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Cahuita National Park, Bri-Bri Tribe & Ma-Cu Waterfall: A Journey Through Nature and Culture
5.0
18 Ratings
Cahuita
Embark on a captivating journey through nature and culture in Cahuita National Park, the Bri-Bri Tribe, and the Ma-Cu Waterfall. Encounter wildlife, learn about indigenous traditions, taste delicious chocolate, savor local cuisine, and rejuvenate in a hidden jungle oasis.
Embark on a captivating journey through nature and culture in Cahuita National Park, the Bri-Bri Tribe, and the Ma-Cu Waterfall. Encounter wildlife, learn about indigenous traditions, taste delicious chocolate, savor local cuisine, and rejuvenate in a hidden jungle oasis.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Cahuita National Park - The tour starts with a nature walk on Cahuita National Park, one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. You will have the opportunity to learn about nature and see wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, raccoons, coats and more. You will also learn about the history and culture of the South Caribbean of Costa Rica.
-…
- Cahuita National Park - The tour starts with a nature walk on Cahuita National Park, one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. You will have the opportunity to learn about nature and see wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, raccoons, coats and more. You will also learn about the history and culture of the South Caribbean of Costa Rica.
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Bribri - We will head to the Bri-Bri Tribe, an indigenous community that preserves its ancestral traditions and knowledge. And with one of the local families, You will learn about their traditions, use of medicinal plants, natural dyes, and their language. You will also witness the traditional preparation of cacao, the sacred food of the gods. You will taste the delicious chocolate and learn all about it.
Next, we will enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by a Bri-Bri cook in a very traditional way where you will savor the flavors of the local cuisine. - Cataratas Bribri Talamanca - We will visit the Ma-Cu Waterfall, a hidden gem in the jungle. Walk in the forest for about 20 minutes and get to a beautiful waterfall where you will have the chance to relax in the refreshing pool and eat some fresh fruit. We will end the day with fresh coconut water to hydrate your body.
What's Included
- Lunch included
- Assorted snacks provided
- Lunch included
- Assorted snacks provided
What's Not Included
- Bottled water
- Bottled water
Additional Information
Our journey starts off on foot in the wildlife-laden landscape of Cahuita National Park, where nature thrives in full force. You’ll get a direct look at exotic creatures including monkeys, sloths, and coatis, among others. Alongside this, you’ll be educated about the unique South Caribbean history and culture. The path then leads us to the Bri-Bri…
Our journey starts off on foot in the wildlife-laden landscape of Cahuita National Park, where nature thrives in full force. You’ll get a direct look at exotic creatures including monkeys, sloths, and coatis, among others. Alongside this, you’ll be educated about the unique South Caribbean history and culture. The path then leads us to the Bri-Bri Tribe, a native group living in symbiosis with the environment and dedicated to the conservation of their inherited customs and wisdom. You’ll have the opportunity to discover their use of various plant species and deep recapitulation of their culture. One of the key attractions is their traditional method of cacao preparation, known as a holy food. Tasting this divine chocolate while learning about its making is an enlightening experience.
Then, we relish a delectable lunch crafted by a Bri-Bri chef in the most authentic style, promising a rich experience of local flavors. The journey then leads to the secret beauty of the Ma-Cu Waterfall nestled in the heart of the jungle. You’ll have a chance to unwind in its invigorating pool and enjoy some fresh fruits. We wrap up the excursion with hydrating fresh coconut water.
Location
Cahuita National Park
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(18 Ratings)
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Allyfe
Aug 5, 2025
Fantastic day for a family with teens - We have just had an absolutely fabulous day on “Wild, Sweet and Refreshing: A Full-Day Tour to Cahuita, Bri-Bri and Ma-Cu Waterfall”. Adrian was fantastic. We started with a walk through Cahuita National Park, and saw lots of wildlife including quite a few sloths. Adrian was so informative and amazing at spotting things we would have missed (basically almost everything). I found out so much, and although you can do this walk with no guide, I would absolutely recommend doing it with Adrian as it becomes so much more memorable. We then moved onto the Bri-Bri community, which was again brilliant. We experienced the traditional cacao making process and ate some on roasted bananas. We also found out about the traditional ways of life of this indigenous community. The whole experience is really well set out. Some parts were led by the community and some bits by Adrian and it was fun and super interesting. It was finished off by a really tasty traditional lunch.
By this point in the day we were all getting very hot and sweaty and so finishing it off at the waterfall was perfect. Some groups (most) had come without swimming costumes, but Adrian had not only prepared us to come with swimming gear, he had brought some of the cacao we had made earlier, and some snacks. He is also an adventurer, and so if you have teenage kids who like a bit of adventure he is 100% the guide you need. He climbed up the rocks of the waterfall and jumped in. My teenage son wanted to try, and Adrian showed him exactly where to put his feet and hands so he could do it safely. Most importantly, had he fallen off, Adrian’s route meant he would have fallen into the water and not onto any rocks. My son LOVED climbing up and jumping in.
We all tried the extra cacao mixed with water as face masks (it DOES leave your skin soft), and ate home-made chocolate snacks.
Honestly, it was a perfect day, and I would whole heartedly recommend it. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marielle
Aug 1, 2025
An amazing day! - The most incredible day with the most perfect guide! Adrian was great, switching between English and Spanish for us. The BriBri visit was so informative and the lunch was delicious. One of the day’s highlights was the chocolate tasting and then using the cacao paste in the waterfall as a face mask. The chocolate cookies were pretty awesome too. 11/10 and 100% recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather_g
Jun 7, 2025
Genuine Costa Rican clay masks? Yes, Please! - We booked thinking we’d be part of a small group and it ended up being just us two! It was a rainy start to the day and that did not matter one bit! Adrian was an excellent guide, spotting so many different types of wildlife and plants/trees while in Cahuita park. He is so incredibly knowledgeable, sharing so many nuggets all throughout the day. The pick up/drop off was easy, and close to where we were staying.
Each stop on the tour had its own highlights, and one part of the tour was not better than the other, it was all great!!! When we were at the waterfalls, Adrian and I put clay masks on our faces while we sat and enjoyed our fruit and conversation. Who knew a spa treatment was included?!
If you’re on the fence about booking - just book it! You will not be disappointed!!
Review provided by Viator
Geri
Mar 29, 2025
Wow!! That was a Great Day!! - The highlight and most memorable events of our 6 weeks in Costa Rica was doing this tour with Adrian. Adrian has his own website: traveladriancr.com which gives a detail description of himself and his tours. I wasn’t able to get a response from the email form attached to his website. (For some reason he never received it). I tried his WhatsApp number: 506-7008-3188. He answered immediately and we were able to arrange this tour the next day. He told us where to park our vehicle and his driver picked us up at that location. Throughout the entire tour, our belongings were safe and secure in the vehicle. Absolutely no worries there.
The tour was fun, relaxing and extremely informative. Adrian is so in tune with nature’s surroundings. At Cahuita National Park, I would have missed everything if it wasn’t for him. He was happy to take photos with our cameras using his telescopic lens.
He’s enthusiastic and passionate to share his knowledge of the Bri Bri tribe and their land. He speaks of their history taking it to current times. There is much to be learnt of how they live and use what nature provides. Making chocolate the old fashion way and savouring a delicious lunch were special.
Cooling off and swimming at the waterfalls was welcomed.
There is much to be said about this tour. I’ll summarize it as a “Must Do”. At the end of the trip, you walk away saying “Wow! That was a Great Day”.
Adrian is your man!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Obyrneb
Feb 22, 2025
Fun and unique tour - Adrian was very informative and spotted animals on the trail better than the other guides on the trail. He kept the group small which made for a much more relaxing day. The day was full of unique experiences. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sjr_tx
Nov 19, 2024
Amazing - This was an amazing tour and Adrian is top notch. His knowledge of the area, ability to locate amazing wildlife and his overall demeanor made this tour a memorable experience. During the tour through the park we saw monkeys, sloths, bats, snakes, birds, and a ton of other cool creatures. He brought his spotting scope which was great. The visit to the Bribri was awesome. It was educational and we made homemade chocolate! I really enjoyed the background of the Bribri indigenous people. Lunch was amazing as well. Last stop was a beautiful waterfall and a swim. After walking out there was fresh coconut water waiting.
Highly recommend this trip! It was an amazing experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steveandjaya
Sep 12, 2024
All-In-One Tour Exploring Nature, Culture, and Everything Else Costa Rica with Adrian - This should be the go to tour with Adrian!
It was just me and my wife with Adrian for this tour.
Play by play / Overview
You start with the national forest where he shows you a bunch of different animals close up with his telescope like device. Without him a would have seen maybe one, two animals, with him we saw so much stuff, people waited for Adrian to spot something so then they could look.
Second we met the indigenous people where Adrian has a great relationship with. The Indigenous guide plays little tricks on you and no spoilers here. The food is great as well. I personally don’t really like chocolate but the process and the steps was worth trying/learning.
Lastly Adrian takes you to this really cool waterfall. The fish here naturally clean your skin and was probably my favorite part. He does some cool tricks but I won’t spoil them here. Ask about the chocolate masks trust me.
Money Comments
Don't gawk at the price tag. You get three 60-80$ish USD individual tours in one. Great deal, great tour how do you beat that? We payed 110$ USD each with a tip that he didn’t ask for, we just gave because we felt like it was worth it.
Logistic Stuff
Got picked up at 7AM from hotel by his driver and dropped off by 2:30 PM. All our stuff was safe with the driver no problem. Never felt unsafe, Adrian speaks perfect English, his website was down but I instagrammed messaged him @traveladriancr and got reservations within a day. This is also how you get the cheaper price. No hidden fees/ Adrian takes care of any logistical stuff with the National Park, Indigenous Staff, and the care taker of the waterfall.
Hope you liked reading this review and sorry for any spelling mistakes!
-Steve
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T3637rcanar
Aug 29, 2024
An unforgettable experience - We were fortunate that our first contact with Costa Rica was with Adrian. He is a Guide capable of transmitting his love of nature in a unique way. Thanks to him we learned a barbarity of things: from how to observe animals to how the indigenous Bribri live. Undoubtedly, an unforgettable experience that we would repeat without thinking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Spyridoulaa539
Jul 3, 2024
Excellent Guide.Excellent Tour - Excellent guide with very good knowledge of the nature ,very helpful and kind .Definitely I suggest Adrian and especially this tour ,as it was very interesting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
266ljiljanai
May 4, 2024
Amazing! - Adrian was an amazing tour guide! We got to experience some of the nature within CR, along with the culture. Adrian was extremely knowledgeable about the animals and plants. The other tours I took in CR felt very unorganized and were overpriced for what I was getting. This tour is like 3 tours in 1 and if anything, it was cheap for the experience I got. If you’re looking for a tour in CR, this is among the best ones here.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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