Costa Rica is consistently one of the hottest vacation and adventure-travel destinations in Latin America. It remains a place rich in natural wonders and biodiversity, where you can still feel far from the crowds. The country boasts a wealth of unsullied beaches that stretch for miles, jungle rivers for rafting and kayaking, and spectacular cloud and rainforests with ample opportunities for bird-watching and hiking.

It was just offshore from present-day Limón, in the lee of Isla Uvita, that Christopher Columbus is said to have anchored in 1502, on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. Believing that this was potentially a very rich land, he named it Costa Rica ("Rich Coast"). While never supplying the Spanish crown with much in the way of gold or jewels, the spot where he anchored has proved over the centuries to be the best port on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast -- so his judgment wasn't all bad. From here the first bananas were shipped to North America in the late 19th century. Today Limón is primarily a port city that ships millions of pounds of bananas northward every year.

If you do spend some time in Limón, take a seat in Parque Vargas along the seawall and watch the city's citizens go about their business. You may even spot some sloths living in the trees here. Take a walk around town if you're interested in architecture. When banana shipments built this port, many local merchants erected elaborately decorated buildings, several of which have survived the city's many earthquakes, humid weather, and salty sea air. There's a certain charm in the town's fallen grace. If you want to get in some beach time while you're in Limón, hop in a taxi or a local bus and head north a few kilometers to Playa Bonita, a small public beach. This beach is popular with surfers.