Field Ecology 2025 in Limon, Costa Rica

Christopher Columbus's arrival at nearby Isla Uvita in 1502 during his final voyage. However, the Caribbean coast remained largely unsettled by the Spanish due to its climate and pirate activity. The modern town of Puerto Limón was officially founded in 1854 by Philipp J. J. Valentini, but its development truly accelerated in the late 19th century with the construction of a railroad to connect the central coffee-growing highlands to the coast for export. This massive project brought a significant influx of Jamaican and Chinese laborers, whose descendants form the backbone of the region's unique and vibrant Afro-Caribbean culture today. For a long time, the Afro-Caribbean population faced discrimination and was restricted from traveling outside the province, which helped foster a strong, distinct cultural identity within Limón that endures to this day.