic expeditions organized with, at least in part, the purpose of establishing permanent settlements in the Caribbean region inevitably met with failure.

The real opening of Costa Rica's eastern frontier did not come until the second half of the 19th century. In 1867, the site for a Caribbean port was chosen, and it is said that growing on the spot was an old lemon tree, or limón.

To make the port accessible from the interior of the country, the government decided to construct a railroad and contracted the services of the North American entrepreneur, Minor Keith. Mr. Keith encouraged the migration of hundreds of laborers from the Caribbean to come and work on the railroad, creating a cultural diversity unique to Limón.

Today Limón is a cultural melting pot, with an eclectic ethnic mix of Jamaican, Chinese, Tico and Indigenous peoples. The city currently boasts a population of close to 100,000 people, most of Afro – Caribbean heritage. Spanish is spoken as well as a melodious English-based Creole, commonly called Patuá. The climate is warm and tropical, the surroundings are beautiful and the recent announcement of a $250 million, eight-year urban-renewal plan aimed at creating new jobs, attracting tourism and improving the quality of life has brought a new focus to the town.

Currently, the majority of travelers use the city as a gateway to Tortuguero to the north or the palm-fringed beeches of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo to the south. But for travelers with an adventurous spirit, willing to look behind the city’s rough and tumble façade for the exotic and colorful soul that lies within, Limón has a lot to offer.

Rich in local flavor and colorful characters, a visit to Limón’s downtown central market is the ideal spot to admire the city’s sometimes hidden vitality. Rickety stalls offer everything from fruits and vegetables to clothing and children’s toys. This is a good place to purchase handcrafted items, as well as enjoying a cool tropical fruit drink. To aimlessly wander along the market’s blend of racial and cultural backgrounds, amid pungent aromas and the din and clatter of merchants hawking their goods, allows visitors a unique insight into the heart of this amazing tropical port.

For a quiet time by the sea, walk three blocks east from the market and you’ll run into Parque Vargas, a large park harboring tropical shrubs, towering royal palms and banyans surrounding a crumbling, ornately stuccoed old kiosk. Although somewhat unkempt, this bit of greenery offers visitors a peaceful oasis apt for admiring colorful birds, the Caribbean and an occasional statuesque sloth high in the treetops.
To truly experience the Caribbean spirit of Limón, travelers should plan on visiting the city in October, during Limón’s colorful annual carnival. Thousands of visitors, mostly Costa Ricans, swarm into town for a festive circus of street parades, dancing, drinking and all night partying. This Mardi Gras-like atmosphere lasts for four days and is the perfect time for indulging in some of the Caribbean’s famous culinary delights. Among theses are the "rondón," "patí" "rice n' beans," and a drink called "agua de sapo" (frog water), a refreshment prepared with lemon juice, molasses, ginger and a few other “secret” ingredients.

So if you're tired of the "same ole same ole" and would rather search for hard to find hidden gems than have everything served on a platter, why not head off the beaten track to the port city of Limón, where cultural richness and Caribbean hospitality lie waiting to be discovered.