While the northern pacific coast of Costa Rica has been quite popular amongst tourism visitors for a long time, the Limon region has remained stagnated and undeveloped with poor infrastructure and a small number of real estate projects, but that seems to be changing as the country is applying the necessary measures in order to ensure that the province will experience the optimal growth necessary to attract property buyers and investors while also promoting the creation of new jobs.

As the local government is currently aiming at turning a stretch of the Caribbean coastline into a preferred tourism destination, the initiatives in order to make it a reality currently include the creation of a free-trade zone and large investments in the port towns of Moin and downtown Limon.

One the biggest upcoming projects in the area is the new port terminal located in Moin, which will be possible thanks to the $1 billion concession (the biggest in the history of the country) with APM Terminals, a Dutch firm that will start with the construction process in 2013 with the promise of finishing in 3 years. The Caribbean province is expected to grow significantly when the new port in Moin is finally done, as this project alone will generate around 2 thousand direct new jobs and 8 thousand indirect ones.

It is also confirmed that China will be donating the funds needed to complete a major road expansion, increasing the number of lanes from two to four in 108 kilometers on the area that goes from Rio Frio de Sarapiquí to downtown Limon, this in order to allow the fluid transit of vehicles through this major commercial route.

Costa Rica’s police force is also working hard on bringing safety to the province, as they know that security is one of the main concerns for possible investors in the area of tourism, and the recent arrival of cruise lines (the ones making a stop on their way to the Panama Canal) in Limon is proof that the efforts of the local authorities are actually working. Downtown Limon is not a destination itself but the point of departure for visitors looking to explore the Caribbean coast, and the number of tour operator stands in the city increases as the popularity of the province continues to expand outside the country.

Offering signature Caribbean foods and original music that are not common in other regions of Costa Rica, Limon’s particular culture is certainly a main attraction for tourists, and knowing this, the government looks forward to turn Limon into the next favorite destination in the country. But before Limon becomes as appealing for overseas visitors as Guanacaste, the government needs to make sure that tourists will count with all of the services they might possibly need in order to have an overall pleasant experience in the region, and if all the positive plans on the table are created, there will be a lot of positive things to say about this beautiful and enriching place in the near future.