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8. Former Port Captaincy
It is located between Avenida 2 and 3 on Calle 1. The construction has an Afro-Caribbean or Antillean influence; you will notice it at first sight. This corner building has an L-shaped floor plan on two levels, bordered by an interior courtyard. It has a balcony with a balustrade on the second floor, while on the second floor there is a wide corridor. In the building, pine wood slats were used in the walls, floors and ceilings. As an adaptation to the region’s climate, wood lattices and large double-leaf or sash windows were used to ensure ventilation.
You can see them in one of the corners of Parque Vargas. It was created in 1930 as part of a group of buildings belonging to the United Fruit Company. This building served as the Captaincy and Governor’s Office until 1986 and was declared a historic architectural heritage site in 1995. It is one of the most significant buildings in Limón, and it is well worth a visit. Ask for permission to climb to the second floor, from which you will have a spectacular view of the Caribbean Sea.
9. Former United Fruit Company Office
Located between Avenida 1 and 2 on Calle 1. On February 7, 1880, the first shipment of bananas was made on the Norwegian ship Earnholm, bound for New York. This marked the beginning of banana production in our country for export.
The buildings were constructed in the 1880s for use as
administrative offices of the United Fruit Co. They were
designed based on plans drawn up in the company’s Boston
workshops to be implemented in its Caribbean enclaves. With
an ostentatious stroke, it sought to reflect the power of the
transnational banana concern. The building has a metal structure
that supports the beams and columns, exterior walls are made
of brick and the inside is comprised of spacious individual rooms, with wood and French wattle and daub partitions. The roof has a pitched roof with very wide slopes to facilitate water drainage. The two-story building has balconies and a huge monitor roof, whose large windows provide light and ventilation to the mezzanines. It has large eaves facing the sidewalk, forming a 100-meter-long covered gallery that covers passers-by from rain and sun.
In the 1930s, the company abandoned banana production in the Caribbean and the buildings were taken over by the Compañía Bananera de Costa Rica. Currently, the building houses offices and various commercial buildings. It was declared to be historical architectural heritage on February 18, 1999.
Historic sites
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