The communities and their conservation efforts

Costa Rica is world famous for its commitment to the conservation of natural resources. More than a quarter of the country is under some kind of protection, either as national parks, indigenous reserves, forest reserves or wildlife refuges. The government of Costa Rica has devoted many resources to this end, but without the collaboration of the populace, especially of the people who live near protected areas, it would be very difficult to ensure that conservation is really happening.

The leading organizations in community-based rural tourism are also leaders in the protection of forests, water sources, and endangered species. With environmental education, community awareness campaigns and legal action, they confront many threats to wildlife on a daily basis.

For example, the Association ASEPALECO is creating a biological corridor throughout the length of the Nicoya Peninsula. Its environmental education programs are enhanced by 32 small forest reserves at local schools. ASEPALECO has made its solid waste dump into a model of sustainability. It has mobilized volunteer brigades to fight forest fires. In addition, it protects the private, 800 hectare Karen Mogensen Reserve.

The Association APIBA, which manages Albergue Heliconias in northwestern Costa Rica, protects 400 hectares of forest. It has fostered a youth cooperative that is giving environmental education and English classes to the community. They also have a women’s crafts cooperative.

Thousands of acres of forest are being protected as community reserves. These reserves form biological corridors, bridges of life that connect wild areas and allow wild animals the ranges they need for genetic interchange, feeding and mating rituals. The majority of lodges in this guidebook are located in these biological corridors, which you can visit through a network of trails, lookout points and hanging bridges.

All the rural tourism destinations in the Southern Caribbean section of this book are part of the Talamanca Caribe Biological Corridor. Their reserves and their environmental education and reforestation programs help to connect Cahuita National Park with the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge and Amistad International Park.

Just by visiting these rural community tourism projects, you are helping their conservation efforts. But if you would like to know more, or would like to collaborate, feel free to contact them. Many have volunteer programs, sponsorship opportunities, or fundraising campaigns in order to buy strategic parcels of land.

Communities preserving their culture

Rural communities are living cultures as diverse as the landscapes of Costa Rica. From the hot plains of Guanacaste to the lush beaches of the Caribbean, to in the high, cloud-covered mountains of Macizo de la Muerte, you can find marked cultural differences, but always something in common: a warm and simple way of life, with lots of hospitality toward visitors.

In San Antonio de Escazú, in the Central Valley, green mountains, sugar mills and oxcarts are part of the daily scene, but are threatened by urban expansion. Thanks to community-based rural tourism and to the efforts of CODECE and El Encanto de la Piedra Blanca, cultural traditions and love for the mountains are being strengthened. Now Don Torino proudly shows the traditional way of making tapa de dulce, the native brown sugar, and Don Pedro, the mask maker, has visitors dancing to the sound of a cimarrona (local brass band) while he shows how his huge papier maché puppets dance at traditional celebrations. At the same time, CODECE has promoted zoning laws to protect the mountains of Escazú, so that they can be used for outdoor recreation, and remain concrete-free.

On the Caribbean side of the country, the indigenous community of Yorkín shares traditions that they have inherited from their ancestors. They show visitors how cacao is processed, from the fruit growing on the tree to the cup of hot chocolate. They show how palm leaves are woven to make thatch to cover their houses. They also share their native Bribri language and worldview.

In the Northern Zone, you can enjoy campesino life with Jazón and Vacaciones con Familias Campesinas. This way of traveling brings the visitor in touch with life in the countryside, where farming tasks combine with the beauty of the surroundings and a cultural legacy that has been kept alive.

Community-based rural tourism doesn’t package culture in postcard pictures or touristy shows. It offers the possibility of shared experience and direct contact with your hosts. The richness of this unique encounter will depend on your openness. Don’t be surprised if your hosts ask you to share something about your culture and where you are from.