EL DESCANSO, TERRABÁ, BRÖRÁN INDIGENOUS
- Autor: Michelle Fernández
- Category: Rural Experiences
- 26/01/2026
In the Pacific region of Costa Rica, specifically in Térraba, we find an Indigenous community rich in culture and authentic experiences based on ancestral traditions centred on nature, the struggle for their territorial rights, and cultural revitalisation through traditional medicine. We can also observe the combination of elements of their original language and their spiritual connection to the river that bears their name, El Río Grande de Térraba. Within their territorial organisation, we can see that they have a system of Councils of Elders for local governance and promote rural community tourism to share their legacy.
El Albergue el Descanso promotes the initiative of sharing with visitors and providing them with the experience of learning about the culture through tourism, thereby benefiting the community as everyone participates. The project offers six wooden cabins with private bathrooms (one complies with Law 7600 and the other five have three single beds each). In addition, there is a hostel with bunk beds and shared bathrooms, with capacity for 11 people, excellent for groups and volunteers. The accommodation is traditional with wooden infrastructure and simple.
Among the activities that can be done, you can find the traditional cocoa tour, where the local guide, who is from the community and indigenous, shows you the artisanal and cultural process of how they prepare it based on the history of their people. You can learn about the fruit on the tree, see it, learn about its shape and taste its peculiar seed, which has a unique flavour before being dried. Then it goes through the entire drying and roasting process so that it can be ground and enjoyed as delicious natural cocoa paste.
The community has an important archaeological legacy in the form of petroglyphs, which are images or carvings in rock representing cosmic symbols, natural elements (water, mangroves, springs) and zoomorphic/anthropomorphic figures, often related to the worldview of three worlds (material, spiritual) and the life-death cycle, with spirals symbolising energy and development. The tour consists of visiting those within the community who possess these artefacts and thus learning about their history.
The Térrabas indigenous people are known for their carving of gourds with natural motifs, necklaces, earrings and other jewellery, which you can enjoy in the workshop they offer to create with your own hands, as well as the painting workshop where you can enjoy a tradition by choosing a pre-carved mask and bringing it to life with the colours and shapes you desire.
In terms of gastronomy, you can see that they preserve ancestral recipes, such as bien sabe and rice tamales. You can enjoy these in a dining room located on the property, built entirely in the indigenous style, where you can feel like part of the community by sharing food in the traditional way. And you can’t miss the tour and workshop on medicinal plants, where you will learn about the healing process through nature, which is of utmost importance to them and which they still practise to this day.
Without a doubt, your visit to this community will be very beneficial for learning about an indigenous community full of ancestral culture and value for the traditions left to them by their elders.
