As of now, there is only one Black and woman-owned travel agency in Costa Rica, and she’s a local.
It was the lack of representation, particularly to the Caribbean coast of Limón, that inspired Sadie Jordan to launch Soul Life Travel.
“There was a void in the travel industry. I am Afro Latina. My mother is considered mestiza and my dad is African American. Growing up in the states, I was surrounded by a lot of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, and I felt my family was one of few families that knew about Afro-Costa Rican culture. People knew about so many places in Latin America, but many people didn’t know about the Afro-Latino culture in Costa Rica.
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According to Sadie, there’s a lot about Afro Costa Rican culture that people don’t know, and she’s hoping they will learn more through Soul Life Travel where she’s taking the work from people “playing detective” when it comes to finding Afro culture.
“I created Soul Life Travel to show Black and brown people our cultures. A lot of things connect us, whether it be our cuisine or how our mama’s throw down in the kitchen, and so many experiences,” she said.
There are different tours you can take with Soul Life Travel, including “A Taste of Costa Rica,” “A Week In Costa Rica,” “Afro Costa Rica in the Caribbean,” and more.
“The goal to bring people together for culture, wellness, and adventure in the most unique locations of Costa Rica, particularly the overlooked Caribbean coast, which is near and dear to my heart.”
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Sadie says her travel agency in Costa Rica focuses on the Puerto Viejo region, so people can spend their dollars supporting Black-owned businesses.
“We want people to have a holistic view of the country and not go on the traditional travel circuit. It is paramount for us to showcase the Caribbean coast because, historically, it’s been out of the travel and tourism circuit. We want to make sure that a lot of our dollars are going back to that area so locals can reinvest in their own companies.”
You can learn more about Soul Life Travel by clicking here.
