Our Story
My name is Danny Arturo Layan Atencio, and I was born and raised in the Bribri Indigenous Territory of Talamanca, in the Southern Caribbean of Costa Rica.
In 2017, after completing my degree in Tourism, I found myself asking a question that would completely change the direction of my life:
How could I use what I had learned to protect what I had inherited?
I realized that thousands of travelers come to Costa Rica every year searching for beaches, volcanoes, and waterfalls, yet very few have the opportunity to discover the living Indigenous cultures that have protected these lands for thousands of years.
I did not want to create another tourist attraction.
I wanted to build a bridge.
A bridge between the modern world and the ancestral wisdom of the Indigenous Peoples of Costa Rica.
That is why, in 2018, I created this project.
Today, I work primarily alongside Indigenous communities, especially the Bribri people, creating authentic cultural experiences that allow visitors not only to learn about our traditions, but also to understand our way of seeing the world.
For us, the rainforest is not simply a landscape.
The rivers are not just water.
The mountains are not empty places.
Everything has a spirit.
Everything is connected.
One of the greatest symbols of that connection is cacao.
In Bribri culture, cacao is much more than food or chocolate. It is a sacred gift, a symbol of life, family, gratitude, and spiritual balance. According to our ancestral stories, Sibö, the Creator, transformed a woman into cacao so that she could nourish future generations.
For this reason, when visitors prepare traditional chocolate with us, they are not participating in a performance.
They are sharing a living tradition that continues to exist within our homes and our families.
Every experience invites our guests to travel by traditional canoe along the rivers of Talamanca, walk through the rainforest, visit the sacred Bribri temple, discover medicinal plants, learn about our organic farming practices, and, above all, spend time with the people who keep these traditions alive every single day.
My goal has never been to create a show for tourists.
I want every visitor to feel like a welcomed guest in our community.
I want them to sit with our elders, listen to our stories, understand our spirituality, and experience the beauty of a life deeply connected to nature.
For me, tourism is much more than a profession.
It is a way to create opportunities for Indigenous families, preserve our language and traditions, and show the world that cultural preservation and sustainable development can grow together.
Every visit directly supports local guides, artisans, farmers, cooks, and families who open their homes and their hearts to people from around the world.
Many travelers arrive believing they are coming to visit an Indigenous village.
Most leave feeling they have found a second home.
This is not simply a tour.
It is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with nature, discover an ancient culture, and become part of a story that continues to live through the people who protect it.
Welcome to our home.
Welcome to the Indigenous heart of Costa Rica.
Mission
Our mission is to create authentic and meaningful connections between travelers and the Indigenous Peoples of Costa Rica through respectful cultural tourism.
We believe that tourism should not only be a way to discover new places, but also a tool to preserve ancestral knowledge, strengthen local communities, and create sustainable opportunities for future generations.
By sharing our traditions, spirituality, ceremonial cacao, language, agriculture, and way of life, we seek to protect and celebrate the cultural heritage that has been passed down to us by our ancestors.
Every experience we offer is designed to support Indigenous families directly while allowing visitors to become part of a living culture, not simply observers of it.
Visión
Our vision is to become the leading platform for authentic Indigenous and cultural experiences in Costa Rica, recognized worldwide for preserving ancestral traditions through responsible and community-based tourism.
We aspire to build a bridge between ancient wisdom and the modern world, where travelers from every country can discover the true heart of Costa Rica beyond conventional tourism.
Through collaboration with Indigenous communities, local families, artisans, farmers, and spiritual leaders, we aim to create a model of tourism that generates economic opportunities while protecting culture, language, traditions, and the natural environment.
We envision a future where every visitor leaves not only with memories, but with a deeper understanding of humanity, nature, and the importance of preserving the world's Indigenous cultures.