When Christopher Columbus "discovered" Costa Rica in 1502, it was the coastline of Limon that inspired him to name it the "Rich Coast" (Costa Rica). Puerto Limon, also Limon, located on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, is capital of the Limon Province.

It is the country's most important port and a terminus of the Northern Railway to San Jose. Exports include bananas, coffee, cocoa, and coconuts. Puerto Limon is the site of a cathedral, a large trading market, and Vargas Park, with botanical gardens; beaches lie nearby. The city was built in 1871.