Limón

Puerto Limón is Spanish for port lemon. The city is homonymous to both the canton and province. Along with Guanacaste, Limón is one of the locations in the country that owes its name to a plant.

A previous name for the location was Cariay or Cariai, a name used by the aboriginal tribes from pre-Hispanic era up to the arrival of Christopher Columbus.{{cite web |last1=Chang Vargas |first1=Giselle |title=Toponimia de la provincia de Limón |url=https://www.patrimonio.go.cr/biblioteca_digital/publicaciones/2010/toponimia_limon.pdf |website=Patrimonio |publisher=Centro de Investigación y Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural |access-date=25 December 2023 |language=es |date=2010}}

The origins of the name Limón are unknown, but by 1852, then-Costa Rican president Juan Rafael Mora Porras referred to the port as Puerto del Limón (Port of the Lemon).{{cite news |title=Conozca el origen del nombre de la provincia de Limón |url=https://amprensa.com/2016/04/conozca-origen-del-nombre-la-provincia-limon/ |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=AMPrensa.com |date=3 April 2016 |language=es}}

Christopher Columbus first dropped anchor in Costa Rica in 1502 at Isla Uvita, just off the coast of Puerto Limón.[http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/limón Limón] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130020917/http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/lim%C3%B3n |date=30 January 2011 }} Spanishdict.com Retrieved: 11 June 2011. The Atlantic coast, however, was left largely unexplored by Spanish settlers until the 19th century.

As early as 1569, Governor Perafán de Rivera gave extensive plots of land, Indians included, in Matina to aristocrats (hidalgos) that helped to finance and support early conquest. Because these aristocrats found out that only a few Indians were available to exploit, they acquired African slaves to plant these lands with cocoa trees (the only feasible crop in these lands). These lands provided the only source of income to the absentee owners from the capital city of Cartago. Matina gained importance because of the cacao and the presence of African slaves, which made them attractive to pirate incursions.

Notorious pirates, Edward Mansvelt and his vice admiral Henry Morgan, arrived at Portete, a small bay between Limón and Moín, in 1666. They proceeded inland to Cartago, the capital of Costa Rica at the time, but were driven away by the inhabitants at Turrialba on{{nbsp}}15 April. The pirate army left on{{nbsp}}16 April and arrived back in Portete on{{nbsp}}23 April. They left Costa Rica and did not return.[http://www.portlimon.com/buccaneers_portete.html Crónicas Coloniales] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122012117/http://www.portlimon.com/buccaneers_portete.html |date=22 January 2011 }} Ricardo Fernández Guardia, 1921. portlimon.com.

The town was officially founded in 1854 by Philipp J. J. Valentini under government auspices.Encyclopedia Americana (1918–1920), Vol. XXVII, pp. 645–46 [https://archive.org/stream/encyclopediaame23unkngoog#page/n736/mode/2up online version] at Internet Archive (last viewed 24 May 2011)

In 1867, construction began on an ambitious railroad connecting the highlands to the sea. Limón was chosen as the site of a major port, which would facilitate exports of coffee from the Central Valley.[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0970567839 What Happen: A Folk-History of Costa Rica's Talamanca Coast]

During World War II, as part of the Operation Neuland, German U-boat {{GS|U-161|1941|2}} attacked San Pablo, a ship that was being unloaded in Limón, on 3 July 1942. The attack killed twenty-three dockers and one crew member, whose bodies took around three weeks to be recovered.{{cite news |last1=Bolaños |first1=Róger |title=Hoy hace 50 años: Conmemoraban 30 años del ataque de dos torpedos alemanes a buque en Limón |url=https://www.nacion.com/sucesos/seguridad/hoy-hace-50-anos-conmemoraban-30-anos-del-ataque/P4EQDWKUOZHVLFAFUQ2O3PXLBY/story/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |work=La Nación |date=2 July 2022 |language=es}}{{cite web |last1=Alvarado |first1=Axel |title=Voz experta: Hace 79 años un barco mercante fue torpedeado por un submarino nazi en Limón |url=https://www.ucr.ac.cr/noticias/2021/7/02/voz-experta-hace-79-anos-un-barco-mercante-fue-torpedeado-por-un-submarino-nazi-en-limon.html |website=Web UCR |publisher=Universidad de Costa Rica, Sede del Caribe |access-date=31 August 2024 |language=es |date=2 July 2021}}

As a district, Limón was last modified on{{nbsp}}10 August 1992, by Executive Decree 21515-G.{{cite web |language = es |title = Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP |url = http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607¶m2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |website = Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica |access-date = 26 September 2020 |date = 19 March 2019 |archive-date = 26 October 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201026094325/http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607¶m2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |url-status = live }}{{cite book |language = es |title = División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica |date = 8 March 2017 |publisher = Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional |isbn = 978-9977-58-477-5 |url = https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/editorialdigital/libros/historiaygeografia/division_17.pdf |access-date = 3 September 2020 |archive-date = 3 June 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210603061212/https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/editorialdigital/libros/historiaygeografia/division_17.pdf |url-status = live }}

Puerto Limón was heavily struck by the 1991 Limon earthquake, whose epicenter was located in the neighboring Valle La Estrella district.{{cite journal |last1=Campos-Durán |first1=Daniela |last2=Quintero-Quintero |first2=Ronnie |last3=Abarca-Rojas |first3=Tatiana |title=Terremoto del Valle de La Estrella: análisis sísmico, cascada de desastres y pérdidas económicas en valor presente (2020) |journal=Revista Geológica de América Central |date=December 2021 |issue=65 |pages=169–192 |doi=10.15517/rgac.v0i65.47079 |url=https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-70242021000200169 |language=es |issn=0256-7024}} It elevated the coastline by around 1.85 meters in some areas of Limón,{{cite news |last1=Marín |first1=Marco |title=22 de abril de 1991: El terremoto que azotó a Limón y sacudió a todo el país |url=https://observador.cr/22-de-abril-de-1991-el-terremoto-que-azoto-a-limon-y-sacudio-a-todo-el-pais/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |work=El Observador CR |date=22 April 2021 |language=es}} cracked the streets open,{{cite news |last1=Ulloa |first1=Andrés |title=Diario Extra - 33 años despúes Limón recuerda terremoto |url=https://www.diarioextra.com/Noticia/detalle/518696/33-a-os-desp-es-lim-n-recuerda-terremoto |access-date=31 August 2024 |work=www.diarioextra.com |date=23 April 2024 |language=ES}} and destroyed many buildings, most notably the Las Olas Hotel, located in the northern shore of the city.{{cite news |last1=Sánchez |first1=Gustavo |last2=Solís |first2=Alessandro |title=Especial 70 años de tragedias: El aleccionador terremoto de Limón |url=https://www.nacion.com/revista-dominical/especial-70-anos-de-tragedias-el-aleccionador-terremoto-de-limon/I4VQJU7HDRAW7MNCR2ZZERSMTY/story/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |work=La Nación |date=29 January 2017 |language=es}}

File:Limón - Uvita Island and City Flag Pole.jpg in the background]]

File:Limón - Isla de Pájaros.jpg

Limón is situated on a cape along the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, on the East side of the country. South of the National Route 32, two rivers converge into their drainage into the Caribbean Sea: the Limoncito and the Cieneguita rivers, both of which are surrounded by numerous neighborhoods.{{cite web |title=Estudio de Impacto Ambiental del Proyecto “Sistema de Control de Inundaciones en el área de Limoncito.” |url=https://www.senara.go.cr/acerca_del_senara/direcciones/contratacion_administrativa/pcicl-bcie/ANEXOS%20EsIA%20Inundaciones%20en%20Limoncito.pdf |website=SENARA |access-date=27 December 2023}}

Two islands surround the city. The Uvita Island is less than a kilometer East of downtown Limón, while the smaller Isla de Pájaros (Birds Island) lies just north of the nearby Bonita Beach.

The district has an area of {{convert|59.51|km2|abbr=off}}{{cite web |language = es |title = Área en kilómetros cuadrados, según provincia, cantón y distrito administrativo |url = https://www.inec.cr/anuario-estadistico/anuario-estadistico-geografia |website = Inec.cr |access-date = 26 September 2020 |archive-date = 24 October 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201024225203/https://www.inec.cr/anuario-estadistico/anuario-estadistico-geografia |url-status = dead }} and an elevation of {{convert|3|m|abbr=off|spell=in}}{{cite web |language = es |title = Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP |url = http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607¶m2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |website = Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica |access-date = 26 September 2020 |date = 19 March 2019 |archive-date = 26 October 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201026094325/http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607¶m2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |url-status = live }}

File:Limón - View from Siglo XXI.jpg, and the Caribbean Sea]]

Limón is divided into neighborhoods (barrios) and villages (poblados or villas).

The barrios are as follows:

The poblados are as follows:

Limón features a trade wind tropical rainforest climate (Af) under Köppen's climate classification. Average temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the year averaging around {{convert|26|C|abbr=off}}. Common to all cities with this climate, Limón has no consistently dry season. Its driest month (September) averages roughly {{convert|140|mm|disp=or}} of rainfall while its wettest (December) averages just below {{convert|450|mm|disp=or}} of rain. Limón averages nearly {{convert|3600|mm|disp=or}} of rainfall annually.

{{Weather box

|location = Limón International Airport, Costa Rica

|single line = yes

|metric first= yes

|temperature colour =

|Jan record high C = 32.9

|Feb record high C = 33.4

|Mar record high C = 33.9

|Apr record high C = 34.5

|May record high C = 35.0

|Jun record high C = 35.0

|Jul record high C = 33.7

|Aug record high C = 34.3

|Sep record high C = 33.8

|Oct record high C = 34.5

|Nov record high C = 34.5

|Dec record high C = 33.0

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 28.8

|Feb high C = 29.1

|Mar high C = 29.7

|Apr high C = 30.1

|May high C = 30.4

|Jun high C = 30.3

|Jul high C = 29.6

|Aug high C = 30.1

|Sep high C = 30.6

|Oct high C = 30.4

|Nov high C = 29.4

|Dec high C = 28.9

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 24.8

|Feb mean C = 24.9

|Mar mean C = 25.5

|Apr mean C = 26.1

|May mean C = 26.6

|Jun mean C = 26.6

|Jul mean C = 26.1

|Aug mean C = 26.3

|Sep mean C = 26.6

|Oct mean C = 26.4

|Nov mean C = 25.7

|Dec mean C = 25.1

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = 20.7

|Feb low C = 20.7

|Mar low C = 21.2

|Apr low C = 22.0

|May low C = 22.8

|Jun low C = 22.9

|Jul low C = 22.6

|Aug low C = 22.5

|Sep low C = 22.5

|Oct low C = 22.3

|Nov low C = 21.9

|Dec low C = 21.2

|year low C =

|Jan record low C = 12.9

|Feb record low C = 16.4

|Mar record low C = 15.2

|Apr record low C = 17.4

|May record low C = 17.8

|Jun record low C = 20.0

|Jul record low C = 16.6

|Aug record low C = 19.0

|Sep record low C = 18.9

|Oct record low C = 19.2

|Nov record low C = 15.8

|Dec record low C = 13.2

|year record low C =

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 319.7

|Feb rain mm = 237.3

|Mar rain mm = 208.5

|Apr rain mm = 263.0

|May rain mm = 333.5

|Jun rain mm = 289.0

|Jul rain mm = 426.3

|Aug rain mm = 303.2

|Sep rain mm = 142.1

|Oct rain mm = 207.1

|Nov rain mm = 400.6

|Dec rain mm = 445.0

|unit rain days = 1.0 mm

|Jan rain days = 17

|Feb rain days = 14

|Mar rain days = 14

|Apr rain days = 14

|May rain days = 16

|Jun rain days = 16

|Jul rain days = 20

|Aug rain days = 16

|Sep rain days = 11

|Oct rain days = 13

|Nov rain days = 17

|Dec rain days = 18

|Jan humidity = 87

|Feb humidity = 86

|Mar humidity = 85

|Apr humidity = 85

|May humidity = 87

|Jun humidity = 87

|Jul humidity = 89

|Aug humidity = 87

|Sep humidity = 86

|Oct humidity = 87

|Nov humidity = 88

|Dec humidity = 88

|year humidity = 87

|Jan sun = 310.0/2

|Feb sun = 152.6

|Mar sun = 179.8

|Apr sun = 342.0/2

|May sun = 164.3

|Jun sun = 270.0/2

|Jul sun = 117.8

|Aug sun = 145.7

|Sep sun = 318.0/2

|Oct sun = 164.3

|Nov sun = 270.0/2

|Dec sun = 142.6

|year sun =

|Jand sun = 5.0

|Febd sun = 5.4

|Mard sun = 5.8

|Aprd sun = 5.7

|Mayd sun = 5.3

|Jund sun = 4.5

|Juld sun = 3.8

|Augd sun = 4.7

|Sepd sun = 5.3

|Octd sun = 5.3

|Novd sun = 4.5

|Decd sun = 4.6

|yeard sun = 5.0

|source 1 = Instituto Meteorologico Nacional (precipitation 1941–2012, temperatures 1970–2012, sun 1969–2012, humidity 1970–2012){{cite web |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161031021622/https://www.imn.ac.cr/documents/10179/20909/Descripci%C3%B3n%2Bdel%2Bclima%2Bdel%2BCant%C3%B3n%2Bde%2BLim%C3%B3n |archive-date = 31 October 2016 |url = https://www.imn.ac.cr/documents/10179/20909/Descripci%C3%B3n+del+clima+del+Cant%C3%B3n+de+Lim%C3%B3n |language = es |title = Descripción del clima: Cantón de Limón |publisher = Instituto Meteorologico Nacional |access-date = 30 October 2016 |url-status = dead }}

|source 2 = Meteo Climat (extremes, 1941–present){{cite web |url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=956 |title = Station Puerto Limon |publisher = Meteo Climat |language = fr |access-date = 6 November 2016 |archive-date = 4 April 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170404020435/http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=956 |url-status = live }}

|date=August 2010

}}

{{CR Census population

|1864=

|1883=637

|1892=2144

|1927=15624

|1950=16384

|1963=29039

|1973=40830

|1984=52602

|2000=60298

|2011=94415

}}

{{main|Afro-Costa Ricans}}

The first officially acknowledged arrival of African people who arrived in Costa Rica came with the Spanish conquistadors. Slave trading was common in all the countries conquered by Spain, and in Costa Rica, the first Africans seem to have come from specific sources in Africa{{ndash}} Equatorial and Western regions. The people from these areas were thought of as ideal slaves because they had a reputation for being more robust, affable, and hard-working than other Africans. The enslaved were from what is now the Gambia (Wolof), Guinea (Malinké), Ghanaian (Ashanti), Benin (specifically Ije / Ararás), and Sudan (Puras). Many of the enslaved were also Minas (i.e. communities from parts of the region extending from Ivory Coast to the Slave Coast), Popo (imported tribes such as Ana and Baribas), Yorubas and Congas (perhaps from Kongasso, Ivory Coast). Enslaved Africans also came from other places, such as neighboring Panama. Throughout the centuries, but especially after the emancipation of the slaves in 1824, the black population mixed with other ethnic groups, notably the Indians, and became part of the mainstream culture and ethnicity.{{Cite web |url = https://www.inec.cr/ |title = Bienvenido a INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE ESTADISTICA Y CENSOS | INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE ESTADISTICA Y CENSOS |website = Inec.cr |access-date = 27 December 2021 |archive-date = 25 March 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200325064400/https://www.inec.cr/ |url-status = live }}

The early black population of Matina and Suerre in Limón is not the same population that arrived in the second half of the 19th century. This latter population did not arrive as slaves but as hired workers from Jamaica, and smaller groups from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. This is the reason why the majority of the current black population of Costa Rica has English surnames and speaks English with a Jamaican accent.

In 1910, Marcus Mosiah Garvey travelled to Puerto Limón, where he worked as a time-keeper for the United Fruit Company for some months, observing that the population of African descent suffered poor conditions.[http://www.portlimon.com/garvey_limon.html Marcus Garvey in Port Limon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201094015/http://www.portlimon.com/garvey_limon.html |date= 1 December 2010 }} portlimon.com.[https://web.archive.org/web/20220703193226/https://www.amazon.com/dp/9968460230]

The descendants of Africans in Costa Rica have endured discrimination including a delay in voting rights and a restriction on their movements.

{{main|List of people from Limón, Costa Rica}}

File:Limón Day School.jpg

In 1877, after the city foundation, then-Costa Rican president Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez ordered the construction of a primary school, the Men's Higher School Institute.{{cite web |title=Caminatas históricas por Limón {{!}} Visit Costa Rica {{!}} The official site about tourism in Costa Rica |url=https://www.visitcostarica.com/es/costa-rica/things-to-do/culture/historical-walks/limon |website=www.visitcostarica.com |publisher=Visit Costa Rica |access-date=27 December 2023}} It was then renewed in further decades and renamed after Guardia.{{cite web |last1=Cartín |first1=Maritza |title=Escuela General Tomás Guardia, Limón,1901-1950 |url=https://micostaricadeantano.com/2019/08/05/escuela-general-tomas-guardia-limon1901-1950/ |website=Mi Costa Rica de Antaño |access-date=27 December 2023 |language=es |date=5 August 2019}} A women's school, named after Rafael Iglesias Castro, was inaugurated in 1922.{{cite web |title=ICLC Limón Historical Information - Learn Spanish in Costa Rica at the Costa Rican Culture and Language Institute, Spanish school in Costa Rica, Study abroad in Costa Rica, Spanish Language School |url=https://www.iclc.ws/Limon-historical-information.html |website=www.iclc.ws |access-date=27 December 2023}}

The first secondary school was inaugurated in 1945, the Colegio de Limón, eventually renamed Colegio de Limón Diurno (Limón Day School) to differentiate it from other high schools that appeared in later decades, particularly the Colegio Nocturno de Limón (Limón Night School), which uses the same campus as the Day School but has a different administration.{{cite news |last1=Valverde |first1=Carlos |title=Limón en tres platos: la historia detrás del sabor limonense |url=https://www.puntoyaparte-ca.com/limon-en-tres-platos-la-historia-detras-del-sabor-limonense/ |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Punto y Aparte |date=20 August 2021 |language=es}} Those schools include the Colegio Técnico Profesional de Limón (Limón Professional-Technical School), the Liceo Nuevo de Limón (Limón New Lyceum), eventually renamed Liceo Mario Bourne after its founder and first principal,{{cite web |last1=Picado |first1=Nitzi |title=Provincia de Limón brinda homenaje a Mario Bourne Bourne |url=https://mep.go.cr/noticias/provincia-limon-brinda-homenaje-mario-bourne-bourne |website=MEP.go.cr |publisher=Ministerio de Educación Pública |access-date=10 June 2024 |language=es |date=10 September 2019}} the Colegio Deportivo de Limón (Limón Sports School), and the Colegio de Pacuare, named after the neighborhood it is located in.

Limón's public education schools often struggle due to poor infrastructure and low public support. The Limón Sports School is a primary example of this, as the school abandoned its previous installations in the Pacuare neighborhood (which were eventually overtaken by the Pacuare High School) and moved to Limón's New Stadium or JAPDEVA's installations in downtown Limón.{{cite news |last1=Bosque |first1=Diego |title=Construcción de marina dejaría a Colegio Deportivo de Limón sin instalaciones |url=https://www.nacion.com/el-pais/educacion/construccion-de-marina-dejaria-a-colegio-deportivo/YNKT4TQF2FHNFKP66WKJBGLA6M/story/ |access-date=10 June 2024 |work=La Nación |date=19 October 2023 |language=es}}

In 2002, the Scientific High School of Limón was inaugurated, and has since been run by the Distance State University at the local campus.{{cite web |title=Atlántico |url=https://sncccr.ed.cr/sedes/atlantico |website=sncccr.ed.cr |access-date=27 December 2023 |language=es-es}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| direction = horizontal

| width = 200

| image1 = Limón - UCR - Entrance.jpg

| image2 = Limón - TEC - Entrance.jpg

| footer = Campuses in Limón for both the University of Costa Rica (left) and the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (right)

}}

Limón is home to numerous universities. Out of the five public universities in the country, three have a campus in Limón: the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the Distance State University (UNED) have their campuses along Route 32, while the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR or TEC) is located downtown, in front of the Limón Day School.

Another institution is the University College of Limón (CUNLIMÓN), a public-funded, semi-autonomous university founded in 2002.{{cite web |title=Nuestra Historia |url=https://www.cunlimon.ac.cr/historia/ |website=Cunlimón.ac.cr |publisher=University College of Limón}}

Moreover, some private universities also have a building in Limón, namely the Autonomous University of Central America (UACA), the Castro Carazo University, and the Free University of Costa Rica (ULICORI).{{cite web |title=Universidades de Limón (Privadas y Públicas) |url=https://www.altillo.com/universidades/costarica/universidades_costarica_limon.asp |website=www.altillo.com |access-date=25 December 2023}}

File:Limón - Municipal Palace.jpg

Since 2024, Ana Matarrita McCalla serves as the mayor of the Limón canton, working from the city hall in downtown Limón. McCalla initially assumed her role following the resignation of Néstor Mattis in January 2024.{{cite news |last1=Ureña |first1=Jason |title=Néstor Mattis dejó la alcaldía de Limón tras 13 años en el poder {{!}} Crhoy.com |url=https://www.crhoy.com/nacionales/nestor-mattis-dejo-la-alcaldia-de-limon-tras-13-anos-en-el-poder/ |access-date=30 November 2024 |work=CRHoy.com {{!}} Periodico Digital {{!}} Costa Rica Noticias 24/7 |date=10 January 2024 |language=es}} She was already a candidate for the municipal elections that took place a month later, winning and extending her governing period until 2028, becoming the first female mayor-elect in the city.{{cite news |last1=Angulo |first1=Yamileth |title=Ana Matarrita McCalla es la primera alcaldesa de Limón |url=https://elmundo.cr/municipales/ana-matarrita-mccalla-es-la-primera-alcaldesa-de-limon/ |access-date=30 November 2024 |work=El Mundo CR |date=5 February 2024 |language=es-CR}}

Limón is Costa Rica's main port, as nearly 90% of the country's imports and exports move through the two harbors located in Moín.

Two main highways serve Limón. The National Route 32 is one of the country's primary roads, and connects Limón to the Greater Metropolitan Area. One of the route ends is located just next to the Balvanero Vargas park. Because of Limón's situation as the country's main port, Route 32 is the most important route for exportations in Costa Rica, accounting for around 83% of national exports.{{cite news |last1=Bosque |first1=Diego |title=Gobierno da a constructora china ilusa orden de inicio de vía a Limón |url=https://www.nacion.com/el-pais/infraestructura/gobierno-da-a-constructora-china-ilusa-orden-de/BYZMQERPQJAZBICXHBQDGSJUOE/story/ |access-date=9 June 2024 |work=La Nación |date=16 November 2017 |language=es}} Close to its Eastern end, Route 32 is crossed by Route 36, another of Costa Rica's primary roads. This route connects Limón to the neighboring districts of Matama and Valle La Estrella, to the Talamanca canton, and in turn, to Panama through the Sixaola River bridge.

Three secondary routes are located in Limón, all of which are connected to Route 32. Route 240 encloses the northern portion of the city, while Route 241 encloses the southern portion, extending further South until meeting Route 36 in Bananito. Route 257 connects Route 32 with the Moín Container Terminal.

Limón is also served by the Limón International Airport ({{langx|es|link=no|Aeropuerto Internacional Pablo Zidar, Limón}}), IATA code LIO, an airstrip which is {{convert|1800|m|ft|abbr=on}} long by {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide, {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on|spell=in}} above sea level, on the coast south of the city.[http://gc.kls2.com/airport/LIO Limón Airport] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031142312/http://gc.kls2.com/airport/LIO |date=31 October 2008 }} at Great Circle Mapper

File:Limón - Oficina de Correos.jpg

In the past, houses in Limón followed Caribbean vernacular architecture standards, mostly tall, wooden structures, though the United Fruit Company also built Victorian-influenced houses.{{cite web |title=Observatorio del Turismo del Caribe - UCR - Arquitectura |url=https://obturcaribe.ucr.ac.cr/nuestro-enfoque/cultura/arquitectura.html |website=obturcaribe.ucr.ac.cr |access-date=30 November 2024}} The post office building was originally built with such Victorian-Caribbean influences, though later redesigns added Art Nouveau ornaments to the building's façade.{{cite web |title=Edificio de Correos y Telégrafos de Limón |url=https://si.cultura.cr/infraestructura/edificio-de-correos-y-telegrafos-de-limon |website=Sistema de Información Cultural de Costa Rica |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=es}} Furthermore, the façade of the House of Culture and City Theater has art deco influences,{{cite web |title=Casa de la Cultura de Limón |url=https://si.cultura.cr/infraestructura/casa-de-la-cultura-de-limon |website=Sistema de Información Cultural de Costa Rica |access-date=15 December 2024 |language=es}} whereas the Costa Rica pension was built with historicist influences.{{cite web |title=Pensión Costa Rica, Limón |url=https://si.cultura.cr/infraestructura/pension-costa-rica-limon |website=Sistema de Información Cultural de Costa Rica |access-date=21 December 2024 |language=es}}

Following the 1991 Limon earthquake, and with the advent of the 21st century, the city has steadily shifted towards contemporary architecture, with examples such as the cathedral or the city hall.{{cite news |last1=Artavia |first1=Silvia |title=Nuevo edificio municipal de Limón refleja el alma caribeña |url=https://www.nacion.com/ciencia/patrimonio/nuevo-edificio-municipal-de-limon-refleja-el-alma-caribena/BCM42EOD4JHF5PKITH2PUECPPM/story/ |access-date=30 November 2024 |work=La Nación |date=19 August 2017 |language=es}}{{cite news |title=Arquitectura de nueva catedral de Limón ofrece luz y frescura |url=https://www.nacion.com/viva/cultura/arquitectura-de-nueva-catedral-de-limon-ofrece-luz-y-frescura/6DNUSVW5M5DUTDW7YDLSIRDKQI/story/ |access-date=30 November 2024 |work=La Nación |date=9 January 2011 |language=es}}

File:Limón's House of Culture.jpg

A number of artists born in other parts of the country have settled in Limón and based their arts on the city and its culture. One such prominent figure is that of Ricardo "Negrín" Rodríguez, who was mostly remembered for painting in the corridor of his house in downtown Limón.{{cite news |title=El Negrín que pinta en el corredor |url=https://www.nacion.com/archivo/el-negrin-que-pinta-en-el-corredor/4DPK56NXLNDJHJXVZDK7B5ED44/story/ |access-date=11 June 2024 |work=La Nación |date=17 July 2001 |language=es}} Another artist is Édgar León, born in San José but raised in Limón, his early paintings depicted landscapes from the city.{{cite news |title=Tras los recuerdos |url=https://www.nacion.com/archivo/tras-los-recuerdos/OVEYFPKAX5C3FMXFHHH6MAF56Q/story/ |access-date=11 June 2024 |work=La Nación |date=4 August 1998 |language=es}} Other artists include Honorio Cabraca, Vicky de Solano, and Édgar "Nanny" Ramírez.{{cite web |title=Observatorio del Turismo del Caribe - UCR - Arte |url=https://obturcaribe.ucr.ac.cr/nuestro-enfoque/cultura/arte.html |website=obturcaribe.ucr.ac.cr |access-date=11 June 2024}}

An important center for visual arts is the art gallery from the Pasaje Cristal (Crystal Passage), next to the boulevard that leads to the Balvanero Vargas park. The gallery, aside from paintings, features memorabilia from the Black Star Line building, destroyed by a fire in April 2016.{{cite news |last1=Aguilar |first1=Yenci |title=Limonense sacó "oro” de las ruinas del Black Star Line |url=https://www.lateja.cr/nacional/limonense-saco-oro-de-las-ruinas-del-black-star/Z5I5UUFNB5CPXBLZZGWENSJXYY/story/ |access-date=11 June 2024 |work=La Teja |date=9 November 2019 |language=es}}

Limón's House of Culture and City Theater is also one of the most important centers for arts in the city and the province. It was restored as part of the project Limón Ciudad-Puerto (Limón City-Port), and currently hosts dance workshops, art exhibitions, and conferences. Moreover, the city has two music schools: one is located near the Tony Facio hospital, and is run by the Ministry of Culture and Youth through its National System of Musical Education,{{cite web |title=SiNEM Limón {{!}} Sistema Nacional de Educación Musical (SINEM) |url=https://sinem.go.cr/que-ofrecemos/escuelas-de-musica/sinem-limon |website=sinem.go.cr |access-date=15 December 2024 |language=es}} while the other is the basic music stage, run by the University of Costa Rica at the local campus.{{cite web |title=Etapa Básica de Música en Limón {{!}} Vicerrectoría de Acción Social |url=https://accionsocial.ucr.ac.cr/etapa-basica-de-musica-en-limon |website=accionsocial.ucr.ac.cr |access-date=15 December 2024}}

Puerto Limón is famous in Costa Rica for its yearly fall carnival which occurs the week of 12 October, on the eve of Columbus Day. The event was started by local community leader and activist, Alfred Josiah Henry Smith, also known as "Mister King", who helped organize the first carnival in October 1949.{{Cite web |url = http://www.nacion.com/vivir/Limon-despidio-Mister-King-carnaval_0_757324326.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171014133054/http://www.nacion.com/vivir/Limon-despidio-Mister-King-carnaval_0_757324326.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 2017-10-14 |title = Limón despidió a su Mister King con respeto y carnaval |website = Nacion.com |access-date = 11 June 2024 }} The event stretches about a week (across two weekends), and includes a parade, food, music, dancing, and on the last night, a concert in the Balvanero Vargas park, headlined by a major Latino or Caribbean music act. Previous artists have included Eddy Herrera (2002), Damian Marley (2003), El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico (2005), and T.O.K. (2006).

The carnival has encountered some setbacks in recent years. Organizers cancelled the 2007 carnival due to a major dengue fever outbreak,{{Cite web |url = http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/agosto/28/pais1219452.html |title = Dengue obliga a cancelar los carnavales de Limón |website = Nacion.com |access-date = 27 December 2021 |archive-date = 5 December 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081205015356/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2007/agosto/28/pais1219452.html |url-status = dead }} and again in 2008 due to major municipal trash-removal issues and related health worries.{{Cite web |url = http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/octubre/02/pais1722564.html |title = Crisis por basura obliga a suspender carnavales |website = Nacion.com |access-date = 27 December 2021 |archive-date = 7 May 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090507193509/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/octubre/02/pais1722564.html |url-status = dead }} While trash removal had long been an issue due to lack of trucks and a {{convert|62|mi|km|adj=on|abbr=off}} haul to the nearest landfill (in Pococí), the ordered closure of this and other landfills in 2007 meant Puerto Limón had to send trash {{convert|135|mi|km}} to Alajuela and pay a higher disposal fee.{{Cite web |url = http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/septiembre/08/pais2083314.html |title = Barrios de Limón siguen repletos de basura |website = Nacion.com |access-date = 27 December 2021 |archive-date = 11 September 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090911054839/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/septiembre/08/pais2083314.html |url-status = dead }}{{Cite web |url = http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/octubre/23/pais2133659.html |title = Inició recolección de 360 toneladas de basura en calles limonenses |access-date = 27 December 2021 |archive-date = 27 October 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091027051313/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/octubre/23/pais2133659.html |url-status = dead }}{{Cite web |url = http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/marzo/22/pais1913546.html |title = Nuevo relleno sanitario recibirá y tratará la basura del Caribe |website = Nacion.com |access-date = 27 December 2021 |archive-date = 26 March 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326083243/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/marzo/22/pais1913546.html |url-status = dead }} The situation led to a bottle-neck in trash removal, which, combined with the major dengue breakout, caused organizers to cancel 2008's carnaval as a precautionary measure. Given the severity of the situation, the city bought land in nearby Santa Rosa and, in April 2009, opened its landfill (called El Tomatal). Given the improved situation, Carnaval picked up in 2009 after its two-year hiatus.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

File:Limón - Rice and Beans.jpgThe gastronomy of Limón diverges significantly from that of the rest of Costa Rica, and has very close ties to the Jamaican cuisine given the deep relations between the country and the Afro-Costa Ricans in the city. Likewise, other Caribbean countries also influence the Limonese cuisine.{{cite web |last1=Valverde Fonseca |first1=Carlos |title=Limón en tres platos: la historia detrás del sabor limonense |url=https://elcolectivo506.com/limon-en-tres-platos-la-historia-detras-del-sabor-limonense/ |website=El Colectivo 506 |access-date=27 December 2023 |language=es-ES |date=10 July 2021}}

Staple limonese dishes of Jamaican origin are rice and beans and the patty.{{cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Carmen Hutchinson |title=“Limón no es solo ‘patty’ y ‘rice and beans’”: Elementos que componen la cultura afrocostarricense |journal=Revista Nuevo Humanismo |date=29 May 2020 |volume=8 |issue=1 |doi=10.15359/rnh.8-1.1 |url=https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/nuevohumanismo/article/view/13902 |access-date=27 December 2023|hdl=11056/27516 |hdl-access=free }}

{{main|Limonese Creole}}

As is the case with the entirety of the country, the main language spoken in Limón is Spanish. However, there is a large amount of the local population, predominantly those of Afro-Caribbean origins, who speak an English-based creole commonly known as Mekatelyu, considered a dialect of Jamaican Patois, given the ties between Jamaica and most Afro-Costa Rican people.

Recent years have seen a renewed interest in protecting and revitalizing the language. Linguist Juan Diego Quesada Pacheco pointed that the Limonese Creole has been historically neglected, as it is spoken by more people than local indigenous languages, yet it has less support by government authorities.{{cite journal |last1=Vásquez Carranza |first1=Luz Marina |last2=Schlemer Alcântara |first2=Liliane Cristine |title=Lenguas de herencia ancestral como mecanismos de resistencia: El caso del criollo limonense en Costa Rica |journal=Revista Rupturas |date=31 July 2023 |pages=1–20 |doi=10.22458/rr.v13i2.4893 |url=https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/rupturas/article/view/4893 |access-date=10 June 2024|hdl=10669/90564 |hdl-access=free }} Quesada Pacheco led a project to elaborate the grammar of many indigenous and creole languages of Central American, including Limonese Creole, an investigation for which he was awarded by the Ministry of Culture in 2017.{{cite news |title=Lingüista Juan Diego Quesada gana Premio Nacional de Investigación Cultural |url=https://elmundo.cr/cultura/linguista-juan-diego-quesada-gana-premio-nacional-investigacion-cultural/ |access-date=10 June 2024 |work=El Mundo CR |date=3 February 2018 |language=es-CR}} This investigation served as the basis for translators Kheomara Cunningham and René Zúñiga to publish Di Likl Prins, a Limonese Creole-translation of The Little Prince eventually published in 2021.{{cite news |last1=Gómez |first1=Tomás |title="Di Lirl Prins": presentan la versión de "El Principito" en lengua kryol limonense |url=https://observador.cr/di-lirl-prins-presentan-la-version-de-el-principito-en-lengua-kryol-limonense/ |access-date=10 June 2024 |work=El Observador CR |date=25 October 2021 |language=es}}

File:J. Gutierrez.jpg

One of the most prominent writers from Limón is Joaquín Gutiérrez, known for novellas such as Cocorí, which is taught in Costa Rican primary schools, although it has raised controversies due to its allegedly racist tone. Afro-Costa Rican politicians such as Epsy Campbell Barr and Maureen Clarke have been critical of the book and requested its exclusion from the public-education mantadory readings.{{cite news |last1=Madrigal |first1=Luis Manuel |title=PAC defiende a diputadas "ofendidas" por atacar supuesto racismo en Cocorí |url=https://elmundo.cr/costa-rica/pac-defiende-a-diputadas-ofendidas-por-atacar-supuesto-racismo-en-cocori/ |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=El Mundo CR |date=27 April 2015 |language=es-CR}} Other novellas by Gutiérrez include La hoja de aire and Murámonos, Federico.

Quince Duncan is another important writer from the city. Despite being born in San José, he was raised in Estrada, Matina, near Limón.{{cite web |title=Duncan, Quince |url=https://www.editorialcostarica.com/escritor/1019 |website=editorialcostarica.com |publisher=Editorial Costa Rica |access-date=25 December 2023 |language=es}} An Afro-Costa Rican, Duncan has devoted his career to the identity of Costa Ricans of African descent, and denouncing racism in the country.{{cite journal |last1=González Zúñiga |first1=Julián |title=Quince Duncan y sus aportes a la literatura costarricense |journal=Repertorio Americano: Segunda nueva época |date=January-December 2016 |issue=24 |volume=1 |pages=395-401 |access-date=25 December 2023 |url=https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/repertorio/article/view/7938}}

Limón and its Afro-Costa Rican populace have served of inspiration for numerous writers from other parts of the country, such as Anacristina Rossi with novels such as Limón Blues and Limón Reggae, and Tatiana Lobo with Calypso.{{cite journal |last1=Bachmann |first1=Pauline |title=Representaciones del Caribe y la circulación literaria |journal=Ístmica Revista de la facultad de filosofía y letras |date=2009 |issue=2 |pages=31-44 |url=https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/istmica/article/view/493 |access-date=25 December 2023}} Mamita Yunai, written by Carlos Luis Fallas, is a semi-autobiographical novel which denounces the poor working conditions in the banana plantations in Limón and nearby areas under the United Fruit Company.{{cite web |title=Mamita Yunai |url=https://espressivo.cr/mamita-yunai/ |website=Teatro Espressivo |access-date=25 December 2023 |language=es |date=25 January 2018}}

The musicianship in the city and surrounding areas is of Caribbean origin. Calypso and mento were popular among humble neighborhoods in the early 20th century.{{cite journal |last1=Morales-Garro |first1=Ramón |title=Procesos históricos de conformación del Calypso costarricense |journal=Temas de Nuestra América Revista de Estudios Latinoaméricanos |date=15 July 2022 |volume=38 |issue=72 |doi=10.15359/tdna.38-72.1|doi-access=free }}

Musicians from Limón and surrounding areas, such as Walter Ferguson or the Marfil band, are nationally renowned.{{cite web |title=Grupo Marfil |url=https://si.cultura.cr/agrupaciones-y-organizaciones/grupo-marfil |website=Sistema de Información Cultural de Costa Rica |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=es}}{{cite web |title=Walter Ferguson: El calypsonian de Cahuita cuyo talento marcó la historia musical de Costa Rica {{!}} Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud |url=https://www.mcj.go.cr/sala-de-prensa/noticias/walter-ferguson-el-calypsonian-de-cahuita-cuyo-talento-marco-la-historia |website=www.mcj.go.cr |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=es |date=25 February 2023}}

File:Sherman Guity 2019.jpg]]Described as "a hotbed for sports," Limón is nationally renowned for its strong contribution to sports, in spite of the numerous challenges faced by the population.{{cite news |title=Limón: un semillero deportivo abandonado |url=https://www.diarioextra.com/Noticia/detalle/259392/limon:--un-semillero-deportivo-abandonado |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=Diario Extra |date=12 May 2015 |language=ES}} The city has spawned numerous athletes such as Nery Brenes, Sharolyn Scott, and Sherman Guity, the latter of whom became the first Costa Rican to win a medal at the Paralympics, as he won a Silver and a Gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.{{cite news |last1=Sánchez |first1=Luis Diego |title=Sherman Güity gana la primera medalla paralímpica en la historia de Costa Rica |url=https://delfino.cr/2021/08/sherman-guity-gana-la-primera-medalla-paralimpica-en-la-historia-de-costa-rica |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=Delfino |date=30 August 2021 |language=es}}{{cite news |title=Sherman Guity baña de oro a Costa Rica en Juegos Paralímpicos |url=https://www.espn.co.cr/futbol/costa-rica/nota/_/id/9153671/sherman-guity-medalla-oro-juegos-paralimpicos |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=ESPN Costa Rica |date=4 September 2021}}

Football is also a very popular sport in the city. The city was represented by the Limon Gymnastics Society (In Spanish: Sociedad Gimnástica Limonense) at the first season of the Costa Rican Primera División, also taking part in the first match ever played.{{cite web|last1=Coto|first1=Gerardo|title=1921|url=http://www.unafut.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54%3A1921&catid=3&Itemid=35|website=UNAFUT.com|publisher=UNAFUT|access-date=25 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808075259/http://www.unafut.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54:1921&catid=3&Itemid=35|archive-date=8 August 2017|url-status=dead}} The team was eventually succeeded by further iterations, such as A.D. Limonense (also known as ASODELI), Limón FC, and the present-day Limón Black Star, all of whom have largely played at the Estadio Juan Gobán, in downtown Limón.

Limón is also the birthplace of Juan Cayasso, a historical figure for the Costa Rica national football team. On 11 June 1990, the team made its debut at a FIFA World Cup by defeating Scotland at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Cayasso scored the lone goal, becoming the first Costa Rican to score a goal at a FIFA World Cup, which in turn gave the team its first-ever victory at the tournament.{{cite news |title=Costa Rica's top 10 goals of all time |url=https://ticotimes.net/2015/08/07/costa-ricas-top-10-goals-time |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Tico Times |date=7 August 2015}} Besides Cayasso, three other Limón natives have also scored for Costa Rica at the FIFA World Cup: Winston Parks in 2002,{{cite news |title=Parks, un tico entre Ronaldo, Henry y Shevchenko |url=https://www.nacion.com/puro-deporte/parks-un-tico-entre-ronaldo-henry-y-shevchenko/KEADLCUM2NFTNFU453QRY5RLXE/story/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |work=La Nación |date=27 November 2003 |language=es}} and Keysher Fuller and Yeltsin Tejeda in 2022.{{cite news |title=Mundial Qatar 2022: Keysher Fuller, el defensor que prepara comida caribeña y agua de sapo, anotó un histórico gol de Costa Rica |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/futbol/mundial-qatar-2022-keysher-fuller-el-defensor-que-prepara-comida-caribena-y-agua-de-sapo-anoto-un-nid27112022/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |work=LA NACION |date=27 November 2022 |language=es}}{{cite news |last1=Soto |first1=Andrés |title=Revista inglesa destacó nombre de Yeltsin Tejeda como uno de los mejores del fútbol |url=https://www.repretel.com/noticia/revista-inglesa-destaco-nombre-de-yeltsin-tejeda-como-uno-de-los-mejores-del-futbol/ |access-date=15 December 2024 |work=Repretel |date=23 February 2024 |language=es}}

Jamaica has an honorary consulate in Limón.{{cite web |title=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto |url=https://www.rree.go.cr/?sec=misiones&cat=enCR&cont=527&id=336&pais=JM |website=www.rree.go.cr |publisher=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto |access-date=4 January 2025}} In the past, Italy also had an honorary consulate in the city.{{cite web |title=La rete consolare |url=https://ambsanjose.esteri.it/ambasciata_sanjose/es/ambasciata/la_rete_consolare/la-rete-consolare.html |website=ambsanjose.esteri.it |publisher=Ambasciata d'Italia - San José de Costa Rica |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123025413/https://ambsanjose.esteri.it/ambasciata_sanjose/es/ambasciata/la_rete_consolare/la-rete-consolare.html |archive-date=23 November 2021 |language=es}}

• {{flagicon|ROM}} Galați, Romania (since 25 October 1992){{cite web |title=Primaria Municipiului Galati |url=http://www.primaria.galati.ro/portal/tara.php?tara=7&oras=8 |website=primaria.galati.ro |publisher=Municipiu Galati |access-date=4 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924081719/http://www.primaria.galati.ro/portal/tara.php?tara=7&oras=8 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |location=Galați |language=ro}}

{{Portal bar|Costa Rica|Geography|Cities}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Limón, Costa Rica|Limón}}
• {{wikivoyage-inline|Puerto Limón}}

{{Provincial capitals of Costa Rica}}

{{Districts of Limón Province}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Districts of Limón Province

Category:Populated places in Limón Province

Category:Port cities in the Caribbean

Category:Populated places established in 1854

Category:1854 establishments in Costa Rica