woodstockguy

I may be on a cruise in January that stops in Limon for a day. I have never been to
Costa Rica before. Although I have cruised the Caribbean and Mediterranean a few times, I dislike cruise shore excursions and am fairly independent.

Any suggestions for the day at Limon? Beaches are OK, tropical jungle too - but I can't find any info on Limon.

Suzie2

Limon is not the nicest place in CR..in fact most people are warned to stay away because it is also not the safest place. You might want to think about heading south to Cahuita for the day. It is a beautiful place. Another option would be to go to Moin (right there by Limon) and take a tour up the canals to see the wildlife. You can also visit the Arial Tram for a ride in Braullio Carillo.

JJDave

When I was on a cruise in 2000 we too stopped in Limon. We took the aerial tour of the rainforest and quite enjoyed it. The following year we returned to CR to get married (in Limon) and spent 2 weeks touring the country from the Atlantic side to the Pacific. Limon is not the prettiest place to be yet the market area was interesting. While we did not feel unsafe in Limon we had heard the opposite. As the previous poster suggested Cahuita can be good side trip. I would also suggest Peurto Viejo just a little beyond Cahuita. PV is a small 'reggae enclave' where will you will bump into many 'bohemian or surfer types' from all over the world. You can sit outside at various restaurants and just watch the world go by.

travelerquestion

This is thinly veiled racism. Limon is a black town while most of Costa Rica is dominated by people who can link their background to Spain.

Suzie2

To Travelerquestion:
Not on my part because I have not spent much time in Limon and was not aware that is was primarily black skinned people. My suggestion that it was not the safest place was based primarily on Costa Rican news reports, secondly by Costa Rican guides we have used over the years, and last but not least by fellow travelers. Skin color (unless is it brought to my attention by racially concerned people), is not (due to my living location both past and present) something I even think about very much. People are people and respect is earned.

JJDave

travelerquestion....no racism on my part either. The first time I was in CR I did not go into Limon but others people from the cruise ship did and told my wife and I that they did not feel safe walking downtown. My perception of Limon at that time was that it was a rough port city with a significant number of transients (ship crews)in town for a little rabblerousing. The following year we returned to CR. I drove from SJ to Peurto Viejo. Just outside Cahuita we met a road block with armed police officers. They were looking for a suspect in a murder that occurred earlier that day. They advised us to be careful in Limon, especially after dark. I got married Limon (Sloth Park) and spent a fair bit of time there shopping in the market area. I certainly didn't feel unsafe any where I went in Limon. Of course that could be that I am 6'3 and fully framed. In addition to the advice the police gave, I had/have noted news reports about crime in Limon and contributors to this board have opined the same in previous posts.

TravelOne

Re:Travelerquestion,
I didn't see a racial connotation in what the posters were saying. It really doesn't matter if you get mugged, robbed etc. by anyone, regardless of colour. I will admit that on my one visit to CR, I was urged by the Ticos I spoke to, not to visit Limon.
I don't blame the posters for their caution.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Plus, face it: If you have one day to spend in Costa Rica, there are rainforests and beaches and mountains and volcanoes to see. (Well, no volcanoes are accessible from the Caribbean side of the country.) My point is, I would never spend those precious few hours in ANY Costa Rican city, Limon or otherwise. Nature beckons, and that's the reason most visitors come to the country.

woodstockguy

Well, I asked a question and got an interesting thread going! Unfortunately, its veered off from my original question.

I'm not too fond of cities & I don't shop. I also don't like cruise shore excursions as I stated. Can anyone please recommend what I can do in a reasonable distance from the port & how to get there? Is the rainforest nearby? Are cabs readily available.

PLEASE, anyone who has any information, please advise.

Suzie2

There were 3 suggestions for you in my origional post. Cahuita is a national park and very pretty. The canal out of Moin to Tortuguero has wonderful wildlife. Braulio Carillo is an amazing place with many areas still unknown to most people as much of it is protected. The Aerial Tram is there. With a cruise ship coming in I am sure there will be plenty of taxis. Many of which you could just hire for the day to take you around.

woodstockguy

To Suzie2 (&anyone else who can help): Thank you for returning the thread to my question. Do you know if the canal route begins and returns to Moin? If not, how easy is it to return to the port at Limon & get a taxi at your final destination? Are the boats readily available? Run on schedules?
How long from Limon to Moin?

Also, any other thoughts as to the time to other spots of interest and ease of transportation? All information greatly appreciated.

Percy

Suzie2 is correct in what she says.
Last year I was on a cruise ship and stopped at Limon.
We took a nice tours to several places along the beach.
I just returned from Costa Rica 2 days ago. I had a private tour guide who was born and lives in Costa Rica and he told me that Puerto Limon is not the safest place.
This does not mean that it is a terrible place.
Race has nothing to do with it.
Suzie2 just said what is common knowledge about the area in general.
Percy

jdbird

We just returned from a cruise that stopped in Limon. It was our favorite stop. We docked at 0800 and walked to the bus station and took the 0900 bus to Cahuita. It took about 45 minutes and cost $1. Walking towards the beach in Cahuita, we saw some people heading out to snorkel and joined them for $15 each. The national park has a great reef for snorkeling. The park also has beaches and hiking. The buses are frequent and the stop in Cahuita is next to a restaurant with pool tables to pass the time if you have to wait for the bus back to Limon. It was a great way to see a bit of Costa Rica and get away from from the port city scene.
PS When I was doing research, I looked under Puerto Limon.

jdbird

I just noticed the date of the original question...oops...maybe my reply will help someone else.