The areíto is a multifaceted ceremonial performance encompassing song, dance, poetry, and storytelling, which serves as a vital repository of the worldview, history, and social structure of the Taíno people. Practiced across the Greater Antilles, this tradition is a dynamic and essential cultural practice for Taíno descendants, embodying their deep connection to ancestors, zemís (spirits), and the natural world.

Performances take place in a central ceremonial plaza called a batey, and are led by a tekina (master of ceremonies). Participants form choreographed circles or lines, singing in a call-and-response pattern. The tekina directs the steps, rhythm, and narrative, ensuring the proper transmission of ancestral knowledge. The performances are accompanied by music from instruments such as the mayohuacán (a slit drum), maracas, and conch shell horns.

The narratives conveyed during an areíto chronicle heroic deeds of ancestors, commemorate important events like marriages or harvests, and recount the origins of the Taíno people and their relationship with the spiritual realm. These recitations, learned by heart, function as a form of living history, reinforcing community identity and ethical values.

Efforts to safeguard practices related to areíto are led by Taíno cultural and revivalist organizations, such as the Concilio Taíno Guatu Ma Cu A Borikén, which seek cultural revitalization through research and reconstruction.