Coffee and chocolate from the Costa Rica cruise ports
None of the coffee or chocolate producers listed here states a pickup from Puerto Limón or Puntarenas, so a farm visit from either port means a car or a ship's excursion. From Limón, Route 32 climbs to the Central Valley and passes within a mile of Sibö Chocolate; from the Pacific side, Route 27 runs from Caldera to San José.
| Caribbean port | Terminal Hernán Garrón Salazar, Limón (JAPDEVA); cruise pier with berths 3-1, 3-2 and 3-3 |
|---|---|
| Pacific port | Puntarenas cruise pier (INCOP), 553.44 m long, berths No. 4 and No. 5 |
| Cruise calls at Puntarenas | 78 to 85 a season on average (INCOP) |
| Limón to the Central Valley | Route 32, through Braulio Carrillo National Park |
| Caldera to San José | Route 27 |
| Producer pickups from the ports | None stated on the producers' own sites |
Where ships berth
In Limón, JAPDEVA runs the Terminal Hernán Garrón Salazar, also called the Terminal de Limón. Its published berth table lists a cruise pier with berths 3-1, 3-2 and 3-3.
In Puntarenas, INCOP runs the cruise terminal. INCOP gives the pier as 553.44 meters long with berths No. 4 and No. 5, two passenger platforms and a small train that carries visitors along the pier. It puts the average at 78 to 85 cruise calls a season.
INCOP also runs Puerto Caldera, where Route 27 from San José ends.
JAPDEVA, Terminal Hernán Garrón SalazarINCOP, Terminal de Cruceros de Puntarenas
From Puerto Limón
Route 32 connects Limón with San José and crosses Braulio Carrillo National Park. Sibö Chocolate's tasting workshop is in San Isidro de Heredia, one mile off this highway, about 30 minutes north of downtown San José by the company's own account. Its tasting runs at 10:30 AM, Tuesday to Sunday, for groups of at least four, with reservations required.
Tirimbina, in La Virgen de Sarapiquí, says it is about two hours from San José; its chocolate tour runs at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM and must be booked 48 hours ahead.
Neither producer gives a time from the Limón pier. The coffee farms of Heredia and Alajuela are on the far side of San José from Limón.
Sibö ChocolateChocolate
San Isidro de Heredia
A Costa Rican chocolate maker with a workshop, shop and restaurant in San Isidro de Heredia.
Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge and ReserveChocolate
La Virgen, Sarapiquí
A biological reserve and lodge in La Virgen de Sarapiquí.
From Puntarenas and Caldera
Route 27 runs from Caldera to San José, passing Atenas and Alajuela canton on the way. The Central Valley coffee farms are reached from the San José end; none of them states a time from the Pacific ports.
Britt Coffee Tour sells transport only from the main hotels in San José, Heredia and Alajuela. Hacienda Doka sells a package with transportation but does not list pickup areas.
La Iguana Chocolate in Mastatal says it is less than 1.5 hours from Jacó and Manuel Antonio, on partly dirt roads; it does not give a time from Puntarenas.
Britt Coffee TourCoffee
Barva, Heredia
Café Britt's coffee farm and roasting plant in Barva de Heredia, open to visitors since 1991.
Hacienda DokaCoffee
Poás, Alajuela
A coffee estate on the slopes of Poás in Alajuela; its coffee was sold as Café Tres Generaciones before the Hacienda Doka name.
Hacienda Alsacia (Starbucks Coffee Farm)Coffee
Sabanilla, Alajuela
Starbucks' coffee farm, research hub and visitor center in Sabanilla, Alajuela.
La Iguana ChocolateChocolate
Mastatal
A family cacao farm in Mastatal that makes its own chocolate on site.
Other excursions
Near Limón, SINAC's Cahuita National Park has white sand beaches and marine life, and its Puerto Vargas sector charges non-resident visitors $5.65 including tax. On the Pacific side, SINAC's Carara National Park, a birding site where the scarlet macaw is the best known species, is 90 km from San José on the Costanera Sur, with its main entrance 2 km south of the Río Grande de Tárcoles bridge.
Back on board
Your ship's all-aboard time is set by the cruise line and printed in its daily programme. No producer on this page states a guaranteed return to the ship, so check the producer's tour times against your hours in port before booking.