Maleku
The Maleku , a branch of the Chibchas , are, like the Bribri , Brunca and Chorotega, an indigenous people in Costa Rica who are now living in the Guatuso Indigena Reserve near the city of San Rafael de Guatuso ('Guatuso' for short). Approx. 600 people (previously there were 23 villages) now live in the reserve, but people from outside are still welcome in the community. Before the Spanish colonization, their area expanded further west to the Rincón de la Vieja and closed the Arenal volcano to the south and the Río Celesteas sacred sites. Today their areas are more concentrated in the south of the town of Guatuso, south of San Rafael de Guatuso, an hour north of La Fortuna .
The reserve
The reserves consist of different villages, built in a similar way to the Mayan village of Palenque (Palenques = straw or grass huts). Among them the village of Palenque Sol and Palenque Tonjibe. The Maleku have their own language (Maleku). While most of the Maleku speak Spanish, some of the elders speak only Maleku. The Maleku economy consists of art: carvings, paintings, and musical instruments are the most popular items. Every member of the village (including children) takes care of or helps with an arts area, e.g. B. cut, carve, prepare the necessary balsa trees or the fruits that are needed for the respective art object. The production of bows and arrows, spears and knives, large and small bush drums and rainmakers complete the artistic woodwork.
tourism
The Maleku still invite tourists to tour their villages, although most tourists prefer to see ceremonies in the nearby town of La Fortuna. You can visit the traditional gardens with medicinal plants and pre-Columbian graves and animals that still live freely in the forest, such as B. Toucans , frogs and monkeys .