Private Tour

Bribri Esoteric Tour: Indigenous Shaman Ceremony & Waterfalls

Overview

Available languages

English

Spanish

Mobile ticket

Connect with Ancient Traditions in the Heart of the Rainforest

Step into the spiritual world of the Bribri Indigenous People with this immersive, private esoteric tour. Guided by local community members, you’ll visit a traditional Bribri village nestled in the Talamanca mountains and participate in a unique ceremonial session with an indigenous shaman.

Learn about ancestral rituals, plant-based healing practices, and the Bribri cosmology that honors the Earth, spirits, and nature’s elements.

Tour Highlights:

Spiritual Cleansing or Blessing Ceremony

Participate in a guided ritual led by a Bribri shaman using sacred plants, chants, and traditional instruments to cleanse energy, seek protection, or invite healing.

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

WiFi on board

Bottled water

All Fees and Taxes

Entrance Fee to Esoteric Tour and and Waterfalls

Air-conditioned vehicle

Bilingual tour guide

Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Puerto Limon

Take in the highlights of Costa Rica’s Caribbean region during a drive through coastal towns rich in culture and history. As you travel, your guide will provide an introduction to Costa Rica, its diverse geography, cultural roots, and development as a peaceful, nature-oriented country. You'll also gain insight into the province of Limón, shaped by Afro-Caribbean heritage, maritime trade, and the legacy of immigrant communities that continue to define the region’s identity today.

Admission Not Applicable

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Arrive at a Bribri Indigenous reserve, where you’ll be warmly welcomed by a local shaman. This is not just a visit, it’s an immersion into ancient traditions: • Discover the power of native medicinal plants as the shaman explains how they are used for healing and spiritual balance • Witness the ancestral process of chocolate making using raw cacao harvested from the land • Participate in a traditional spiritual cleansing ceremony, a deeply meaningful ritual performed by the shaman to purify and harmonize energy

3 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Bribri Esoteric Tour: Indigenous Shaman Ceremony & Waterfalls

Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

8 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Spiritual cocoa and cooling off at the waterfall
leoniev815,
Aug 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was an unforgettable experience. The time we spent in the village and with the shaman and some residents was valuable. We learned a lot but there was also room for humor without it becoming clownish. The ceremony started well before we entered the cabin. The end of the day was also very quiet and relaxed. We wouldn't have missed this.
Laughs and Chocolate
A8421ENangelaw,
Feb 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This is such an informative and amazing experience. Fio and YiYi are amazing!!!! YiYi will spot amazing wild life easily and Fio is so sweet fun and very knowledgeable about the area.
BriBri Village with YiYi and Fio was the BEST!
O8980CTtheresah,
Feb 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had YiYi and Fiorella as our guides and they were the most amazing, informative, helpful and fun tour guides I have ever experienced. I wish they could be our guides on every tour I do. When we come.back to Costa Rica, I will surely book with them again! 10/10 would recommend!
Amazing Tour!
N7624AJsamanthac,
Jan 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Fio and Yiyi were so kind, patient, and knowledgeable and they both made this tour memorable and fun! Seeing how chocolate was made was so cool and definitely unforgettable, and the people we met were so unbelievably kind. The waterfalls are beautiful, and Fio was so kind to my mom who has some mobility issues and found the walk to be difficult. Absolutely 100% recommend this tour. A must see!
Wonderful!
alysonb911,
Jan 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Yiyi and Fiorella were the best tour guides! They were super friendly and knowledgeable and did an excellent job of caring for our group, especially one member with mobility issues. The tour of the cacao plantation was very educational, interesting, and enjoyable. The waterfall trip was also really beautiful. If you do have mobility impairments, it is a little difficult, and you certainly cannot have a walker with you! Worth some exertion, though. Muchas Gracias Yiyi y Fiorella!
Taste of the Forest
kameronk556,
May 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Yiyi, Nicole, Luis and his family were all quite charming and attentive. Very knowledgeable of flora, fawna, and nature. Pura Vida!
5 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
tanieshag2021,
May 10, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was a great tour! My husband and I were picked up from our hotel in Cahuita and rode 45 min or so to the location. We met with Luis, the shaman, who talked to us about the cacao plant and led us in some of the ceremonial aspects of harvesting it. We participated in the process, tasting the 4 phases of chocolate along the way, as well as some of the other plants. We also had a chocolate tasting at the end to experience some of the differently- flavored chocolates. Finally, we hiked down to a stunning waterfall once our chocolate tour ended. We didn’t stay long because my husband was a little under the weather. But in all, it was a fun time. Each person was amazing. The driver, Yiyi, went out of his way to pick us up, actually, since I think most hotel stops were in Limón proper. Nicole, our tour guide, was friendly and knowledgeable. She went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and getting what we wanted out of the experience. Luis, the shaman, was charming and wise. I really appreciated hearing the spiritual traditions that accompanied the chocolate-making process and would have loved to hear more.
DO IT!! You'll be glad you did.
Marlene P,
Jan 26, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
This tour was awesome, scenic and inspiring. Our driver Gigi was amazing and very accommodating. Our guide Sergio was cool, friendly and very knowledgeable...providing lots of info along the way about the country and it's history. The actual time spent with the Bri Bri tribe and Charman Lewis was beyond words. The tour is off the beaten path but worth every min... My group went along with this trip only because it was my birthday and I wanted to do it, but at the end they actually thanked me and were grateful to have had the experience. Their exact words: "Thanks so much...we're so happy we got to do this". The time spent at the waterfalls afterwards was just the icing on an already amazing cake. I highly recommend this trip!!!