Costa Rica is known for its incredible biodiversity. Tourists flock to this tiny Central American country to immerse themselves in nature, exploring jungles, wildlife, waterfalls, beaches and volcanoes. But did you know that on your travel itinerary, you can also add an experience of getting to know the indigenous people of Costa Rica? Sign up for a Bribri Chocolate Tour, a fascinating journey that lets you learn about the rich tapestry of an indigenous culture.
When traveling in the Caribbean part of Costa Rica, you can go for a Bribri Tour while basing yourself in any of the towns of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca or Cahuita, or the beaches nearby. Your visit to the Bribri community is not just an opportunity to learn about their heritage and culture, but also a chance to support sustainable eco-tourism initiatives and contribute to the preservation of their cultural traditions.
In this article, we share with you everything you need to know about the Bribri Tour – who are the Bribri people, how you can experience the Bribri culture, what to expect from the tour and our personal experience of the same.
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Plan your trip to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca:
- Things to Do + Visit Guide – Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
- Where to Stay in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca: Guide to Best Hotels
- Beautiful Beaches around Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
- Best Restaurants and Cafes in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
An Introduction to Bribri Costa Rica
Out of the 8 indigenous groups in Costa Rica that constitute only about 2% of the country’s population, Bribri is one of the largest and most isolated. They are the original inhabitants of the Talamanca region in the southern Caribbean part of the country. A matrilineal society, this community has a rich heritage that dates back centuries.
The history of the Bribri people and their way of life, even today, are deeply intertwined with the natural wonders and resources that surround them. Their traditional customs, rituals and beliefs reflect deep connection to the land, and sustainable practices for daily living are results of profound respect for the environment.
From your interactions with the Bribri people, you are likely to gain deeper appreciation for the diversity of human experiences.
Bribri Tour: How Can You Experience Bribri Culture
To get a fair understanding of the Bribri people and their way of living, it is best to sign up for a tour with a local professional guide. On a guided tour, you will have the chance to interact with the Bribri people, learn about their customs and practices, discover the art of their craftsmanship and even participate in the production of their renowned handmade chocolate.
The Bribri people speak Bribri language. They do not speak English. Your bilingual guide will translate the Spanish conversations for you. However, although not an absolute necessity, we do recommend knowing a little Spanish for the Bribri tour. That way you can feel more involved and participate directly during the course of the tour.
Bribri Tour with ATEC
We did the Bribri community tour with ATEC (Asociación Talamanqueña de Ecoturismo y Conservación), one of the first NGOs to operate in the Talamanca region of Costa Rica. Over the years, they have contributed significantly towards the development of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and surrounding regions. They offer many eco tours in the region, including different tour options for learning about the indigenous community of Bribri, like the Yorkin Overnight Stay, Day Trip in Dururpe, Hiking in KèköLdi, among others.
But for our first ever interaction with the Bribri people, we chose a combo tour that fuses history, culture, food and nature all into a fun filled day. The tour is named Combo 1 Waterfall, Chocolate Farm & Medicinal Plants. Please note, the waterfall that you will visit on the tour may be a different one, depending on the day. Example, we were taken to the Dos Aguas waterfall instead of the Volio waterfall. We loved it though!
If you prefer to book a guided tour online in advance, check these highly rated tours. Both these tours offer a similar experience to that of our tour – interaction with the indigenous people of Bribri community and learning about their ways of life, participation in chocolate making and visit to a nearby waterfall.
Bribri Combo Tour: Waterfall + Chocolate Farm + Medicinal Plants
I had contacted ATEC over WhatsApp: +506 8706-4758 to choose a tour for us and to finalize the date for the same. The full tour amount had to be paid in advance, either via PayPal or in cash at their office in Puerto Viejo. We chose the latter. When we went to the office, Laurent, the Director painted a picture in our minds how the tour would look like. Hearing her talk about the cosmovision of the Brirbri people got us even more interested. She shared with us the contact of our local guide with whom we would coordinate to fix the meeting point and time.
Tour Logistics Information
- Price (as of 2024): 76 USD per person
- Extras: Lunch 8 USD per person
- Parking: Yes
- Restrooms: Yes
We had agreed with our guide Cesmar to meet at the ATEC office in Puerto Viejo to commence the tour. We used our own transport and picked him up, as suggested by Laurent. If you do not have your vehicle or not renting a car, you can let ATEC know so that they can arrange the transportation with your guide.
Our location of the tour was the Watsi town, few kilometers from the Bribri town, both very close to the border between Costa Rica and Panama. From Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, it was half an hour of drive to reach the tour location.
Our Bribri Chocolate Tour Experience: Introduction to Señor Catato
On arrival, we were introduced to Señor Catato, a senior member of a Bribri family. As part of this tour, he shares with the visitors the beliefs and practices of the Bribri people and also their way of living.
He started with the demonstration of how, back in the day, Bribri people used to make weapons of different kinds using different parts of trees. Each weapon had a different purpose, some to fight monkeys and some to drive away the birds. Please note, the weapons shown in the tour are for display only and are no longer used for hurting animals.
He also made me a neckpiece on the spot only using seeds and parts of plants, and a string.
Throughout the tour, Señor infused humor in our interactions and even pulled some pranks on us! I will not get into the details of the pranks. I would rather retain the elements of surprise for when you go for this Bribri tour in Costa Rica.
Our Bribri Chocolate Tour Experience: Medicinal Plants
After this initial interaction with Señor Catato, we took a walk on the dirt paths under the shade of the lush rainforest. Along the way, we learnt about a few plants and trees, fruits and flowers. The Bribri people use many of these for various purposes, some for medicinal value, some for protection and camouflage (in the older days) and some for makeup!
Unexpectedly, this part of the tour was also fun. Learning about the medicinal plants was less of a lecture and more of an interactive engagement. Indranil got to try a new costume made of leaves and was handed over a defense weapon made of a tree branch. I got some red liner and lipstick by freshly crushing some flower. See the photos!
Our Bribri Chocolate Tour Experience: Chocolate Making
This was my favorite part of the Bribri chocolate tour, because it involves chocolate!
After the explanation of the medicinal plants, we were led to an open kitchen area. Couple of women from the Señor Cataco’s family walked us through the process of how chocolate is produced using traditional methods.
But the best part is that we got to participate in the chocolate making every step along the way. From roasting the cacao beans to grinding the roasted beans and then making chocolate paste out of the ground cacao, we tried everything hands on! At the end, of course we got to taste the delicious chocolate we had just made.
Later, our guide Cesmar got some of the chocolate paste wrapped in a banana leaf to carry with us. Why? You will find out in a bit!
Our Bribri Chocolate Tour Experience: Cosmovision
After the exhilarating experience of creating and drinking chocolate, we continued with the tour. Next was a brief stop at a shaman house.
As we looked at the conical structure of the house, we were explained about the significances of the construction style. Then we went inside. Señor Catato, our guide Cesmar and us – the four of us sat inside the shaman house while we listened to the concept of cosmovision of the Bribri people.
The Bribri people believe that shamans serve as intermediaries between the human realm and the spiritual world. Using sacred plants, chants and traditional instruments, they conduct ceremonies to create a sacred space for communicating with the divine, seeking guidance, healing and protection for their community.
We did not get to participate in any shamanic ritual, neither see any such ceremony, but just learnt about those by listening. For regular city people like us, the concepts of cosmovision probably require deeper discovery for better comprehension. But it was interesting to gain insights into this perspective of the Bribri culture.
Our Bribri Chocolate Tour Experience: Lunch
After learning so much about the Bribri ways of living and their economy and history, it was time to eat lunch. We were taken to a wooden room where we would sit on a bench. Another family member of Señor Catato greeted us; she was going to serve the lunch to us. So, she started briefing us on the menu but an interesting conversation (in Spanish) followed.
“Do you eat chicken?”, she asked. We responded in the affirmative. She said, “But sorry, we do not have chicken. We have cooked monkey’s hand for lunch today.” Of course that was a joke, so we laughed. Determined to startle us, she continued to add to her joke, “Okay, I will make it simple for you. You want to eat chicken. But since we have not cooked chicken, I will serve you wings of toucans.” We were amused to see how humor runs in their family.
It is important to reiterate here, Costa Rica is strict about their wildlife conservation and protection laws. Hurting wildlife is prohibited. This interaction about monkey’s hands and toucan’s wings was purely for fun.
Finally lunch was served. It was a simple home cooked dish of chicken curry with different root vegetables topped over rice, served in a cone of banana leaf. For beverage, we had freshly squeezed juice of starfruit.
So the lunch was nothing fancy, but the meal was hearty and more importantly the conversations were memorable. You need to pay an extra 8 USD to add lunch to the tour. We would definitely recommend that, not for the food but for the experience!
Our Bribri Chocolate Tour Experience: Waterfall Dos Rios
We could not have asked for a better ending to our Bribri tour. It ended with a dip in the refreshing waters of Dos Rios waterfall. But not without a little traditional ritual. Remember our guide Cesmar had packed a bit of chocolate paste? So, here at the waterfalls, that banana leaf wrapped chocolate was put to use.
From the car parking area, it is a short hike down dirt path to reach Dos Aguas waterfalls. As with any trail in Costa Rica, you can spot wildlife if you observe carefully. On our way to the waterfall, we spotted Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs, army of Leaf-cutter Ants and many birds.
There are 2 areas of waterfalls here. One is a couple of little waterfalls trickling into a large pool. Due to the short height of these two smaller waterfalls, cliff jumping looks easier here. We saw even little kids take the jump here!
The other area is the main Dos Aguas waterfall. It is an impressive waterfall with a massive drop into the swimming hole below. Adventurous souls were doing cliff jumps here too! We mostly spent out time here. We swam across the natural pool to reach the waterfall. Sitting on the rock with the waterfall curtain dropping on us, we felt an amazing sense of relaxation and unbound joy.
After a while, our guide Cesmar applied the chocolate paste on our faces. We let it dry and then washed it off in the water. Right after, the skin on our faces looked radiant and felt supple. We enjoyed the waterfall and the natural pool for some more time before heading back to the parking lot, where we got ourselves some refreshing coconut water.
Bribri Tour: What to Wear + What to Carry
For the tour, you can wear anything light and comfy as you will be mostly outdoors under the hot Caribbean sun. But have your swimsuit beneath. You would not want to miss taking a dip in the waterfall pool!
Any kind of footwear should be fine. We wore flip-flops. But check with Laurent beforehand if you will need proper hiking shoes or hiking sandals, depending on the waterfall you will be taken to.
Carry raincoat or rain poncho as it may rain any time of the year in this part of Costa Rica. Check out this article to get an understanding of Costa Rica weather and the best things to do by season and location.
Apply insect repellent and sunscreen, two must-have items on your Costa Rica packing list.
Remember to bring drinking water to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
Hotel Recommendations for Cahuita and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
In Cahuita, check Container House Cahuita for a no-frills budget option with private bathroom, Marfi Inn for an affordable equipped-apartment, Hotel Boutique La Casa de Flores for a mid-range hotel with all amenities.
For accommodation options in and around Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Sonora Jungle and Yoga Retreat, Hotel Indalo Adults Only, Hotel La Costa de Papito, El Tucan Jungle Lodge are some the hotels where we have personally enjoyed staying at.
If you are planning to splurge on your stay in Caribbean Costa Rica, book Hotel Aguas Claras Member of the Cayuga Collection, a 5-star hotel where you get to stay in premium bungalows and walk to some of the best beaches within 3-5 minutes.
For more hotel recommendations and detailed descriptions, read this article on Where to Stay in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, our best hotels guide by region.
Final Thoughts on Bribri Tour in Caribbean Costa Rica
The Bribri tour is distinctly different compared to the usual top tourism activities in Costa Rica. It is a transformative experience that transcends cultural boundaries and allows you to embrace the Bribri wisdom about sustainability and holistic well-being, developed on the foundation of deep-rooted connection between human and nature.
We enjoyed taking the Bribri tour – learnt a few new things, had fun interactions, ate well in a traditional serving, experienced nature, and at the end of the day, returned enriched with at least a little slice of knowledge from the culture and beliefs of an indigenous community.
Travel Planning Logistics
- Accommodation: For several years now, Booking.com has been our platform of choice for booking accommodation while traveling. You can apply all the desired filters and shortlist the ones that meet your criteria. On continued use, you will keep unlocking their Genius benefits. For long term stays, we use Airbnb. Of late, we have also started browsing Hostelworld for finding hostels.
- Tours: When traveling to new destinations, you can plan ahead and book your activities. Check for highly rated tours on Viator and Get Your Guide.
- Packing: From swimwear to sunscreen, hiking pants to insect repellents, buy your vacation packing essentials on Amazon.
- Flights: We always start our flight searches with Skyscanner and Momondo. They are aggregators that display flight options, compiling information across airlines and combinations. What we like the best about these flight aggregators is that you can put “Anywhere” as your destination, so that you find the best flight deals from your city of departure.
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