A week-long immersion into a simpler, natural, community-focused way of life, where we grow our own food, live in harmony with mother nature, and celebrate the abundance she shares with us all.
You’ve probably heard the term “ecovillage” before – but what does it really mean? What does a modern ecovillage look like, what is it like to live there, and what are the models that make it a regenerative design for both people and planet? In the week following Envision Festival, we’ll take you from the Pacific coast to the Caribbean, visiting several ecovillage communities started by Envision co-founder Stephen Brooks, each with a different structure, design, governance, and lifestyle. Experience a way of life you’ve always known is possible, get an in-depth look at what makes an ecovillage project successful, and envision a world where our collective impact radically improves the Earth we share rather than destroys it.
the central community farm at Alegría Village
We’ll start with a self-care decompression day to rest and refresh after Envision Festival, then head to the hills of San Mateo, Alajuela to experience the co-located communities of La Ecovilla, Tacotal & the brand new Alegría Village. We’ll stay in glamping tents next to the crystal clear Machuca river in Tacotal ecovillage, hike the new Alegría property and discuss how to assess and design undeveloped land, have a farm-to-table dinner in the gardens of Alegría Village, and socialize with current residents at a big community Mid-Summer’s Night Dream party under the stars. From Alegría, we’ll journey to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast and hike to the off-the-grid permaculture community of Punta Mona that has been thriving for over 20 years. Punta Mona will be hosting their annual Roots Gathering festival and we’ll join for the weekend celebration – live music, DJ sets, workshops, yoga, mud baths, remote beaches, cacao ceremony, bonfires, and organic jungle-gourmet meals packed with superfoods grown on the farm. On Sunday March 10th, a private shuttle will pick us up from Punta Mona and return us all to San Jose so you can catch your flight or continue your travels.
the Alegría Village farm in progress, August 2018
Farm-to-table dinner at Alegría
To accommodate different post-Envision travel schedules, we have divided the trip into 3 sections - you can join us for the whole time or just a few days. Tickets include meals, accommodation, event admission, and transport where applicable.
Part 1: Post-Envision Decompression & Transport
Part 2: Ecovillage Immersion: Alegría Village, Tacotal, La Ecovilla
Part 3: Journey to Roots Gathering at Punta Mona
PART 1: POST-ENVISION DECOMPRESSION & SHUTTLE TO ALEGRÍA VILLAGE
Monday March 4th - Tuesday March 5th
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March 4th:
Shuttle picks you up from Envision ~11:00am, makes a stop in town for lunch & personal snacks/items for the week, & brings you to a relaxing hotel on the beach, where we’ll all enjoy a low-key evening, dinner, a hot shower, rest & rejuvenation.
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March 5th:
Sleep in, breakfast/brunch at the hotel, shuttle transport to Alegría Village
PART 2: ECOVILLAGE IMMERSION
Tuesday March 5th - Thursday March 7th
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March 5th:
~1pm: Arrive at our new project Alegría Village in the early afternoon
2-4pm: Hike through the hillside of Alegría, tour our new organic farm, and end by diving into the cool, clear Río Machuca *please wear appropriate shoes to hike in, sunscreen, hat, bugspray or long cool pants, and bring water! You can swim with or without a bathing suit - we’ll be in a private swimming area
4:30pm: Get settled in our glamping tents in the jungle next to the river. We will be staying at our wonderful neighbors Brad & Maria’s retreat oasis in Tacotal ecovillage. Amenities will include an outdoor bar, amphitheater, firepit, composting toilets, and private swimming holes in the river. The glamping tents will have proper beds and linens, but it’s jungly off-the-grid living so just come prepared! *your luggage will be transported for you from the entrance to Alegría to your tent at Brad & Maria’s. They have a locking bodega for any valuables you’d like to secure.
6:00pm: Enjoy a fresh organic dinner outside under the stars, followed by a bonfire & live acoustic music & storytelling
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March 6th:
Awake in the jungle!
8am: Hot breakfast, coffee, fresh juices
9-10:30am: Morning Session - Exploring Different Models of Ecovillage Design
10:30am-12pm: Free-time to chill, stretch, cuddle, explore, jump in the river :)
12pm: Organic lunch at Brad & Maria’s
2-3:30pm: Afternoon Session
~4pm: Grand farm-to-table dinner in our new farm at Alegría. We’ll dine with friends & neighbors amongst the garden beds that grew the food we’ll eat
~6pm-late: A Midsummer Night’s Dream party back at the oasis! Brad & Maria are known for throwing epic parties and this one will be the biggest of the season… wear all white!
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March 7th:
8am: Hot breakfast, coffee, fresh juices
9am: Pack up and head out! We will transport you back to the parking lot at the entrance to Alegría. *If you are continuing on to Roots Gathering, your shuttle will pick you up here.
hiking through Alegría Village
the views from Alegría
hiking to the river at Brad & Maria’s in Tacotal
El Río Machuca
PART 3: JOURNEY TO ROOTS GATHERING
Thursday March 7th - Sunday March 10th
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March 7th:
~10am: Get picked up from Alegría in a private shuttle and head to the Caribbean coast! *If you are just joining us for Part 3 of the trip and will not be at Alegría, the shuttle will make a stop in San Jose to pick you up
~Midday: stop for lunch along the way!
~5pm: Arrive in Puerto Viejo & check into our hotel for the night
~7pm: Dinner in Puerto Viejo
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March 8th:
8am: Breakfast in hotel, get packed up
8:30am: Transport to Manzanillo
~9am: Guided hike through the jungle to Punta Mona! Our amazing experienced tour guide will teach you about the native plants of the Costa Rican rainforest, the wildlife, the local community, and the history of the land, while you leisurely make your way to Punta Mona. *Wear hiking shoes, sunscreen, hat, workout clothes…it’s about a 2-3 hour hike, mostly in the shade but a few spots will be sunny.
**Your luggage will be transported to Punta Mona by boat during your hike. If you prefer to also take the boat, please let us know ahead of time.
~11:30am: Get checked in and settled into rooms - you will be staying in shared cabin rooms in the community houses
~12pm: Roots Gathering begins! Welcome lunch at Punta Mona! For more information about Roots Gathering click here
~2pm: Permaculture farm tour
~3:30pm Mud bath experience
6pm: Community dinner, organic jungle gourmet
8pm: Bonfire & live music
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March 9th:
7am: Yoga
8am: Breakfast
9am-11:30am: Morning sessions view speakers
12pm: Farm-to-table lunch
2:30pm-4pm: Afternoon sessions
4pm-6pm: Beach, explore, chill
6pm: Community dinner
8pm: Cacao ceremony, followed by live music + DJs at our jungle Roots stage
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March 10th:
7am: Yoga
8am: Breakfast & pack
10am: Closing Session
12pm: Community lunch
1pm: Boat departure to Manzanillo + private shuttle back to San Jose
Evening: drop-off in San Jose *we will work with the group to coordinate the best drop-off location
Punta Mona permaculture community, on the edge where the jungle meets the sea
RESERVE YOUR SPOT
We have very limited space on our Alegría Village Ecovillage Immersion and we expect this trip to fill up fast with our wonderful friends, family, and friends of friends visiting Costa Rica for Envision Festival. If you know you 100% want to come, don’t wait to get your ticket! It also helps us tremendously to know how many people we can expect, how many rooms to reserve, busses, food, etc. :)
Part 1: Post-Envision Decompression & Transport - $195
Part 2: Ecovillage Immersion: Alegría Village, Tacotal, La Ecovilla - $295
Part 3: Journey to Roots Gathering at Punta Mona - $535
Entire Trip: $990
*Tickets include meals, accommodation, event admission, and transport where applicable.
See you soon!!