Cruise ship visitors arriving in Limón will soon enjoy a new experience when they debark at the Hernán Garrón Salazar port terminal, which welcomes the 193,000 cruise ship passengers who come to the Costa Rican Caribbean each year.

“We want to take their breath away right from the first glance, so that they will go on to fall in love with the flavor, natural surroundings, music, culture and beauty of the cantons of this Caribbean province”, commented Andrea Centeno, the Executive President of the Port Administration and Economic Development Board of the Atlantic Coast (JAPDEVA).

An agreement was signed between Centeno and the Minister of Tourism, Maria Amalia Revelo, that set the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) contribution to the immediate aesthetic and functional port upgrades at an approximate $208.000 USD

“Limón is capable of winning over tourists with its nature and its incredible people. Our objective is to promote stays in the province, which will not only reactivate the local and national economy, but also position the province as a destination that can compete with other destinations, offering quality and a tourist experience steeped in Limón’s culture and tradition”, said President Alvarado.

The international architecture and design firm GENSLER used a participatory workshop to identify an initial approach to the design and tourist experience that would be based on communicating Limón identity and ensuring that the first impression would encourage tourists to go out and get to know the Costa Rican Caribbean.

The upgrade will include an improvement to the exterior of the boarding rooms, the viewpoint, the artisans’ area, the cruise ship quay’s patio area and the service area for passengers and crew.

Carmen Rodríguez Vílchez, an artisan who specializes in jewelry for cruise ship passengers and who has sold her creations in the port for 26 years, highlighted the importance of the investment. “This is a way of giving better service to the passengers who will stay in the region and consume local services, meaning that many of us can increase our sales and bring the benefits to our families”.

Boosting the Caribbean

“The tourism activity brought by cruise ships is one of the main sources of foreign exchange generation for the country. ICT and JAPDEVA are well aware of this fact, which is why they have chosen to make a joint effort to seek the integrated development of the Hernán Garrón Salazar port terminal’s infrastructure”, noted Revelo.

She added that the main goal is to “increase the quality of the services in line with international standards, with a differentiating factor that highlights the culture and activities of the people of Limón while optimizing the experience of thousands of passengers”.

93 cruise ships arrived at Limón’s port during the 2018-2019 season, for a total of 193,733 passengers of different nationalities – with the US representing the largest share. This generated economic benefits for the province and the country.

The JAPDEVA head mentioned “this joint effort allows us to increase the value added that we provide to cruise ship passengers, which translates into a greater positive impact for the community, artisans who operate on the quay, tour operators, transportation workers, small business owners and shipping agents who have linkages to this activity. Furthermore, it is a first step while progress is made towards a new, specialized terminal”.