Page 22 - CARIBE TOURIST GUIDE

Brief History of Tourism in Limon
Return to map
harvests produced in the Central Valley or Central Plateau and the growing banana production were reasons enough to make the railroad an important project for the economy of Costa Rica at that time. This historically important project opened the doors to two activities that would be fundamental to the economic and social development of the region: port activity and tourism.
It is important to note that this part of the Costa Rican Caribbean developed in isolation from the rest of the country, as it was kept separate for geographical reasons as well as decisions rooted in politics and racial attitudes.
The construction of the railroad and the power of the main employer of the time, the United Fruit Company, influenced the development of Limón through the banana enclave. Both activities influenced the migration of groups of Afro-Caribbean workers, Chinese, Italians and many other nationalities who took root in this region, turning the Costa Ricans living in Limón into a minority. This migration gave rise to the region’s multiculturalism, which persists in the 21st century.
It was the railroad, the banana enclave, the growing port activity and the emergence of a small but beautiful city with Victorian buildings and vernacular architecture that led to the city becoming an exotic attraction that attracted Costa Ricans and foreigners, with the latter group arriving on transatlantic transportation. Visitors came to enjoy the region’s natural and cultural wealth and to carry out scientific research. This can be considered to be what gave rise to the activity we now know as tourism, with the same resources and landscapes finding admirers to the present day.
International tourism could be said to have preceded visits by Costa Ricans, since the Port of Limón was opened for trade in 1852, and was declared to be the main Caribbean port of the Republic in 1856. It soon became overshadowed by other destinations “more attractive to the eyes of Costa Ricans” such as the southern Caribbean (Puerto Viejo and Cahuita) and other regions of the country.
obturcaribe.ucr.ac.cr/nuestro-enfoque/historia
22