IT WAS NEARLY nightfall when I arrived at Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, the coastal town that I would call home during my first trip to Costa Rica. I checked in to my hotel, Satta Lodge (doubles from $165), which sits in the jungle a short distance from the shoreline. What called me to this lush country was not the nearby sloth sanctuary, or the rainforests of Corcovado National Park, or even the alluring beaches. I was there to experience the nation's Jamaican cuisine, forged by the community's long history in Limón province, on Costa's Rica's eastern seaboard.
In the early 1800s, Caribbean fishermen began to settle along the same coast where, a century or so later, a young Marcus Garvey would begin his career as a political and racial justice activist. A massive project in the 1870s to construct a railway to transport coffee from the Costa Rican highlands to Limón attracted a large population of Jamaicans looking for employment.
At the beginning of the 20th century, roughly 20,000 people migrated from Jamaica to Costa Rica to work at the notorious United Fruit Co. plantations, where, despite the repressive conditions, the newcomers were able to maintain their traditions, which influenced the region's culture and cuisine.
Today, many of these Jamaicans' descendants live in other parts of Costa Rica, but their influence remains strongest in Limón, where Afro-Caribbean culture is woven into the fabric of the region. Green, black, and red, the colors of the flag Garvey created as a symbol of the Pan-Africanist movement he championed, are emblazoned across the walls of restaurants and bars, as matter where we go in the world, we're still Black. We are supposed to love our culture, and our traditions. We should be proud, because this is what we made."
This story is from the December 2023 - January 2024 edition of Travel+Leisure US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2023 - January 2024 edition of Travel+Leisure US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
OUR PORTUGUESE ADVENTURE
Small plates in Lisbon, fancy soaps in Porto, sandcastles on the beaches of the Algarve... Jessamine Chan and her family fall for a country with something for everyone.
Note Perfect
For centuries, the Italian town of Cremona has been home to the great instrument makers, and its streets continue to ring with music. For Julie Orringer, a family trip becomes a master class in the power of travel.
CREST of the WAVE
On France's rugged Basque Coast, old-school glamour meets shaggy surf culture-and creates an irresistible mix.
Turkish Delight
A major waterfront revitalization project in Istanbul is giving visitors-and locals-a reason to stroll and stay awhile.
Out of the Box
How an Austrian ski and spa town landed on the European art circuit.
Breaking Away
Finding solitude on a peaceful island in the Pacific Northwest.
Wrocław Reborn
After being decimated in World War II, this Polish city has risen from the ashes. On a quest for family roots, Laura Moser discovers a vital cultural crossroads.
It Takes a Village
In the canyons of northern Greece, the people of the Zagorohoria are cementing their home as a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Eleni N. Gage shares their story.
Explore One of Europe's Coolest Capitals: Tallinn
AFTER EMERGING FROM the intense heat of the sauna, I ran across a wooden deck and plunged into the brisk Baltic Sea. The cold pierced my skin from the soles of my feet upward, like ice water blanching a steamed vegetable. When I surfaced, my travel companions, who'd just done the same, were laughing so hard they could barely stay afloat.
Restore Your Body and Mind in Kyoto
WHEN VICKY TSAI visited Kyoto for the first time in 2008, she booked what she thought would be a simple facial.