SlimJohnson wrote:
DiegoC wrote:
SlimJohnson Perhaps you have been there before and there is something which draws you back to Limon. Most people here avoid it unless they have relatives or other specific reasons to go there.
This visit I'd like to do a few day trips to different locales. Since cruise ships stop there I didn't see Limon as being particulary dangerous. I've read about back packers enjoying the beach and so on. From what I've read it just seemed laid back. To me it's a non-issue since I can't go there anyway because of the floods. I will take everyones word that it's a shithole. But could someone be a little more specific as why it should be avoided? Is it any more dangerous than San Jose? People must go there for some reason.
I've explored Limon City (aka Puerto Limon) twice on my way to or from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. I never spent the night there, however, toured the city during daylight hours by car and by foot. The waterfront is exactly that...and not much to look at. (Think of an industrial area with cargo containers, trucks and freight locomotives with a sprinkling of souvenir stands for the disembarked cruise ship passengers.) Parque Vargas, one of the main parks in town looks like it hasn't been touched since my grandfather took a picture of it in 1915. The main shopping area, about a block or two from the waterfront, has a number of shops and restaurants that surround a large square decorated with large green blocks. The rest of centro is crowded with non-descript buildings containing shops, sodas, small hotels and sodas. There are several sailor bars along the seawall frequented by merchant seamen and a few putas. In the outskirts of town, you will find various neighborhoods with ramshackle little casas, small bars and stores. Just to the south of Limon is an airstrip that serves as Limon's principal airport.
Is crime any worse than in San Jose? Not sure I can make a comparison. I never experienced any problems while visiting the city, but I do keep my guard up at all times. Deserved or undeserved, Limon has a bad rep, so I will leave it at that.
As I said early, I am usually "just passing through" or bypassing Limon on my way to Puerto Viejo (about 60 kms to the south). I've vacationed in PV 9 or 10 times over the past 4 1/2 years, and consider it one of my favorite spots to chill. The drive along the beach from Limon to PV is relaxing and beautiful. There are many beautiful beaches on the 14 km stretch from PV to Manzanillo. A hike or boat ride through the Manzanillo - Gandoca preserve is worth the trip. In nearby Bribri is the Kekoldi Indian reservation where there are a couple of isolated, beautiful waterfalls to spend a low-key afternoon. Puerto Viejo is an interesting, fun little village that attracts an ecclectic mix of back-packers, surfers and ex-pats from all over the world. Even though there are a lot of tourists, PV never struck me as being overly-touristy. For the most part, the natives and ex-pats are friendly and accommodating. The night-life in PV is a blast...live music, bonfires on the beach, open-air discos and bars. Don't expect to find any P4P here unless you have brought your own from the gulch. From what I have been reading on this thread about the weather, now would not be a good time to go. Save PV as a destination for more sunny days.
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does the rain really decrease that much?
