It once stood in front of the Alcaldia, the bright, stucco-decorated city hall, which remains a beautiful example of Caribbean tropical architecture, featuring wide balconies, open arcades and bay windows. The city, which was originally founded in a swampy area plagued by yellow fever and then moved to higher ground, still wakes up early in the morning. Most residents try to accomplish their tasks before noon in order to escape the merciless heat of the afternoon. They allow themselves a long relaxing siesta after lunch. The shops and bars remain open until late into the night.
Some local residents pass seamlessly from siesta to fiesta.
The park displays a bust of Christopher Columbus and his son Fernando erected in 1990, commemorating their landing on the nearby island of Uvita in 1502. Another bust shows Balvanera Vargas Molina, the governor at the turn of the century. Even though Puerto Limon has few tourist attractions to speak of, it is still interesting and worth visiting because of its people. The inhabitants of the city are primarily black, the descendants of Jamaican slaves imported to work on Costa Rica's banana plantations. Their Creole culture gives the city a unique character.