My port day in Puerto Limon: Veragua Rainforest and Tortuguero Canal

[elbodans]

Hello all! I semi-recently returned from an MSC cruise which stopped in Puerto Limon. I wrote about every port day, as these ports seem to get little attention as they are lesser-visited (the ship also went to Cartagena and Colon.) But I contend that cruising Central America (and South America) ports on a Caribbean cruise is amazing. 

Anyway--I wanted to share the experience of my port day, which was an MSC ship sponsored excursion to Veragua Rainforest and a short cruise on the Tortuguero Canal. 

Enjoy post on my ad-free, non-revenue generating blog (I get nothing from you reading this other than helping you possibly learn about a port you are visiting. I used to be a teacher and old habits die hard.) 

https://www.suitcasescholar.com/2023/01/10/a-port-day-in-puerto-limon-costa-rica-veragua-rainforest-and-the-tortuguero-canals/

[Birdnutty]

Thank you for doing this review.  As you said, these ports are vastly under-reported.  We went on this same tour, and I'm glad to have my memory so excellently refreshed.  We are nature enthusiasts, and were highly disappointed to see to hear not even one bird on the aerial tram, although the scenery was beautiful.   We did see one toucan on the rainforest walk waaaaaaayy far away and some feasting on berries right outside the lunch pavilion. It was beautiful, however, and we enjoyed everything.  The canal ride was very cool.  We saw sloths, herons, monkeys

and the coolest tiny little bats hanging from the supports of a bridge!

Here are some of my pics: in no particular order.  Sorry they're all smooshed together - I don't know how to separate them.  

 

And this one, from the bus - a novelty...  Yes, that is a toilet sitting atop a shed roof.

[LindySD]

Are the aerial trams covered or pretty much open air?

[elbodans]

On 1/15/2023 at 11:02 PM, Birdnutty said:

Thank you for doing this review.  As you said, these ports are vastly under-reported.  We went on this same tour, and I'm glad to have my memory so excellently refreshed.  We are nature enthusiasts, and were highly disappointed to see to hear not even one bird on the aerial tram, although the scenery was beautiful.   We did see one toucan on the rainforest walk waaaaaaayy far away and some feasting on berries right outside the lunch pavilion. It was beautiful, however, and we enjoyed everything.  The canal ride was very cool.  We saw sloths, herons, monkeys

and the coolest tiny little bats hanging from the supports of a bridge!

Here are some of my pics: in no particular order.  Sorry they're all smooshed together - I don't know how to separate them.  

 

And this one, from the bus - a novelty...  Yes, that is a toilet sitting atop a shed roof.

 

I don't know which I love more--the teeny, tiny bats or the shed roof toilet!

Thank you for sharing these photos! And yes, we saw no wildlife at Veragua. I had read about that here--possibly that was your post? Someone provided a review and mentioned that if you want to see wildlife, you should do the canals in addition to the rainforest. And so I did. If that was your advice--thank you! 

[elbodans]

On 1/19/2023 at 7:08 PM, LindySD said:

Are the aerial trams covered or pretty much open air?

 

They are entirely open air on the sides. The top I believe has a cover. But it's not enclosed in any way. 

There are photos of the tram vehicles in birdnutty's comment above--you can see them in the second to last photo. 

Edited January 21, 2023 by elbodans