Maleku Indigenous Reserve Tour: Discover Costa Rica's Rich Indigenous History and Culture

Immerse yourself in the rich indigenous history and culture of Costa Rica on a tour of the Maleku Indigenous Reserve. Discover the customs and traditions of the Maleku people and learn how they have preserved their way of life.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Maleku Chocolate - The tour begins in La Fortuna at 8:00 am. After a 1 hour drive through the northern plains, you will arrive at the Indian community Palenque Tonjibe and be warmly received by their people. After a short presentation, you will begin a hike through the village to observe many important aspects of this unique place, such as the way…
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Professional guide
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • Snacks
  • Traditional Maleku lunch
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan with Wi-Fi
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Positioned in the North of Costa Rica, the Maleku Indigenous Reserve houses three separate villages. These are Palenques Margarita, Tonjibe y El Sol, and they all lie within the boundary of the reserve, which covers an expansive area of 2993 hectares (7395 acres). A thousand indigenous individuals form the population here, with 80% of them conversing in…

Location
Casa Luna Hotel & Spa
Diagonal 301
Just drive in to the parking area and ask the receptionist about ecoterra Costa Rica Tours
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.2
(14 Ratings)
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1 star
Leslie
Mar 16, 2025
Do not miss this tour - Absolutely do not miss this tour. The Maleku are interesting, generous with information, genuine in their presentation. The tour is so much more real than most of the experiences we have had of this sort. We went in a “small group,” which I highly recommend - as it happened, the group was just the two of us. Elena was our knowledgeable and engaging guide, through EcoTerra, and we couldn’t have had a better introduction to the Maleku’s history and culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tashinah3
Mar 10, 2025
Wonderful and so informative! - Everyone was kind and so informative. We learned a lot and loved the experience! We love visiting places like this. We hope the Maleku culture stays strong and continues to grow.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Arthur_w
Jan 14, 2025
Informative of culture,... - Informative of culture, beliefs and history from beginnings to present day of the Kaleku people. Good demonstrations. Meal excellent. Good selection of Kaleku art works. Reasonably priced.
Review provided by Viator
Sabinem622
Nov 6, 2024
Maleku-!Worth the visit !! - We were 12 women, family & friends. After the hot springs, restaurants and Arenal. We decided to spend a day at the Maleku Village. We got a history lesson on their culture, community values and a chance to purchase their beautiful art pieces. Great time & informative. Negotiate the prices, they do bargain. … a lot of what they have you can buy cheaper in town but we didn’t mind paying extra to support the indigenous villagers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stay63101661973
Oct 13, 2024
Outstanding Experience - My Maleku Tour experience was outstanding from start to finish. My original reservation was rebooked due to airline issues. I was accommodated and the new reservation was quick and easy. The tour is comfortable and educational. I highly recommend Maleku Tours. Pura Vida!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cruiser308588
Mar 13, 2024
Fantastic Day - This tour was the highlight of the whole, amazing vacation! We learned so much, and had a wonderful time. Jimmy taught us about all the native plants, and their past/present use. He was kind, informative, and patient when I couldn’t shoot the arrow correctly. 😂 The family provided a delicious meal,even making it vegan, especially for us. The fried Yuca was legendary! I highly recommend this tour. You will not be disappointed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juli
Jun 26, 2023
Great experience to learn about local culture and history. Highly recommend - We learned so much about this very important indigenous tribe. We were a group of three. My 78 year old mother makes documentary films about indigenous people in the US and found the experience very interesting. Highly recommend for learning about the local history and traditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Raku132
Dec 10, 2022
Best tour of our trip to Costa Rics - Everything about this tour was spectacular. We learned so much about the Indigenous Tribe that has been living and still lives here outside of La Fortuna. We enjoyed learning about their history and current life, medicinal plants, crafts (even taught us to cat a gourd), food and song. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard
Aug 25, 2023
Maleuk Reserve Toyr - We had a great time our guide from Eco tours was wonderful and the guide from the reserve was friendly and super informative. He did a great job. The tour about the medicinal plants had fascinating information. Don’t forget your bug spray. They served a wonderful lunch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H1800crkarenv
Oct 30, 2024
Poor experience during the visit - The experience was not good. You have to be careful. I felt cheated. I honestly didn't like it. I would recommend people to visit other places in Costa Rica
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $110
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).