The Perfect way to Travel

If you’re looking for an incredible way to explore not only Costa Rica, but several other countries in Central America, a cruise is the best choice for your next Costa Rica vacation! A cruise allows you to relax in luxury while you travel from place to place. There are two primary ports in Costa Rica. From either of them you can enjoy many different Costa Rica shore excursions and experience the lush rainforests, beautiful beaches and exciting adventure tours!

There are two main ports in Costa Rica, Puerto Caldera and Puerto Limon. Depending on the Costa Rica Cruise you choose you might make some small stops to other ports and harbors in and around Costa Rica. Popular stops include San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua, Playas del Coco, Quepos, Drake Bay, and Golfito.

Puerto Caldera 

Puerto Caldera is the main port serving the Puntarenas Province. Although it’s primarily a port town, you’ll find a lot of great restaurants and tourist shops set up to cater to cruise guests. It is a great starting place for tropical excursions around Costa Rica. Caldera is close to the capital city, San Jose, the beach town of Jaco and many popular destinations in the Nicoya Peninsula.

If you have time, visit Tortuga Island off of the Nicoya Peninsula or Carara National Park near Jaco. Caldera is also a great place to try traditional Costa Rican dishes like Gallo Pinto or a Casado.  

Puerto Limón

Puerto Limón is located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. It serves as the main port of the Caribbean coast. The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is unique from the rest of the country. The laid-back, Afro Caribbean culture creates a fun, relaxing atmosphere dominated by reggae music, coconut-inspired dishes and happy locals.

Be sure to choose a cruise that allows some time for excursions because you will not want to miss some of the amazing destinations along the Caribbean coast. Cahuita is a small beach town about an hour away attached to Cahuita National Park. The is part tropical rainforest, part beach and part coral reef. It is free to the public and home to many different wildlife species including iguanas, sloths, monkeys and coatis. It also has one of the best coral reefs in Costa Rica, making it an ideal location for scuba diving and snorkeling. Other popular destinations in the area include Puerto Viejo, Playa Cocles and Tortuguero National Park.

Perhaps you might also like visiting the Jaguar rescue center also not far from Limon City. The little rescue center is home to many different animals that have been injured or abandoned and are looked after by volunteers. 

Don’t miss the incredible Caribbean cuisine while you’re here either! The famous dish called rice and beans is adored by locals. The rice is flavored with coconut and tastes great with an ice-cold Imperial.

Panama Canal

Other popular cruises around Costa Rica often go through the Panama Canal. It’s a great cruise if you’re interested in the beautiful Panamanian flora and fauna. You can also visit Panama City and do some shopping and exploring.  

Recommended Tours

Although we don’t sell cruises at My Costa Rica, we do recommend a few specific day trip cruises to check out if you want to visit Costa Rica.  One is through Carnival, which has several exotic destinations including, Puerto Limon, and the Panama Canal. Another is Princess Cruises. The cruises arrive in Puerto Caldera, and let you explore Costa Rica from there. 

Still have questions about your next Costa Rica vacation? Let us help you explore the rest of Costa Rica!