The village of Yorkin in Talamanca-Bribri is indigenous territory is only accessible with a guided canoe trip on the Yorkin river, the Natural border between Costa Rica and Panama and lets you admire and absorb the breathtaking flora in this area.

In the village you get a unique opportunity to come into contact with the natives, and to learn more about the Bribri culture, with visits to their organically-run cocoa and banana plantations and to a waterfall. Today the natives also plant rice, cassava, and beans for own their consumption, each family owns a small plot of land in the rain forest and are happy to share this with visitors.

After a short guided tour of the village you reach the women's shelter. There you will have a unique insight into the production of cocoa, get to know the cocoa crop and it’s processing and finally have the opportunity to sample home-made chocolate with a freshly picked bananas, simply delicious! Archery and a cooling swim in the adjacent river with the local children bring the tour to a close which gives you a deeper insight into the culture of Bribri.

A few decades ago many men of the tribe, due to lack of training went off to work on the banana plantations outside the village which unfortunately also brought different problems. The long distances from their families led many to alcoholism and contact with insecticides increased the infertility of the workers. In the search for an alternative source of income the women of Yorkin founded in 1985, the indigenous organization STIBRAWPA with the aim of developing their previous income sources from agriculture (organically grown bananas and cocoa) yet at the same time preserving their culture. Tourism, about 70% of visitors come from Amadeus and at the same time 15 Bribri families began the manufacture of handicrafts, another important income that has allowed the children to attend school. 2010 saw the first Bribri children graduate.