BriBri Indigenous Village Chocolate Tour, Cahuita and Waterfalls
Description
• Bribri Indigenous Village & Chocolate Experience Visit a local Bribri family to learn about ancestral customs, natural medicine, and traditional cacao preparation. Participate in a hands-on demonstration and enjoy tasting fresh organic chocolate made on-site. • Rainforest Waterfall Hike Explore the lush jungle on a guided walk to a hidden waterfall. Enjoy time to swim, relax, and soak in the serene natural surroundings. • Cahuita National Park Discover one of Costa Rica’s most biodiverse parks on a scenic trail walk along the coastline. Spot monkeys, sloths, iguanas, colorful birds, and more in their natural habitat. • Local Cultural Interaction Gain insights into Afro-Caribbean culture through your local guide, with stories, traditions, and plenty of opportunities to engage with the people and flavors of the region.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover the fresh and vibrant flavors of Costa Rica at a local fruit stand, where you’ll have the chance to taste tropical delights like sweet pineapple, juicy papaya, mini bananas, crispy platanitos, ripe watermelon, and even sip fresh coconut water. Sample tastings of fruit and local coffee are complimentary. If you’d like to try a Caribbean patty or a chilled coconut, they’re available for just $1–$2. Right next to the fruit stand, there’s also a small souvenir shop with handmade crafts and local products. You’ll find great gift ideas, including magnets, wooden carvings, and bags of Costa Rica’s famous high-quality coffee, known worldwide for its smooth flavor and rich aroma.
We will visit the houses of the Bribri people, observe their customs and we will have the opportunity to talk to them and ask them the questions that we might have in our mind. They will show you how they prepare chocolate and how they use medicinal plants.
Take a refreshing break in nature. Surrounded by lush greenery, you’ll visit serene natural pools and gentle waterfalls, perfect for a short swim or simply to relax in a peaceful setting.
This scenic 2-kilometer trail takes you on a guided walk through lush secondary forest, offering the chance to experience Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity up close. Along the way, you’ll enjoy beautiful landscapes and a variety of tropical flora and fauna. The trail is especially known for its frog species, including the striking red dart frog (Oophaga pumilio), as well as common sightings of howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, and both species of Costa Rican sloths (two- and three-toed). Bird lovers can spot toucans, oropendolas, tanagers, hummingbirds, great kiskadees, and more. Squirrels, butterflies, and other fascinating creatures also fill this vibrant ecosystem.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your tour begins inside the pier, where our guides will be waiting for you with a sign displaying your name. Look for our red shirts for easy identification. We offer pickup right inside the pier, so there’s no need to walk outside the facilities. Timing: Tours are scheduled 30 minutes after your ship docks, with the earliest tour starting at 8:00 AM. As the best local tour operator, we guarantee your return to the cruise ship
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(18)
We stayed in Costa Rica in February with a cruise ship for one day. Actually we had booked the excursion "Snorkeling & Cahuita National Park" but it rained all day and was very stormy - snorkeling was so unfortunately impossible. When we got off the ship Rich welcomed us warmly as our guide and offered us this tour as an alternative. Together with our driver Alex she was alone with us all day, super moody and highly motivated to make the most of this bad weather day for us. In the village of BriBri we made chocolate and cocoa together from cocoa beans. An absolute highlight especially for our children. Then we drove briefly to a waterfall and then to Cahuita National Park. Rich patiently searched for us many animals that we would never have found in the bad weather without their help. We were so happy to do the hike with her and not with one of the big tour groups that came to meet us (e.g. from the cruise ships). We've seen her snakes, monkeys, giant ants, frogs, ... and some sloths. Upon our arrival in the morning we were incredibly frustrated that we could not snorkel for turtles but Rich saved us the day. Looking back, she was the best tour guide on our two-week tour! She made us very curious about her country, so we would like to go on a separate Costa Rican holiday again and then book all trips through Syltravel with Rich & Alex :) THANK YOU RICH!
Liebe Gäste, vielen herzlichen Dank für Ihre wunderbare und ausführliche Rückmeldung! Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Sie trotz der wetterbedingten Änderungen einen so besonderen Tag in Costa Rica erleben konnten. Auch wenn wir das Schnorcheln aufgrund der Wetterverhältnisse nicht durchführen konnten, sind wir sehr froh, dass Rich gemeinsam mit Alex eine passende Alternative für Sie gestalten konnte und Sie dennoch unvergessliche Erlebnisse sammeln konnten. Besonders schön ist es zu hören, dass Ihnen der Besuch in der BriBri-Gemeinde sowie die Tierbeobachtungen im Cahuita Nationalpark so gut gefallen haben. Ihr Lob geben wir mit großer Freude an Rich und Alex weiter – sie werden sich sehr darüber freuen! Es ist genau unser Ziel, auch unter unerwarteten Umständen das Beste für unsere Gäste zu ermöglichen und authentische, persönliche Erlebnisse zu schaffen. Es bedeutet uns sehr viel, dass Sie Costa Rica mit so positiven Eindrücken verlassen haben und sogar planen, wiederzukommen. Wir würden uns sehr freuen, Sie erneut bei uns begrüßen zu dürfen und Ihre zukünftigen Ausflüge wieder gemeinsam zu gestalten. Herzliche Grüße aus Costa Rica Ihr Team von SYL Travel
Fantastic tour. Cannot say enough. It is a must!!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re truly delighted to hear that you had such a fantastic experience. Your kind words mean a lot to our team, and it’s incredibly rewarding to know the tour left such a strong impression. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit, and we hope to welcome you again for another memorable adventure in the future! 🌿
We had a great experience! Our guide Cathy was very knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information about the area and Costa Rica in general. The indigenous chocolate tour was amazing and very delicious. The waterfall and Cahuita are beautiful.
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We’re delighted to hear that you had a great time with Cathy—she truly loves sharing her knowledge about Costa Rica and the local culture, and we’re glad it showed. We’re especially happy you enjoyed the indigenous chocolate tour (it’s definitely a favorite!) as well as the natural beauty of the waterfall and Cahuita. Costa Rica has so much to offer, and it means a lot to us that we could be part of your journey. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you back again on your next visit to Costa Rica!
An amazing experience. Sheyy guided us around. She introduced us to the community, explaining everything we needed to know and fed our curiosity with all the info possible. We had a very good time. I strongly reccomend this if yiunhave the chance.
Thank you for your kind words! We’re delighted to know that you had such a great experience with Sheyy. She truly enjoys sharing her knowledge and connecting visitors with the local community, and it’s wonderful to hear that she made your time so enjoyable and informative. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you again on another adventure in Costa Rica!
Amazing amazing amazing!! Truly one of the best excursions I have been on and that’s all thanks to Katerine our tour guide. She truly gave us the best info and guidance, not to mention she showed us some hidden gems. I cannot thank her enough, and look forward to booking with her again if we return to puerto viejo.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled that you had such an amazing experience and that Katherine made your excursion truly unforgettable. She has a real passion for sharing the hidden gems of Puerto Viejo, and we’ll be sure to pass along your compliments to her. We’d love to welcome you back anytime—until then, pura vida and safe travels!
Very nice places to see. Was also very nice despite rain. We really had fun, especially the indigenous village was super exciting.
Vielen Dank für Ihr schönes Feedback! Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Sie trotz des Regens eine tolle Zeit hatten und den Ausflug genießen konnten. Besonders freut uns, dass Ihnen der Besuch im indigenen Dorf so gut gefallen hat – es ist wirklich ein einzigartiges Erlebnis. Wir würden uns freuen, Sie bei einer zukünftigen Reise wieder begrüßen zu dürfen!
A great experience, slept out there for 2 nights. Cool boat trip out to the village. Lots of information from the people there. Learn about medicinal plants and chocolate.
Tack för att du delar med dig av din upplevelse! Det låter som en otrolig resa fylld med äventyr och kultur. Att få lära sig om medicinalväxter och choklad direkt från lokalbefolkningen är verkligen unikt. Vi är glada att du uppskattade båtturen och de två nätterna i byn – en genuin och minnesvärd upplevelse. Vi hoppas få välkomna dig tillbaka för ännu fler upptäckter! 🌿🍫🚤
This tour was amazing!!! Fio and YiYi are the BEST!!!! Fio is very knowledgeable about the area and so sweet. Yiyi spotted wildlife with a quickness and willing to stop to see them. Learning about the BriBri people and their traditions was so interesting. Getting to try some of the various natural, herbal medicines was a once in a lifetime experience. And being able to participate in the cacao into chocolate process was fascinating and felt so special. Not to mention, the chocolate was delicious. I would go back in a heartbeat, ESPECIALLY if YiYi and Fio were our fearless (and funny) guides. Loved everything about this tour!
We took a tour with Yiyi and Fiorella to the indigenous village of Bribri where we meet a local shaman, tasted traditional medicine and cleansing tonics, and saw the full process of how chocolate is produced from bean to roasting and grinding. We were able to sample delicious chocolate confections in an indigenous ranchero grande. Yiyi and Fiorella had us laughing and learning the whole time! Yiyi knows everyone in the community, stopping at different locations to get us treats. Fiorella was so kind and knowledgeable - we're hoping she'll come visit us so we can give her a tour. I couldn't recommend this trip more!!!
My friends and I had the BEST time doing the chocolate tour in the village !! It was so informative and fun and delicious ! Our guides Fio and Yiyi are amazing !!! I feel like they are new friends ! Highly recommend this tour !!
