Barra del Colorado Sur Ecotourism Association: Voices Born from the Water
Author: Aurora Camacho Navarro
In Barra del Colorado Sur, within the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge, water is not just landscape: it is connection, memory, and possibility. Rivers, lagoons, and the sea mark daily life, sustain inherited trades, and shape a community that has learned to coexist with nature in a delicate balance.
Here, responsible fishing is much more than a technique: it is a way of life, a cultural legacy and a commitment to the territory and the well-being of its inhabitants.
In this region, the Barra del Colorado Sur Ecotourism Association was born , a collective made up of families, men and women, leaders, and guardians of valuable knowledge accumulated through generations. They all work to build a dignified present and a more sustainable future for the community.
The stories of Lorena, María, and Carlos reveal the essence of Barra del Colorado Sur. Each tale springs from the water that has witnessed their growth, work, and dreams; from the land that has taught them patience, strength, and a sense of belonging.
Lorena Obando Bravo: Building the Future Through Resilience
“Lorena’s story is inseparable from water”
She was born and raised surrounded by lagoons, rivers, and the sea; a territory that taught her resilience, independence, and a deep confidence in her own abilities. She learned English, boat handling, navigation, customer service, and fish filleting “out of necessity and courage,” always relying on her determination and the opportunities that her surroundings offered her.
As a single mother for many years, she built her business Brisas del Mar from scratch, step by step, until it became a recognized space within the community.
While acknowledging the challenges—isolation, complex transportation, changing weather, and daily effort—he also honestly maintains:
“We do it with love.”
Para Lorena, la Asociación representa una oportunidad para construir algo colectivo: trabajar en equipo, compartir conocimientos, enseñar a otras personas lo que aprendió con esfuerzo y atraer turismo responsable que valore el territorio, su cultura y la forma de vida de Barra del Colorado Sur.
Carlos Luis Martínez: Cultura, Identidad y Pesca Responsable
“El mar y el río son parte de mi cultura”
La vida de Carlos ha estado ligada al agua desde joven. Lleva casi veinte años dedicándose a la pesca turística y artesanal, aprendiendo de las mareas, los vientos y de los cambios que marcan cada temporada.
Para Carlos, el río y el mar no son solo lugares de trabajo: son parte de su identidad, de su cultura y de la forma en que entiende la vida. Conoce las lagunas, los canales y las zonas de pesca como quien conoce su propio hogar. Ese conocimiento lo ha compartido siempre con respeto, enseñando a otras personas y apoyando a quienes inician en la pesca responsable.
Tiene claridad sobre la importancia del equilibrio entre naturaleza y sustento:
“Cuidar el recurso es cuidar el futuro.”
Carlos sueña con una Asociación más fuerte, organizada y articulada con instituciones que puedan apoyarles en capacitación, promoción y turismo responsable. Visualiza más oportunidades para las familias y una comunidad donde el conocimiento local sea reconocido como un valor fundamental.
Lo resume con sencillez y convicción:
“Aquí la pesca no es solo deporte: es trabajo, cultura y respeto.”
María Carrillo Salazar: Tradición, Comunidad y Esperanza
“El agua nos alimenta y nos da espíritu”
Para María, el agua es sustento y también refugio. Creció aprendiendo a pescar en lagunas tranquilas y en el río cambiante, acompañando siempre a su familia y a las personas pescadoras mayores de la comunidad.
Las lagunas, afirma, no solo brindan alimento, sino también conexión y aprendizaje:
“Dan alimento y dan espíritu.”
María combina su experiencia en pesca artesanal con cocina local, turismo y trabajo comunitario. Conoce las temporadas, sabe leer el comportamiento del agua y reconoce en cada espacio del Refugio una oportunidad para ofrecer experiencias auténticas a quienes visitan Barra del Colorado Sur.
Para ella, la Asociación representa un camino colectivo para organizar mejor la oferta turística, fortalecer alianzas y mostrar la riqueza cultural de la comunidad.
Con esperanza afirma:
“Tenemos lagunas casi vírgenes. Aquí hay un potencial enorme.”
Su visión combina memoria, responsabilidad y deseo de futuro: un futuro donde la pesca responsable, el turismo local y la organización comunitaria caminen juntos.
El Humedal y la Ruralidad Costera que Sostienen Estas Voces
Las historias de Lorena, María y Carlos comparten una misma raíz: un humedal vivo donde lagunas, canales, río y mar moldean la vida cotidiana. Sus relatos hablan del oficio de pescar y de la vida que se teje alrededor del agua, del esfuerzo cotidiano, de los aprendizajes heredados y del sustento que sostiene a sus familias.
In this rural coastal region of the northern Caribbean, life unfolds amidst tides, rain, waterways, and abundant nature. Each day is lived in dialogue with an environment whose beauty and fragility sustain the local culture and the well-being of its families.
Process of Strengthening and Collective Learning
The photographs capture moments of encounter, shared work, and collective reflection. In participatory workshops, members of the Association analyzed their needs, defined priorities, and collectively built pathways to strengthen their organization, their identity, and their presence in coastal rural tourism and sustainable fishing.
These spaces allowed for the strengthening of capacities, the organization of ideas, and the opening of new possibilities for local development, always in dialogue with the wetland that sustains daily life in Barra del Colorado Sur.
A Present Built in Community, A Future Born from Water
The Barra del Colorado Sur Ecotourism Association is making steady progress. It is comprised of families, men and women, leaders, and guardians of knowledge passed down through generations. Each member contributes experience, vision, and a deep connection to the water that gives life to the wetland.
What unites the Association is not just their work, but a shared conviction: that their lagoons, canals, river, and sea can be cared for, sustained, and transformed to generate collective well-being. That’s why they promote recreational and sport fishing, coastal rural tourism, and community organizing as ways to strengthen their family economies and share the authenticity of the place with others.
The voices of Lorena, María, and Carlos prove it: Barra del Colorado Sur has talent, local knowledge, and a deep will to build its own destiny. Water, which has been their teacher, is also their future.
“Water teaches us something every day.” — María Carrillo Salazar
Credits
This blog is part of a consultancy process on the sectoral identity of recreational and sport fishing, led by Aurora Camacho Navarro, consultant for the Participatory Recreational Fishing project , developed by the Costa Rican Fishing Federation with support from the Embassy of the United States of America in Costa Rica. To learn more about the communities that live and practice recreational and sport fishing in Costa Rica, visit the Fish Costa Rica communities website.
