Meet the locals: 4 community-based tourism experiences in Costa Rica
Community-based tourism is a great way to see the most authentic side of a country and get stuck in with conservation projects, all while supporting and getting to know the locals at the same time. Luckily, Costa Rica has ample experiences to choose from, as Steph Dyson finds out
“There’s no guarantee we’ll see anything,” warned our guide, Pierro, as our small group clambered quietly onto the shore. We crossed the strip of land between the channels of Tortuguero National Park and the Caribbean Sea, then a murmur came through the radio. Pierro gestured towards the left and we extinguished our torches.
Soon, we found her. The green sea turtle was unaware of her audience, and we stood in hushed reverence as she laid eggs into her painstakingly dug crater. “They can lay up to 110 in one night,” Pierro whispered. By a twist of fate, she had chosen to nest here; across the border, in Nicaragua, subsistence hunting of this endangered species is still legal. But through a 40-year collaboration between the international non-profit Sea Turtle Conservancy and the community, Tortuguero National Park’s green sea turtle population has seen an increase of 417% (1971–2003). More than 40,000 green sea turtles make their annual pilgrimage to the park’s 24km strip of beach.
To watch, it’s mandatory to be accompanied by a certified local guide, and timings are strictly controlled to avoid disturbing the turtles. So, after a few minutes, we moved on, passing trenches of sand flattened by scaly bellies in their laborious haul up the beach. I wouldn’t be there two months later to watch the hatchlings erupt from their nests, but I felt safe in the knowledge that when they returned, they would find refuge once again.
3 more community-based tourism experiences in Costa Rica
1: Bijagua de Upala
Visit local cacao farms in Costa Rica’s volcano-flanked highlands. As well as getting to taste the chocolate, you can learn about the cultural significance of this sacred bean to rural communities across the ages.
2: Sarapiqui
Inspired by the natural world and Indigenous customs, Sarapiqui’s artisans make craft jewellery, clothing and ornaments using banana stem fibres, natural dyes and locally sourced wood. They are great sustainable souvenirs to take home.
3: Reserva Santa Elena
This community-run cloud forest reserve receives far less footfall than nearby Monteverde, but it’s possible to spot resplendent quetzals – an electric green, mohaw-kcoiffed bird – dozing in the forest canopy.
