Expo Turismo showcased new products and attractions in Puerto Limón

With a successful business roundtable, the promotion of new tours and tourist sites, training sessions, and the presence of more than 10 institutions, the first edition of Expo Turismo 2025 concluded successfully in Puerto Limón, under the slogan "Back to Our Roots."

This event took place on July 31st and August 1st and 2nd in Puerto Limón and was attended by tour operators, entrepreneurs, tourism professionals, and gastronomy experts whose offices are located in the capital, San José. This was the first event of its kind in the region, and the agenda began on July 31st with training sessions for Limón tourism entrepreneurs on topics of interest focused on the growth of the sector, as well as a discussion about future challenges in the current tourism environment.

On Friday, August 1st and Saturday, August 2nd, tour operators, special guests of the Costa Rican Gastronomy Foundation, and local content creators embarked on a journey of experience and immersion in a variety of innovative tourism ventures.

“For two days (August 1 and 2), a group of tour operators learned about innovative rural tourism options, gastronomy, and adventure activities. The Limón region is also committed to showcasing the province's native cultural elements, such as dance, music, and the historic center, among others,” explained Deyfa Sutherland Nelson, representative of the Limón Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism and organizer of Expo Turismo 2025.

Puerto Limón, a starting point for tourist exploration

Alberto López, General Manager of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, invited Costa Ricans to explore and rediscover the many adventure, historical, agro-tourism, and gastronomic tours, as well as the rural tourism options offered by Puerto Limón and surrounding areas year-round and within short distances.

Among the most notable activities and tours is a visit to Finca Rancho Pontevedra, located in Bananito Sur. This location offers ecological rural tourism experiences such as a pineapple tour and a visit to an interactive farm.

Always close to the surprising Valle de la Estrella and a more mountainous area, the next stop was Bocuare Jungle, a tourist development that offers visitors various activities such as hiking along trails surrounded by dense biodiversity, bridges, kayaking, fishing, and a soap slide.

Additionally, they showcased the city's iconic buildings, monuments, and art galleries, along with a historical and culinary look at the entire chocolate-making process in multiple presentations during the G&E Chocolate Adventure Company experience tour.

In the city itself, there are also regular guided tours to Quiribí or Uvita Island, where Christopher Columbus visited, or a tour of the connecting canals leading to the beginning of the Tortuguero canals. This is a unique experience for spotting sloths, monkeys, reptiles, and a wide variety of bird species.

Finally, Expo Turismo 2025 participants and tour operators learned about the main adventure attractions of Veragua Rainforest, a natural research park with butterfly gardens, a canopy tour for high-altitude wildlife observation, hikes to waterfalls, and much more. Veragua Rainforest is a natural park in Costa Rica, located near Limón. It is known for its biodiversity and offers ecotourism activities such as trails, canopy tours, wildlife observation, and visits to waterfalls and butterfly gardens. It also has a research center dedicated to the conservation of local biodiversity.

Among the experiences was a delicious introduction and tasting of a traditional Limón breakfast as part of the Puerto Limón Afro-Descendant Committee's Gastronomic Festival held on August 2, which complemented the strategic efforts.

Expo Turismo 2025 was promoted, supported, and coordinated by the Limón Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, Banco Popular, and the Municipality of Limón Centro. 
"This Afro-Costa Rican Month, we invite you to all the fairs, parades, and activities, but above all, to rediscover the gastronomy, culture, and many attractions of Puerto Limón and the entire province in the North and South Caribbean," concluded Reymond Smith Parks, spokesperson for the Limón Municipality Tourism Office.

For more information about these tours and packages, available from August through the year, call 88692793. 

Source: ICT.