Uvita Island, or Isla Quiribrí, sits less than a kilometre offshore from Puerto Limón. It is small — barely a square kilometre — uninhabited, and ringed by a narrow strip of beach backed by dense forest. None of that is the reason to come. The island matters because this is where Christopher Columbus first set foot on the Central American mainland in 1502, a moment that ultimately gave the country its name.
There is no regular boat service, but local fishermen at the Puerto Limón docks will take small groups across for a negotiated fare. Bring water, sun cover, and reef shoes if you plan to walk the shoreline. Most visitors spend an hour or two on the beach and head back; serious snorkelers occasionally explore the coral patches on the seaward side.