Porto Limon, Costa Rica

Jan. 7, 2023

Costa Rica’s Caribbean side has a unique atmosphere and a fascinating history. Limon is largely known for its creole and black population. It has evolved separately from the rest of Costa Rica for many years and so developed its own styles, languages, and ways of life. During the Spanish colonization, Limon was spared because of its extreme temperatures as well as indigenous resistance. Because of this, it feels almost like a different country! Limon is both the name of the Limon province and the capital city. It is by far the most culturally diverse province in Costa Rica. The indigenous as well as black populations still inhabit this part of Costa Rica. The combination of past slavery, Jamaican workers and the indigenous culture, has turned Limon into an extremely varied cultural treasure.

We took off to sample what Pto. Limon has to offer.

If you have been to Costa Rica, or if you are planning a Costa Rica vacation, one term you should be familiar with is “Pura Vida” (pronounces poo-rah vee-dah). Simply translated, it means “simple life” or “pure life”, but in Costa Rica, it is more than just a saying—it is a way of life.

Costa Ricans (Ticos) use this term to say hello, to say goodbye, to say everything’s great, to say everything’s cool. However, it is not the words that reflect the true meaning of ¡Pura Vida!. Pura Vida is the way Ticos live. Not surprisingly, Costa Rica has been named one of the happiest countries in the world, mostly because its inhabitants don’t stress about things the way most foreigners do. Ticos have a very relaxed, simple way of looking at life. No worries, no fuss, no stress—pura vida to them means being thankful for what they have and not dwelling on the negative.

Although many people love to use the phrase, not many know where the term actually originated. The most common explanation comes from a Mexican movie called ¡Pura vida! that came to Costa Rica 1956 (directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares). In the movie, ‘pura vida’ is the saying used by the main character who remains optimistic, despite unfortunate circumstances that continue to surround him. Although it took a little while to catch on, the phrase pura vida was being used nationwide by 1970. Today, it is an inherent part of the culture.

Although many people use the saying ‘pura vida’, until you’ve been to Costa Rica, you will not truly know what pura vida feels like. It’s an emotion, it’s an attitude, it’s happiness, and it’s a way of life. Once you’ve visited, you will understand the true meaning of pura vida.

Bananas, bananas, bananas! We learned more about bananas than I ever care to know. Banana production is a Costa Rica industry that accounted for 13 percent of the world’s total exports between 2002 and 2006. The nation exported the fruit to 38 countries in 2009, and there are no signs of it slipping as a world-favorite food. For the most part, plantations in Costa Rica are monocultures. These plantations (e.g. Dole, Del Monte, Chiquita) primarily grow bananas, pineapples, sugar, coffee, and ornamental plants. Many crops cultivated through plantation farming are usually genetically modified to improve and hasten growth and increase resistance to pests and diseases.

In Pto. Limon you can best experience the Afro-Caribbean culture that so strongly defines these parts of Costa Rica. If you are lucky, you might not even have to visit a national park to see one of Costa Rica’s most famous residents, the two-toed and three-toed sloth. We saw a sloth climbing a palm tree in town! A large amount of the Afro-Caribbean Population was forcibly brought to Limon through the slave trade. To many it influenced the new way of life the Costa Rica’s Caribbean is now known for. Later on, particularly during the 19th century, workers were hired from nearby islands like Jamaica. This is why English Creole is now a dominant language.