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Limon Costa Rica’s 7 Most Stunning Beaches

Beaches in Limon Costa Rica are located at the Caribbean Sea and are considered to be among the most picturesque and charming beaches from Costa Rica.

Limon Province is one of the 7 provinces from Costa Rica. It is located right near the Nicaragua border, 160 kilometres from San Jose, the capital of the country, with a large afro Caribbean population.

Here, in this province, you can find one of the most important ports from the country: Puerto Limon. It is located in the eastern part of Costa Rica, on the Caribbean coast.

500 years ago, Columbus landed here; 300 years later, Limon port was established in the New World city.

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Punta Uva Beach in Limon Costa Rica
Punta Uva Beach in Limon Costa Rica

How to get to Costa Rica Limon beaches

You can reach this magnificent area and Costa Rica Limon beaches by car or plane from San Jose.

There is a domestic airport located right in the town of Limon and less than an from San Jose.

Another way of getting to this part of the country is by car. It takes you about 2 and a half hours from the capital city of San Jose.

Renting a car offers freedom to explore secluded beaches, rainforests, and stunning scenery in this country.

Best time to visit Costa Rica Limon beaches

This province defies the typical dry and wet seasons found elsewhere in the country, making it unique.

The best time to visit Limon is in February and March and in September and October. During these months the precipitations are fewer than during the rest of the year.

Majority of beaches lie south of Puerto Limon along Route 36, particularly near Puerto Viejo city.

Let’s discover together the best beaches to visit in Limon, best attractions and the best hotels in the area.

Top 7 Best Beaches in Limon Costa Rica

Punta Uva beach

The laid-back beach of Punta Uva is famous for its calm waters, boasting beautiful water corals and white sand. Moreover, it’s perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and spending quality time with family.

Punta uva Beach Costa Rica
Punta uva Beach Costa Rica

Playa Punta Uva is one of Costa Rica’s quietest beaches. Situated 8.5 kilometers from Puerto Viejo, it’s within the protected Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge.

Playa Cocles

Playa Cocles, located north of Playa Chiquita. As it offers some of the region’s best waves, as a result it is popular among surfers.

It’s 2 kilometers long, with palm trees on one side and crystal-clear sea on the other.

Playa Conchal beach Costa Rica beaches
Playa Cocles beach Costa Rica beaches

Cocles Beach can be crowded on weekends and in high season. Head south for a quieter experience.

The beach is approximately 40 miles from Puerto Limon. Take Route 36 south for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

These are the new essentials you have to pack for your trip

Salsa Brava beach

From beginners to experts, surfers from all over the world dream to visit at least once in their lifetime one of the most famous beaches of Limon Costa Rica for surfing, Salsa Brava Beach.

In this part of Costa Rica, the waves are incredibly powerful. Additionally, those who tried Salsa Brava say it resembles two famous Hawaii beaches: Baby Backdoor and Laniakea.

Salsa Brava Beach Surf in Costa Rica
Salsa Brava Beach Surf in Costa Rica
Salsa Brava Beach Costa Rica Surf
Salsa Brava Beach Costa Rica Surf

As the currents are so strong and the waves are fast and steep, we recommend this place, especially for experienced surfers.

Caribe Sur, Salsa Brava temporada Diciembre 2019 (Blue Youth)

Playa Bonita

One of the most beautiful Costa Rica Limon beaches, Playa Bonita which translates into Beautiful Beach.

This secluded beach is a quiet strip of white sand full of howler monkeys and crabs without many people around.

Playa Bonita costa rica
Playa Bonita costa rica

The waters are clean and crystal clear and if you go further from the shore you will see octopus, rays and all kinds of colourful fishes hidden on the coral reef from that area.

Right near the beach, there are palm trees and a lush forest, so you can bring a hammock with you and lay under the trees to relax and read a book.

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Playa Chiquita

One of the most picturesque Limon beaches in Costa Rica, Playa Chiquita is located just 5 kilometres away from Puerto Viejo if you follow the coastal road.

This beach is renowned for its soft sand and turquoise waters. Moreover, it offers stunning scenery, with lush forests and soaring birds.

Playa Chiquita costa rica
Playa Chiquita costa rica

Playa Chiquita is a secluded beach, pretty hard to reach as there are no roads, just some trails hidden in the rainforest that lead you to the water but an amazing place for scuba diving.

You don’t have any facility on the beach so take with you everything you need for a day on the beach, as the closest supermarket is in Puerto Viejo.

Playa Blanca

One of Costa Rica’s best-kept secrets, Playa Blanca is one of the most beautiful beaches from Limon Costa Rica visited mostly by Costa Ricans and not by tourists.

Playa Blanca Costa Rica Limon beaches
Playa Blanca Costa Rica Limon beaches

The beach is located inside Cahuita National Park and the best spot for those interested in swimming and observing wildlife in the forests around the beach.

Playa Blanca costa rica
Playa Blanca costa rica

Playa Negra

This black sand beach is situated 10 kilometers from Puerto Viejo, between the town and Cahuita. It’s ideal for beginner surfers due to strong currents.

Playa Negra Costa Rica Beaches
Playa Negra Costa Rica Beaches

With its black sand, the beach is considered to be less pretty compared with white sand beaches from the area, so you might have most of the beach just for yourself.

Playa Negra costa rica
Playa Negra costa rica
Playa Negra Beach costa rica
Playa Negra Beach costa rica

Stay safe while you travel

  • medical safety abroad
  • medical assistance including COVID-19
  • emergency medical evacuation
  • trip interruption -up to $5.000
  • travel delay - up to $100/day

Things to do around Costa Rica Limon beaches

Limon province is not just about beautiful beaches and incredible waters; it is also about wildlife, amazing sceneries and green forests.

That is why I strongly advise you to include in your travel plans the following activities and places to see:

  • Climb the hill near Puerto Limon for an amazing view over the bay and the beach town
  • Pay a visit to the sloth sanctuary
  • Explore Tortuguero National Park, the third most visited park from Costa Rica with a large variety of plants and animals
  • Visit a banana plantation
  • Observe the rich fauna and flora from Cahuita National Park
  • Book a tour of G& E Chocolate Adventure Company, a local shop with a huge cacao plantation behind
  • Visit the port of Puerto Viejo and its colourful shops

Hotels in Limon Costa Rica

There are plenty of beautiful accommodations around the beaches in Limon and finding the best place to stay might be more challenging than you’ve thought.

We picked for you the best 2 hotels and resorts from the area based on their location, facilities and incredible price-quality ratio.

The first on our list is Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel Puertoviejo Costa Rica, a 5-star resort located within walking distance from the beautiful Cocles Beach and has an outdoor swimming pool, clean and spacious rooms and an amazing view of the sea.

Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel
Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel

Next on my list is Casa Viva Puerto Viejo Costa Rica, located 1 mile away from Chiquita Beach and featuring a beautiful garden, a private beach and modern interiors.

Casa Viva Lodge
Casa Viva Lodge

Conclusion

These are the 7 most interesting and beautiful beaches from Limon Costa Rica which you definitely have to see during your holiday in this country.

Set your base in one of the two suggested hotels. Then, rent a car to explore Limon Province, a paradise for surfers, nature lovers, and wildlife enthusiasts.

Casa Viva Lodge Puert Viejo Costa Rica
Casa Viva Lodge Puert Viejo Costa Rica
Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel Costa Rica
Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel Costa Rica

Logistical tips and tricks for your trip

Book your accommodation

We always use Booking.com as they have the best price-quality ratio and they offer a wide range of hotels, guesthouses, apartments, and villas to choose from.

You will find here all types of accommodations, from the cheapest ones to the most luxurious.

Don't forget travel insurance

We never leave home without HeyMondo Insurance or Safety Wings Insurance as they offer the best services and a good value for money, plus COVID coverage.

When we go for longer trips around the world we get Globelink Insurance as it offers a good cover for an affordable price.

Travel insurance will always protect you against unexpected events and cost like illness, COVID, injury, theft, or travel cancellation.

We never go on any trip without travel insurance and there were many cases when we had to use it.

Renting a car
We like to explore a country on our own and a car gives us the mobility and freedom to do that.

We always rent our car from Discovercars as they have free cancellation 48 hours prior to starting date and a wide range of car rental companies and options to choose from all over the world.

Tours and attractions
When we are looking for some adventure or we simply want to break up the monotony and discover new places, we always use GetYourGuide.

We love it because we always find the most amazing experiences, with free cancellation and a large variety of activities and tours to choose from.

Airplane tickets and holiday packages
Expedia is our ally when searching for the best price for airplane tickets as it works as an aggregator for a huge number of airlines and we always find the best price for our flights.

Travel tip: use Expedia when you are searching for holiday packages as they have many last-minute offers and great discounts for hotels, flights, and even the whole holiday packages.