Exploring the 200 acres surrounding the hotel

When you arrive to Playa Viva take a minute to settle in and enjoy the calmness that envelops the landscape. Connect with the land.  Take notice of the elements – wind, water, earth – as you move around the property. You will feel a sense of place. To get an even deeper connection with the land, sign up for our Permaculture Farm Tour with our permaculture manager Amanda Harris. This free excursion is quickly becoming one of our most popular activities! 

We recommend it after breakfast to help you digest, and most importantly, to beat the heat. The walk is most comfortable if you reserve two hours for the experience – where we encourage you to get inquisitive, pick fresh vegetables and greens from the huerto, chat with our resident goats, and enjoy a breezy ride back to the hotel in the farm truck.

Departing from the hotel we make our first stop in “Zone One” with a visit to the kitchen garden and chicken coop.

“Zone Two” begins under the canopy of a bamboo forest and is regularly a favorite stop of most guests as we evaluate why bamboo was introduced in this location specifically, what it is used for at Playa Viva, and how it is strategically harvested in accordance with the moon.

The next stretch of the recorrido is a nice place to walk quietly, reflecting on what you’ve experienced so far and observing nature’s patterns – which serve as the primary teacher for all our forest garden designs. You get your first sneak peak of the watershed restoration work as you cross a coconut bridge above a stretch of the lagoon, and you’ll hear the crunch of seed pods under your feet as stroll through the secondary forest along our property line. Depending on the season you’ll pass fruiting cashew, mango, ciruela or achiote trees, and if you’re willing, Amanda will for certain offer you a termite or two to taste. Be sure to tell us what flavors you notice in this protein-rich forest snack!

This free excursion is quickly becoming one of our most popular activities! 

The Permaculture Farm Tour has something for every guest, from kids to adults, whether it’s your first time at Playa Viva or your 10th! Even if you’ve walked the property before, you are sure to see something new.  It is a particularly great opportunity for those interested in learning regenerative methods of food production and landscape reforestation at any level or land size.  Amanda will share her expertise and the history of Playa Viva’s land, the work of previous designers who helped to reestablish the watershed and landscape, and the plans for reforestation, community engagement and food system development in Playa Viva’s next decade.  You’ll see the resort and surrounding property in a whole new light, and leave with a deeper understanding of the interconnectivity of nature’s different systems, and a deeper connection to the place. 

Amanda Harris is the Permaculture Manager at Playa Viva.  Originally from Maryland, she made her way to Juluchuca by way of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Southeast Asia, and most recently, a beautiful, diversely planted “holler” in West Virginia.