Before this trip, I had never been to the Southern Caribbean coast before, and I didn’t quite know what to expect — my guidebooks focused mostly on the Puerto Viejo party scene and surfing Salsa Brava, but I knew there was much more beneath the surface. In fact, many of my friends know and love the Southern Caribbean, and had regaled me with stories of white sand beaches, reggae parties and a word or two about the Bribri, one of Costa Rica’s last remaining indigenous populations.

Having majored in anthropology, I am always excited for new cultural experiences, which is why mention of the Bribri caught my interest. Unlike Guatemala, Mexico or Honduras, Costa Rica largely lacks ancient ruins, old legends or even a large, traditional indigenous population. The Southern Caribbean, however, is different: in addition to an English-speaking, Jamaican-descended Costa Rican population, the area is home to the Bribri, Kekoldi and Cabecar indigenous peoples. Recent rural tourism initiatives have allowed travelers to visit these communities, learn about their way of life and even contribute to local economies.

Vincent and I visited both the Bribri and Cabecar during our visit, and we had an amazing time. At the Bribri Reserve, we learned about the history of cocoa (and sampled amazing, local chocolate!), toured medicinal plant gardens, observed artisans at work, toured traditional structures and met the oldest man in Costa Rica. At the Cabecar reserve, we stopped to talk with a small family who, in traditional fashion, were walking to Limon to run errands; they had already walked for two days, and had at least another to go. Each new experience fascinated me, and I count them among the trip’s favorite moments.

Of course, the fun didn’t stop there — throughout our trip, Vincent and I had a blast getting soaked on a white-water tubing adventure, getting lost in a bamboo forest, playing with baby sloths, getting peed on by irate howler monkeys, making our own chocolate bars from scratch, protecting our backpacks from devious capuchin monkeys and bug — yes, bug — spotting and counting. Our 10-day Southern Caribbean extravaganza was fun from start to finish, and we had a good time even with our mistakes.

Join us on our adventures:

Day 1: From San Jose to the Southern Caribbean Coast
Day 2: Visiting Costa Rica’s Bribri Indigenous Reserve
Day 3: Getting Lost Isn’t So Bad
Day 4: Visiting Three of Puerto Viejo’s Best Sights
Day 5: White Water Rafting on the Estrella River
Day 6: Exploring Canals and Cocoa
Day 7: Taste Testing at Finca la Isla Botanical Garden
Day 8: Sightseeing and Wildlife Watching at Cahuita National Park
Day 9: Exploring Manzanillo & Cahuita
Day 10: Veragua Rain Forest Research Park

Interested? For more travel information and trip planning resources, see our sections on Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo.