Community tourism in Matavén has reached an important milestone with the arrival of its first visitors to Laguna Negra, a nature-based tourism experience led by Indigenous communities of the Curripaco-Amanapana people.
Promoted by REDD+ Matavén since 2021, this initiative is part of a broader strategy to strengthen sustainable livelihoods that contribute to forest conservation, biodiversity protection, and the creation of economic opportunities across the territory. The initiative has been developed in alliance with Fundación Cuidar la Tierra, in coordination with the Coomatavén Cooperative and the Indigenous Community Council established to lead this practical activity.
Nature-Based Tourism to Strengthen Territorial Autonomy
Community tourism is emerging as an economic alternative aligned with the long-term vision of the Indigenous communities of Matavén. Through the provision of tourism services, communities strengthen local capacities, diversify income sources, and create new opportunities for present and future generations.
This activity complements the conservation efforts supported by REDD+ Matavén, demonstrating that forest protection can go hand in hand with the development of sustainable economic initiatives led directly from the territory.
Beyond strengthening local economies, the project promotes the transmission of traditional knowledge and cultural continuity, allowing young people to build their future while maintaining a strong connection to their identity and ancestral lands.
Laguna Negra: An Experience Connecting Nature and Indigenous Culture
The first visitors to Laguna Negra highlighted the value of an experience that combines biodiversity, culture, and ancestral knowledge in one of the most representative landscapes of the transition between Colombia’s Orinoquía and Amazon regions. During the experience, travelers lived the following key components:
- Encountering Matavén’s Biodiversity: Visitors had the opportunity to navigate and explore ecosystems of extraordinary natural richness, observing the region’s wildlife and enjoying the landscapes surrounding Laguna Negra, known for the presence of pink river dolphins and the beauty of its aquatic environments.
- Learning from Indigenous Elders: The experience created opportunities for dialogue with community elders, who shared knowledge about the history of the territory, the spiritual relationship with nature, and the traditional practices that have helped conserve the forest for generations.
- Understanding Sustainable Traditional Practices: Visitors also learned about traditional activities linked to the sustainable use of natural resources, including the collection of palm leaves used in handicraft production. These practices reflect the communities’ deep ecological knowledge and their ability to use forest resources while maintaining ecological balance and conservation.
Conservation, Culture, and Sustainable Development
The opening of Laguna Negra to community tourism demonstrates how Indigenous-led initiatives can simultaneously generate environmental, cultural, and economic benefits.
Through REDD+ Matavén, the conservation of more than one million hectares of forest is complemented by the strengthening of sustainable productive activities that contribute to community well-being and the preservation of the ecosystems that sustain life across the territory.
Sharing the culture, hospitality, and ancestral knowledge of Matavén has become another way to strengthen forest conservation, celebrate Indigenous heritage, and create sustainable opportunities for future generations.