Activities – Rural Community Tourism

Rural Community Tourism

Community-based Rural Tourism

The Community-based Rural Tourism, allows you to live an authentic experience, with personalized attention, which gives you the enjoyment of our rurality, knowing the essence and identity of the Costa Rican, characterized by the quality it provides each of the companies offering this product.

In a perfect combination of nature and culture, you will discover the Costa Rican Pura Vida, by enjoying and sharing various environments full of peace, comfort, coexistence with our customs and traditions, immersed in a splendid natural diversity.

In a family atmosphere characteristic of the offer, the common thing is to enjoy personalized attention that allows you to strengthen your knowledge of the peasant culture, agricultural traditions and small artisan industries; going into the rurality of our country through traditional gastronomy, the authenticity of the communities and the riches expressed in their way of life in a natural environment, where sustainable practices promoted by entrepreneurs prevail as part of these products.

Historical review

In Costa Rica, exists the Costa Rican Community-based Rural Tourism Association (ACTUAR), that emerged in 2001, during the first Ecotourism Meeting, organized by the United Nations Small Donations Program (PPD). They have supported more than 50 rural community tourism initiatives as a means to promote sustainable development.

The purpose of ACTUAR is to promote the environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability of Community Rural Tourism initiatives in Costa Rica, through the establishment of strategic alliances for community tourism marketing, strengthening the capacity of partners and management of resources. Within its values ​​are the protection of natural resources through the generation of livelihoods for men and women.

The Community-based Rural Tourism offers the opportunity to freely experience the essence of country life and the most unspoiled natural landscapes with excellent hosts. It also provides the country folk the chance to demonstrate the activities, traditions, and lifestyles of the local population.

 

The experiences of rural tourism develop from cooperatives or community associations that own private ecological reserves or are close to areas of environmental and cultural interest. These communities offer new experiences that combine tourism services such as accommodation, tours, and crafts, with the stunning landscapes and living culture of its location, including farming culture, indigenous or Afro-Caribbean cultures. This allows our guests to discover the real Costa Rica, explore tropical paradises, benefit and share with communities that are involved in the conservation of natural resources, have fun, and relax healthily and creatively.

Each person who takes a trip through the Community-based Rural Tourism modality has the opportunity to know not only the natural beauties of the country but also the ways of life and culture of the place they visit.

In this way, the communities that are within this guide have decided how they want to present themselves to the visitor, direct and manage their own initiative, feel proud to share what they are and what they do, the impressive natural wealth and cultural roots that have inherited. Rural community tourism is based on respect for the host community, guests, and this planet we share.

Nature enthusiasts will be able to take a look at the wild areas in the company of a local guide who will tell them about the traditional uses of the plants, tell them stories of what happened in that forest, and will transmit much more than facts: experiences.

Community-based rural tourism is implemented by community associations. The communities have private ecological reserves or are located near areas of environmental and cultural interest. All of them offer visitors a mix of ecological and cultural adventures, in addition to the usual tourist services such as lodging, excursions, and crafts. Those who visit them have the opportunity to discover authentic Costa Rica because they will be able to explore much more than the popular tourist trails and will meet people committed to the conservation of the rural area.