Huaravito, Guaravito or Garabito was a Costa Rican indigenous king who existed in the 16th century, monarch of the Huetar Kingdom of the West.
The most important leader of the indigenous resistance against the Mayor Juan de Cavallón y Arboleda (1560-1562), and he refused to submit to the authority of Juan Vázquez de Coronado (1562-1565).
According to a 1569 document, Garabito’s domains extended inland and included the places called Coyoche Valley, Pereira Real, Barva, Yuruste, Coboboci, Abacara and Chucasque.
Etymology
Oscar Bákit, on his book “Garavito, our lost root”; explains that the voice Guaravito (Huaravito) was possibly the true name of the indigenous king known by the Spanish as Garabito.
This argument is based on the fact that the indigenous king of the eastern region of the Central Valley (Cartago, Turrialba, Suerre) was called Guarco (Huarco), which means “Sentinel of the East”, and that being both contemporaries and both principal kings of the Central Valley; It would not be strange if the name of the chief king of the West was Guaravito (Huaravito in huetares language), which would mean “Sentinel of the West”.
