More than 15 tour operators from the Central Valley and the general public learned about new tourist attractions in Central Limón and surrounding areas from July 31st to August 1st and 2nd at Expo Turismo 2025 in Puerto Limón.
This initiative takes place in conjunction with the start of the Afro-descendant month celebrations and under the slogan “Back to Our Roots,” the motto and banner of cultural tourism, which is Puerto Limón’s tourism focus. This month marks the start of the Caribbean Summer, which concludes in October with Carnival.
With a successful business roundtable, the promotion of new tours and tourist sites, training sessions, and the presence of more than 10 institutions, the first edition of Expo Turismo 2025 in Puerto Limón concluded successfully, under the slogan “Back to Our Roots.”
This event took place on July 31st and August 1st and 2nd in Puerto Limón and was attended by tour operators, entrepreneurs, tourism professionals, and gastronomy experts, whose offices are located in the capital, San José.
This was the first event of its kind in the region, and the agenda began on July 31st with training for Limón tourism entrepreneurs on topics of interest focused on the growth of the sector, as well as a discussion about future challenges in the current tourism environment. On Friday, August 1st and Saturday, August 2nd, tour operators, special guests from the Costa Rican Gastronomy Foundation, and local content creators took part in an experiential trip, exploring and immersing themselves in various innovative tourism ventures.
“For two days (August 1 and 2), a group of tour operators learned about innovative rural tourism, gastronomy, and adventure activities. The Limón area is also committed to showcasing indigenous cultural elements of the province, such as dance, music, and the historic center, among others,” explained Deyfa Sutherland Nelson, representative of the Limón Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism and organizer of Expo Turismo 2025.
Puerto Limón, a starting point for tourism exploration
Alberto López, General Manager of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, invited Costa Ricans to explore and rediscover the many adventure, historical, agro-tourism, and gastronomic tours, as well as the rural tourism options offered by Puerto Limón and surrounding areas year-round and within short distances.
Among the most outstanding activities and tours is a visit to the Rancho Pontevedra Farm, located in Bananito Sur. There, they offer ecological rural tourism experiences such as a pineapple tour and a visit to an interactive farm.
Always close to the stunning Estrella Valley and a more mountainous area, the next stop was Bocuare Jungle, a tourist attraction that offers visitors various activities such as hiking along trails surrounded by dense biodiversity, bridges, kayaking, fishing, and a soap slide.
In addition, they showcased the iconic buildings, monuments, and art galleries in the city of Puerto Limón, and offered a historical and culinary insight into the entire chocolate-making process in multiple presentations on the G&E Chocolate Adventure Company experience tour.
In the city itself, regular guided tours are also offered to Quiribí Island or Uvita, where Christopher Columbus visited, or a tour of the connecting canals leading to the beginning of the Tortuguero canals, a unique experience for spotting sloths, monkeys, reptiles, and a wide variety of bird species.
Finally, Expo Turismo 2025 participants and tour operators learned about the main adventure attractions of Veragua Rainforest, a natural research park with butterfly gardens, a canopy tour for high-altitude wildlife observation, hikes to waterfalls, and much more. Veragua Rainforest is a natural park in Costa Rica, located near Limón. It is known for its biodiversity and offers ecotourism activities such as trails, canopy tours, wildlife observation, and visits to waterfalls and gardens.
The experiences included a delicious up-close look at and tasting of a traditional Limón breakfast as part of the Puerto Limón Afro-Descendant Committee’s Gastronomic Festival held on August 2, which complemented the strategic efforts.
Expo Tourism 2025 was promoted, supported, and coordinated by the Limón Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, Banco Popular, and the Municipality of Limón Centro.
Afro-Costa Rican Month
“This Afro-Costa Rican Month, we invite you to all the fairs, parades, and activities, but above all, to rediscover the gastronomy, culture, and many attractions of Puerto Limón and the entire province as a whole in the North and South Caribbean,” concluded Reymond Smith Parks, spokesperson for the Tourism Office of the Municipality of Limón.
More information about these tours and packages available from August and year-round can be found at 88692793.
You can also find more details on the Expo Turismo 2025 Puerto Limón Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/19VqVMzj36/
