Maleku Indigenous Reserve Tour: Discover Costa Rica's Rich Indigenous History and Culture
4.0
7 Ratings
San Carlos
Immerse yourself in the rich indigenous history and culture of Costa Rica on a tour of the Maleku Indigenous Reserve. Discover the customs and traditions of the Maleku people and learn how they have preserved their way of life.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Maleku Chocolate - The tour begins in La Fortuna at 8:00 am. After a 1 hour drive through the northern plains, you will arrive at the Indian community Palenque Tonjibe and be warmly received by their people. After a short presentation, you will begin a hike through the village to observe many important aspects of this unique place, such as the way they bury their dead, the antique type of home structures, and their artwork and craftsmanship which currently provide a means of income, the use of cocoa in their farming, and the creation of their clothing.
Later you will continue with a walk along a forest trail with 600 meter long (0.37 miles) in order to learn about medicinal plants that the ancestors used, and how we benefit from them today. Here you will also observe some antique huacas or indigenous tombs.
Finally you will pass through a Palenque were you will be treated to a traditional Maleku meal.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Traditional Maleku lunch
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan with Wi-Fi
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Positioned in the North of Costa Rica, the Maleku Indigenous Reserve houses three separate villages. These are Palenques Margarita, Tonjibe y El Sol, and they all lie within the boundary of the reserve, which covers an expansive area of 2993 hectares (7395 acres). A thousand indigenous individuals form the population here, with 80% of them conversing in their traditional language, Maleku Jaica. This tour enables you to gain an understanding of the tribe’s contemporary lifestyle and the steps they’ve taken to uphold their enduring customs and traditions.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Location
Casa Luna Hotel & Spa
Diagonal 301
Just drive in to the parking area and ask the receptionist about ecoterra Costa Rica Tours
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.0
(7 Ratings)
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Cruiser308588
Mar 13, 2024
Fantastic Day - This tour was the highlight of the whole, amazing vacation! We learned so much, and had a wonderful time.
Jimmy taught us about all the native plants, and their past/present use. He was kind, informative, and patient when I couldn’t shoot the arrow correctly. 😂
The family provided a delicious meal,even making it vegan, especially for us. The fried Yuca was legendary!
I highly recommend this tour. You will not be disappointed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juli
Jun 26, 2023
Great experience to learn about local culture and history. Highly recommend - We learned so much about this very important indigenous tribe. We were a group of three. My 78 year old mother makes documentary films about indigenous people in the US and found the experience very interesting. Highly recommend for learning about the local history and traditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Raku132
Dec 10, 2022
Best tour of our trip to Costa Rics - Everything about this tour was spectacular. We learned so much about the Indigenous Tribe that has been living and still lives here outside of La Fortuna. We enjoyed learning about their history and current life, medicinal plants, crafts (even taught us to cat a gourd), food and song. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jremigus
Dec 28, 2021
An immersive experience with a first nation tribe - Daniella and Ronald took us on a wonderful immersive tour with the Maleku Indigenous tribe. The tour had a number of segments including an informative presentation on the tribal history; an exploration into the medicinal/practical uses of plants; a delicious meal; a fun archery session; a theatrical representation of Maleku ceremonies and finally, an engaging arts and craft session. Highly recommend this tour and it definitely added a cultural dimension to our trip to costa rica!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard
Aug 25, 2023
Maleuk Reserve Toyr - We had a great time our guide from Eco tours was wonderful and the guide from the reserve was friendly and super informative. He did a great job. The tour about the medicinal plants had fascinating information. Don’t forget your bug spray. They served a wonderful lunch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_m
Nov 12, 2021
Underwhelmed - I am grateful for the opportunity to be invited into the Maleku reservation and to learn history about their culture and tradition.
I would not recommend this excursion company or tour, but perhaps if prospective reviews find another company, give it a shot.
This tour was not as advertised. It was quite short, and underwhelming. The photos make it seem as though there is a ceremony performed or multiple people wearing traditional garb speaking to us. That’s not the case; it’s just one member and it’s a very informal conversation with her.
This tour description includes a chocolate tasting or making, and there was no chocolate on this tour. When we asked about this to our guide, he just simply said “they didn’t offer it today.”
I believe the tour we went on was not the same tour others have been on because the guide could not find the location and indicated this was a new place for them.
Overall, I do not believe the monetary value of this tour matched the expectations or experience we had. It was underwhelming and I cannot recommend this specific company to others without warning.
Review provided by Viator
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