No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCentral Pacific CoastWhat's that? An explanation of the plantation towns

What’s that? An explanation of the plantation towns

Along the highway that runs along the Central Pacific Coast between Jaco and Dominical, you will see vast plantations of African palm trees, broken up by the occasional group of homes clustered around a soccer field. You may wonder what all that is. Here’s a quick primer:

 

palma tica

Plantations

What were once vast banana plantations owned by United Fruit Company now house neatly planted rows of African palm trees. These trees were planted starting in the 1940s when diseased ravaged the banana crops. The fruit of the trees, which you’ll see as a reddish cluster of golf ball-sized nuts known as kernals, is harvested and processed for their oil. This oil is then refined into many items that we use every day, including cosmetics, candy, soaps, industrial lubricants, and more.

Palm oil: Guatemala’s newest, biggest cash crop?

 

plantation house costa rica

Towns

Quepos was the epicenter for United Fruit’s banana production, and there are still many examples of plantation architecture left in the city. It’s a bit easier to pick out along the highway, though, as you see homes clinging around a large soccer field. These were built United Fruit to house workers in the plantations. Still today many of the homes are occupied by families who toil in the shade of the African palm.

Trending Now

Costa Rican President Brushes Off Surge in Homicides

President Rodrigo Chaves has again brushed off Costa Rica's mounting security problems, labeling them as misunderstandings in a recent interview. Speaking on FOX Noticias,...

Tourist Numbers Dropped in Costa Rica During 2025’s First Seven Months

Costa Rica's tourism took a hit in the first seven months of 2025, with visitor numbers dropping compared to the previous year. By the...

Costa Rica Monitors Caribbean Tropical Wave with 70% Storm Chance

Those who live along the Caribbean coast know all too well how quickly weather can turn in October. Right now, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional...

Paris Louvre Robbery Targets Apollo Gallery Crown Jewels

Robbers wielding power tools scaled a furniture hoist outside the Louvre to make off with priceless jewelry from the world-renowned museum on Sunday, taking...

Bolivia Elects Center-Right Leader Amid Crisis

Bolivians on Sunday elected a pro-business center-right senator as their new president, ending two decades of socialist rule that have left the South American...

What Camera Traps Miss Chasing Jaguars in Costa Rica

Five years ago, I began my journey using camera traps in wildlife monitoring projects in Costa Rica. A few years after that I began...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica