Limon, Costa Rica – Caribbean Coast
The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, a rugged region, with a sea of good waves and prehistoric rain forest, stretches for 125 miles from the border with Panama to the border with Nicaragua. Tourists take advantage more than anything of the white sand beaches, but in fact, this is one of the most diverse geographical regions of Costa Rica. In the middle forest near the beaches, the north has lagoons marshes and in the southern area, there are the mountains of Talamanca piercing the clouds.
The tropical Atlantic coast of Costa Rica offers beautiful rainforests, diversity and abundant wildlife, excellent eco-tourism opportunities, world-class fishing for tarpon and snook, and miles of stunning and comforting beaches.
One of the most popular eco-tourism destiny in the country, with its canals, rivers, beaches, and lakes is the Tortuguero National Park, “Amazon of Costa Rica “an active laboratory of the rain forest, freshwater, and marine biology. It is here where one of the most astonishing spectacles of nature can be seen, the green turtles nesting along the beaches from July to October.
The entire east coast of Costa Rica is located within the province of Limon and it is almost always hot and humid. It rains all year but is between May and August and between December and January when the area can be flooded. When the weather is good, the beaches attract surfers while other tourists take advantage to see wild animals.
Highway 32, known as the highway to Guapiles, connects Limon with the rest of Costa Rica. This road in a straight line connects San Jose to Puerto Limon, a town with no much activity now but in their time was an important port for the exportation of bananas. For several days, during carnival, Limon becomes a place of celebration and fun.
The port city of Limon has a Caribbean flavor from beginning to end. Limon is the capital of Afro-Caribbean culture of Costa Rica and is based on English dialects that have survived through the natural barriers between the Central Valley and the Caribbean. If a stop in Limón makes you absorb a little of their culture, be sure to be something very good for the journey that lies ahead.
About an hour south of Limón, there is Cahuita, a charming village, which borders on the Cahuita National Park. It is known for its rich marine life, the reef of Cahuita maintains a great variety of live coral along its coastline of white sand. Half-Hour south is Puerto Viejo, the perfect place to get comfortable and relax for a few days or weeks, with miles of beautiful beaches that through the town from north to south.
Manzanillo is literally the end of the road and the beginning of many adventures. From here you can take a boat or a horse or set off on foot. This area is part of the Wildlife Refuge Gandoca Manzanillo, one of the most beautifully scenic areas of Costa Rica, rich in flora and fauna. With beaches as good as any other to dive in Costa Rica and an enviable climate all year round, Manzanillo is close to the tropical forest loss that anyone would like to discover.