Blog - Playa Viva Luxury Eco Resort, Mexico

Renewal and Regeneration at Finca Luna Nueva

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.

The streets are alive on Sundays in Juluchuca. It’s a day to connect with extended families, to catch and eat lunch on the beach, to walk around town and talk to your neighbors. In one such conversation not long ago, Don Juan, a generous, elderly neighbor of mine reminded me how important it is to romper la rutina, to break the routine. I took his words to heart. I used the time in between seasons at Playa Viva to observe how other permaculturists, chefs, and hotel managers nourish and regenerate their ecosystems; and I started to understand ways to share that knowledge.

I used the time in between seasons at Playa Viva to observe how other permaculturists…regenerate their ecosystems

At Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, a Regenerative Resort outside of La Fortuna, Costa Rica, the only thing creating space between you and the natural ecosystem around you, are the few impermeable roofs on the buildings resting inside the forest. Part of the forest holds a diverse collection of medicinal plants, other sections are home to biodynamically grazed cattle, and better still, acres and acres are planted with over three hundred 30 year old cacao trees. This is where you go to rejuvenate when you work in permaculture. You sink deep into the laborious work of previous generations; you get to know how patterns of regeneration were awoken in the minds of people like Steven Farrell and Tom Newmark (Luna Nueva founders) at the same time; and you sit and sip the ancient seed of cacao inside the forest.

I went to Costa Rica to connect with two friends and colleagues, Scott Gallant and Sam Kenworthy, who recently joined the great team of folks at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge. I landed myself inside a vibrant green rainforest, rich with flowering plants, hundreds of bird species, and moss covered trees – and at just the right time. Tom and his wife Terry, Steven, Sam, Scott walked through the forest designing dynamic spaces where their guests will be able to interact with the ecosystem in new ways. Native bee colonies were being nourished, protected and displayed to create awareness of the species’ importance and the honey’s medicinal properties; open spaces were being packed full of plants to optimize photosynthesis and build biomass; and cacao forests were being opened up to offer new breath.

I felt like my feet were… planted into the soil to grow at Finca Luna Nueva.

I mean that. You could feel the forest breathing as Scott, Sam and I took chainsaws, pruning scissors and bristly gloves to the mossy barks and branches of the cacao trees. I watched as the two of them decided which branches to cut, and learned from every choice they made. We macheted the biomass into small pieces and left them scattered around the forest floor to decompose into soil; and I slid two gloves on my hands and massaged centimeter thick moss off meters and meters of tree trunks and canopy branches. Sunlight began to peak through, a steam started rising from the ground, and the stomata of the remaining leaves were respiring in a whole new way. Regeneration looked different for me all of a sudden. I felt connected to the lifecycle of the forest around me in a way I had not thought about before. I sat high in the second story of vintage cacao trees and somehow felt like my feet were rooted into the ground around me, planted into the soil to grow at Finca Luna Nueva.

The afternoon was perfect. My hands and clothes were filthy, sweat mixed with large raindrops from quick downpours and a saltiness covered my skin. We discussed forest designs as Luna Nueva chocolatiers toasted and ground cacao beans under a bamboo gathering space in the middle of the dense food forest. We thought through ways to help guests connect deeply to the place around them, rich in biodiversity and abundant in nutrient-dense tropical harvests. We shared the ancient medicine that is cacao, and we returned to the lodge for a feast full of products right off the farm.

The forest felt like a rustic classroom full of knowledge.

It is experiences like these, where businesses work their hardest to find a balance between biodiversity, food production, and human experiences, that move me forward. The opportunity to connect with other Regenerative Resorts to explore and understand the spaces where hotel operations and guest experience, community engagement, and regenerative agriculture all meet was unique. The forest felt like a rustic classroom full of knowledge.

This season feels exciting. We are rested, and refilled.

It was a treat to be a student and traveler for a brief moment. It awoke an alertness in me; reminded me to be an observer. When I arrived home to Juluchuca and Playa Viva the season had changed. Rain occasionally fell from the sky (this is a good thing in a semi-arid tropical forest) and the team at the hotel was nearing the end of our descanso, rest. We organized an interactive staff-wide workshop on regenerative practices; our permaculture and culinary teams are passing ingredients and recipes back and forth in new ways; and pathways between four local communities and Playa Viva are being nourished and extended. This season feels exciting. We are rested, and refilled. We were wise to break the routine, to connect to a new place, or to reconnect to a familiar space, and to feel it on the skin when the elements changed around us.

Regenerative Travel – A Deeper, More Impactful Experience

Give of Yourself and Be Surprised By What You Get Back

What is the difference between Transformative Travel, Experiential Travel and, now, Regenerative Travel? I was having a conversation with a friend in the travel industry recently. He told me, “I love the Regenerative Travel brand” and so I asked what he meant by that? I’m paraphrasing his answer but it basically went like this…

”what I don’t like about Transformative travel is that it is passive, it expects that I just show up and that by just being there, something will happen to me and I will be transformed, open door, enter, transformation happens, walk out a new person, with no real engagement or effort. Just the fact of being there is enough.”

He continued:

“Experiential Travel is the opposite in a way, it promises that you get to dive in, head first, fully immersive, fully active (not passive), its promise based on the thrill, the one-on-one engagement, all for you. Both Transformational and Experiential are still ego-centric, it’s about you/me the traveler.”

After he explained why he was unhappy with the words “transformational” and “experiential” related to travel did I finally understand why he loved the term “Regenerative Travel.” To him, and to me, regenerative travel is not ego-centric but ECO-centric, it’s not about me, it’s about them/you, the people and the place I go. If I am transformed or have an experiential travel experience, it is only a bi-product, an unintended consequence, a casual accident resulting from the full Regenerative Travel Experience.

We see this in this month’s set of blog posts. Take Valentina, while she was more than a casual tourist, the word she chose to describe her experience was “convivir” which translates from Spanish to English as “hangout, interact, live together…” which was fully immersive and resulted in the transformational experience she eventually experienced. But the latter was a result of the former, a holistic experience of being present. In Anne-Lauren’s article, we see a complimentary travel experience, while only a few weeks at Playa Viva, she engaged with the community, also “hanging out” and coming to an understanding of who they were and what their needs were, then bringing her group to come share that experience. Regenerative Travel is about “Wholes, not parts” – Eco not Ego. For Valentina and Anne-Lauren, any transformation or experience was a bi-product as a result of the engagement with the broader community and environment.

Playa Viva, as a Regenerative Resort, isn’t just about those who travel to us to engage in the local community, it’s also about the local community and what we can offer to them. In the case of the Jovenes program, we are lucky to have identified a program where we could engage with local youth. Each of us can look at it from a purely egocentric point of view. We get “free” labor, they get money from a government program for “showing up.” Alone, that might be enough, yet from a Regenerative perspective, we take into consideration the larger “Systematic Reciprocity, not the Transactional” perspective. Amanda Harris, Permaculture Manager at Playa Viva, accepts these jovenes into the Playa Viva Permaculture Plan with the aspiration that what they learn will not only be a transformative experience for each of them but be a catalyst for creating a more meaningful and deeper systemic change in the community.

Sure, when we travel, we start with the notion that “I need a vacation” and just lying on the beach with a good book, attacking the side of a mountain with your snowboard, take that yoga and meditation classes to transform, experience the wildlife of a safari…but to really disconnect to reconnect, I challenge you to find a truly Regenerative Travel experience where you can “convivir”, engage deeply, be part of the whole and engage with reciprocity over transactions and be present and open to just what might unfold. Give of yourself and be surprised by what you get back.

Footnote: Quotes above about “Wholes, Not Parts” and “Systemic Reciprocity, Not Transactional” from a worksheet entitled “Regeneration: What is it and how does it work?” by Carol Sanford (more at carolsanford.com).

Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro

Helping Local Youth Build Themselves a Better Future

In December 2018, Mexico’s federal government created a program, Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro, to respond to an increasingly high number of unemployed youth in nearly every region of the country. The government program, headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), seeks to create pathways to remove vulnerable youth from antisocial behaviors, and prepare individuals to enter the labor force through skills training and mentorship. Participants, or jóvenes, are awarded AMLO training grants of $3,600 Mexican Pesos per month (approximately $190 USD) in additional to medical insurance with the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). At Playa Viva, participants in the program work alongside our team and under the supervision of our maintenance, kitchen, permaculture, and community specialists.

Playa Viva chose to participate in the program because we are located a couple kilometers down the road from several small towns where there are more young people willing and able to work than there are employment opportunities. Our intention is that by providing training and job experience, and skills and project development opportunities, participants will be one step closer to contracting full-time paid work at the end of the one year program.

In communities like ours, individuals and families are spread thin – working multiple part-time jobs to meet basic needs, traveling long distances for medical or governmental services, and preparing multiple meals a day for families of four and five people. As students, or becarios, at Playa Viva, participants agree to work 25 hours (the minimum permitted in the program), or three full days per week. This leaves rooms for each participant to spend time with their families and tend to projects and responsibilities of their own. In return, we expect the jóvenes to come to work in their respective areas of interest engaged, open-minded, and thinking one-step ahead. Our management team is appreciative of the extra help to see some of their pending projects through, and are also learning alongside the students as they reevaluate and improve their own leadership skills.

“I chose to participate in this program because I need to work to support my family. It is hard to find work close to home. I have my own land, which I farm, and working with the Permaculture Team at Playa Viva is exposing me to alternative ways of growing food. I burn my fields because that is what I have been taught to do. Now I am learning to use the organic material around my other plants to keep nutrients and humidity in the soil.” – Jesus Villa

Curious what the day-to-day of it looks like? Let us explain.. Eleven jóvenes, aged 18 to 29, registered to train at Playa Viva during the open-enrollment period, which was through July 2019. Each joven was invited to select an area of focus – maintenance, permaculture/farm, or kitchen – to apprentice and develop skills for future career objectives. We also invite each joven to spend some of their weekly commitment working in their own communities – Juluchuca, Rancho Nuevo, La Ceiba or Las Placitas, the four impact areas with whom Playa Viva focuses much attention and resources. The majority of the jóvenes elect to spend time developing projects they find important for their community and it’s members, or participating in existing projects such as Juluchuca Limpio.

The jóvenes’ commitment to their communities is a wonderful opportunity to promote social engagement and environmental awareness. Each Wednesday, instead of working at Playa Viva, they can be found in one of the nearby towns leading trash pick-ups, helping with recycling workshops, engaging the schools in environmental education, or working on a new tree nursery and reforestation project. The jovenes also help with special events, such as Earth Day activities in April of this past year and our recent two-day Spay and Neuter Clinic.

The idea behind jóvenes-led reforestation projects in the community is based on creating spaces where these young people can apply the regenerative agriculture theories and practices they are learning on the permaculture farm at Playa Viva. Under the supervision of Amanda Harris, Playa Viva’s Permaculture Specialist, jovenes are expected to: collaboratively create big-picture and detailed designs, engage stakeholders, budget and order materials, organize and complete installations, and manage the maintenance of their designs through the seasons. To date, our new community projects thought up and designed by the jóvenes include reforestation installations at the Kindergarten in Juluchuca and the Primary school in La Ceiba, both barren landscapes. As the soils are improved, and the community is engaged, future program participants can continue the reforestation efforts with fruit and hardwood tree installations.

Through this type of community engagement, the jóvenes are learning to analyze complex social and environmental problems, and to develop solutions that fit the needs of their own community. They are also developing organizational and communication skills that will equip them to become future leaders, mentors and valuable assets to any business able to offer them work. Under close supervision of the management team from Playa Viva and through additional training on site, the jóvenes will continue to develop as local role models, setting an example of how we can all give back to the communities in which we live.

We are four months into this government initiative, Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro, and are committed to both mentoring the participating jóvenes and building capacity within our own team of leaders and mentors at Playa Viva. It is our intention, that as we invest time, energy and resources into the energized youth in our community, the regenerative ethos of Playa Viva will spill beyond the boundaries of our land. Efforts to clean up and reforest the dirt roads and gathering spaces that make up our small space in Mexico are just the beginning of our involvement in this project. With the help and leadership of the jóvenes, we also aim to increase and improve the ways we transmit knowledge, to change the way we exchange goods and services, to develop pathways for making group decisions, and to influence the way we take care of land. Stay tuned on this page to follow our journey in the coming months and years, and if you get the chance, talk about this government program with folks you know in Mexico. It is sure to help shape the lives of young people and communities.

From Germany to Juluchuca – Turtle Camp Coordinator Valentine Reiss-Woolever

Turtle Camp Volunteer Impact All-Star

Valentine Reiss-Woolever, or “Valentina” as she is known in Juluchuca, travelled across the world from Germany to our small town in Mexico to be our La Tortuga Viva sea turtle sanctuary coordinator for the 2018-2019 season. With seemingly endless energy, Valentine spearheaded numerous projects in the community, from sea turtle conservation and community engagement, to animal welfare and environmental education with youth. I sat down with Valentine before she left to talk about her experience at Playa Viva and life in Juluchuca.

Colleen Fugate: What was it like to work with La Tortuga Viva? What kind of projects did you help lead?

Valentine Reiss-Woolever Photo: Emily Nathan

Valentine Reiss-Woolever: It was an incredible experience. Living in Juluchuca while working with La Tortuga Viva resulted in an immersive experience that taught me huge amounts both culturally and socially. I think it can be summarized with the word “convivir”, to share space and experience.

We increased guest interaction with the local turtle camp volunteers, through service projects, and by launching a new night beach patrol activity for guests where they can go out and look for turtle nests with the turtle camp volunteers. We also began an Adopt A Nest program where guests can sponsor the protection of a turtle nest, providing direct support for the work of the turtle camp volunteers even after leaving Playa Viva. Through those increased interactions, two seemingly different groups, Playa Viva guests and the volunteers of La Tortuga Viva had opportunities to “convivir”.

Our biggest project was done with 109 World, a group of engaged and globally minded individuals who not only fundraised to construct a new sanctuary, but actually built it with us! Working side by side, this project was incredibly important not only for our conservation work, but also as recognition for the LTV volunteers to understand the support and passion their work evokes. And we are all so excited to have 109 World coming back this coming December!

Colleen: How was your relationship with the guys from the turtle camp? What challenges did you face?

Valentina: The relationship with the group as a whole was sometimes tumultuous, but generally very positive. They’re such a fun and friendly group, making Sunday morning work in the camp actually quite enjoyable! But working with a male-led group in a male-dominated culture as a woman, especially as a foreign woman, was sometimes challenging.

It was initially difficult to be taken seriously, and I had to try to make my opinions valued, while not overstepping cultural boundaries. I had to prove that my values were aligned with theirs. The German in me is often too direct for the social norms here, so I had to tone that down a bit to not come across as “brava”, or too bold. I think after a few months both our differences and common ground were clear, and the volunteers are many of the people I will miss most in Mexico.

When I was leaving Juluchuca they organized my going away party and pooled their tips to pay for it. I don’t think they’ll ever fully know it, but I owe a huge amount of the personal growth I did this past year to them.

Colleen: Why is environmental education so important in a place like Juluchuca?

Valentina: First because the people in Juluchuca directly depend on their land, which is already facing environmental pressures, so they are among those who will suffer the most from environmental negligence. If they toss their chip wrappers on the ground and plastics fills the ocean, the fishing that they rely on is threatened. They’re already seeing dramatic effects of climate change with rain changes – people are having the travel miles away for water as wells go dry.

The people here have a connection, pride and love of the local nature but conservation isn’t yet a priority. Like generations of baby boomers in the United States, they were never taught the importance of protection, and there are a lot of established practices that need to change. Starting movements through education is really the only way to long-term change. It’s about making conservation cool, about making it the default way of life and there will be direct benefits to the community. But people do realize their dependence on nature and the climate and they are ready to make changes. The little kids spurting out facts about pollution in rural Mexico should give us all a bit of hope!

Colleen: You were a mentor to several girls in town. Could you describe that experience and what kind of impact you think it had?

Valentina: I think I was more of a friend than a mentor, and living in an isolated area, these relationships were as much to my benefit as theirs. As I stayed longer than other volunteers, these girls were one of the only consistencies in Juluchuca for me. I tried to manage my natural reaction to turn everything into a learning opportunity, and be a friend rather than lecturing them.

I just made sure that they know that I care about them and that there’s a world outside of Guerrero. I wanted them to know that they are supremely capable and that they are valued, no matter what.

The difference from hanging out with kids back home in Europe is just the importance of positive role models in their lives. The things a lot of these girls have to consider at 13 (leaving school to work, pregnancy, etc.) is something irrelevant to most privileged youth I’ve been around. It was sometimes difficult to feel positive about the future for some of the young girls, but important to give them support and talk about these issues when they’re young.

As for impact, I think that we’re all affected by the people closest to us. I don’t think I made any drastic changes, but maybe helped plant a seed that will grow into a positive in the future. Or maybe just watered a seed a previous volunteer had planted.

Colleen: What is your fondest memory of living in Juluchuca?

The simplest moments stand out most for me. I loved walking down to the riverbed with my pup, Xolo, just listening to birds, squirrels, bugs and everything tropical. I had a lot of moments where I felt fully present on those walks. I actually think of those moments when in a stressful situation to ground me.

Also, I loved how people would just scream out “Valentina!!!” when they would see me down the street. No one here in Germany greets me with so much enthusiasm! It’s common to greet people by name instead of “hi”, and having the name of a popular salsa made it easier for people to remember.

Colleen: What do you hope for the community of Juluchuca over the next five years?

One of the things I learned most during my time was that the foundational issues are the same around the world. I hope Juluchuca ends the attitudes of apathy in its people, the same way I hope the public in the U.K or Germany or the States does. I hope the community empowers themselves and works actively towards the future they want for their pueblo, rather than waiting to be lifted out of a cycle. I hope they empower members of the community who are striving for more. Selfishly, I hope I’ll be there to see this all soon!

Deeper Engagement Opens New Opportunities for Service

Get Your Hands Dirty And Make A Difference

This past spring, we welcomed Anne-Lauren Graham, founder of Radiant Spiral Retreats, for a second year as a holistic host and retreat leader. In each of those capacities, Anne Lauren found ways to deepen her connection with the local community. The holistic host is a multi-faceted role at Playa Viva, connecting guests with new experiences and helping them get in-tune with themselves through yoga and massage, thus she began by extending some of her activities beyond the resort by offering weekly yoga classes to kids in town. Her experiences in town then inspired a service project for her own retreat which focused on animal welfare and engaging youth in Juluchuca. Her experience is a testament to the many levels of community engagement that are possible at Playa Viva, and the impact that engagement has for all involved.

Anne Lauren, in her own words:

“On Tuesdays I would head into Juluchuca, set up to give a class and in this, actually receive so much,” Anne Lauren explains. “It always renewed my understanding of the simple joys and sweetness of life. The gift of sharing yoga, movement, laughter, love and encouragement is one of the best gifts that life has to offer!”

After class, Anne-Lauren would often return to Playa Viva beaming. She would encourage other guests to visit town to connect with the local community. Through this connection, it’s easy to see how to give back.

When it was time for Anne-Lauren’s own retreat, her experience in the community inspired a service project in conjunction with our spay and neuter campaign. On the day of the clinic, the Radiant Spiral Retreat split into two groups: one dedicated to helping animals to recuperate after surgery and the other group leading an environmental workshop with kids where they painted recycling containers to be placed around the town. At the end, there was space for play, reflection and for everyone to spend time with the animals from the clinic.

Below, Anne-Lauren reflects on her time facilitating this experience:

While at Playa Viva, our retreat was made complete by the inclusion of service project with the local community. Watching members of our retreat take their yoga practice off of their mat and into the local village of Juluchuca truly touched my heart. They showed up with arms open and ready to serve in an intense experience where all senses were heightened. They were still able to maintain their calm, their yoga, off the mat and into the world. Anyone who has ever been a part of a spay and neuter project knows it is quite an intense, heart-wrenching experience. Seeing our participants step in and work seamlessly with the local community is a visual testament to the way compassion, service and love can interweave a tapestry between cultures (of existence) in which we are all in this together and willing to do what needs to be done to get the job completed. It is here where I am shown that when we work together, and from the heart, no task is too challenging or too large.

I feel grateful to Playa Viva for supporting this mission, for making it possible to give back to the animals, local community, and to the earth, this magical land here in Mexico that holds it all.

We give thanks and deep bows of infinite gratitude to Playa Viva, Colleen, Valentine, Ariel, Amanda and the rest of the volunteer team. And we give thanks to the local community for giving us the opportunity, allowing us to come in and be of service for the volunteer project of the week.

The opportunity to make a lasting impact during a retreat has proved incredibly rewarding for Anne-Lauren’s group, as well as other recent retreats.

If you or your retreat is interested in participating in a service project in conjunction with the local community, please contact our Social and Environmental impact coordinator, Colleen Fugate. Thank you, Anne-Lauren, for your service and dedication and for inspiring us all to give back in any way we can.

We All Want the Same For Our Families

As Americans and as humans, we have all been shocked by the photo of the father and daughter drowned as they cross the border into the US. No matter what your politics, we can all agree that we, as humans, strive for the same things for our families wherever we live and wherever we travel (as tourists, migrants, or refugees). We all strive for our children to have access to a good education, good healthcare and economic opportunities in order for our children to live a better life.

The love we feel for our own families is a familiar sensation for any parent, or daughter, or son here in Juluchuca Mexico, or around the world. Recognizing our commonalities can form the basis of wonderful new relationships and cross cultural understanding, and Playa Viva proudly and intentionally creates opportunities for our guests to integrate with a different culture and find something familiar in the process.

In this week’s newsletter you will read about projects by our Social Impact team supporting the children and parents of our local communities in ways that reflect what we want for our own children. Projects like starting after school sports programs, helping kids get an education, getting kids involved in civic pride cleaning their city and improving health for themselves and their local community. Led by Colleen Fugate and supported by her partner Ariel and so many volunteers and guests, these projects help our local families achieve long held goals. You, our guests, are a core part in supporting the Social Impact team, securing needed supplies and materials and working side by side with local community members to improve these local communities. Thank you to all, Guests, Volunteers, Community Leaders, everyone for their hard work, donations and commitment to improving the lives of families.

These stories reinforce the importance of Playa Viva’s Core Mission, Principals and Values, as a Regenerative Resort, to make a social impact, that is, a positive impact in our local community. Why? Because if we can create a better environment for the families who live in the communities next to us: Juluchuca, Rancho Nuevo and further up the watershed; then those families will be better educated, live healthier and have opportunities to work right at home. They will want to stay at home, and strengthen our communities here, and not have to leave to find opportunity elsewhere.

Finally, as we finish diversity month, Playa Viva is proud to welcome families of all types as guests.

We’ve put together a short article with quotes from some of our frequent return visitors representing families as diverse as multi-generational families, LGBT couples, couples with no kids, couples with kids, etc. All are welcome at Playa Viva!

May your travels bring love, joy, health, happiness and better conditions for all, throughout the World. Thank you!

Open to All – Playa Viva Thrives on Diversity

Open to All

Playa Viva is not the type of place that attracts or is of interest to everyone. No A/C, no TV’s in room, no MiniBars, that definitely sends a strong message of who we are, and we do get a certain “self selection” that happens as a result. When Sandra, my wife and I, designed and built Playa Viva, we definitely had in mind that we did want to attract a certain type of person. But our “type” was defined by its diversity, not by exclusivity. We wanted to attract the “conscious consumer” traveler who makes their purchase decisions based on their values, doing right by communities and our planet, and being open to all lifestyles. We envisioned that Playa Viva would be open to “families” of all types, those with kids those without, those who have “traditional” partners and those with LGBT Partners, solo travelers, etc.

It is a measure of our success that Playa Viva has managed to attract loyal customers who return year after year representing all these different types of families. Read below to hear, in their own words, from some of the many different types of travelers who have joined our Playa Viva family over the years.

Pam Page:

I just smile every time I think of Playa Viva and my family growing up there.

Pam Page is the matriarch of a multi-generational family who come to Playa Viva every other holiday season. When asked about why they keep coming back to Playa Viva, Pam replied, “ what is special about [Playa Viva] is the sense of community and connection with the staff as well as the sense of serenity and calm on the miles of beach that you can’t experience anywhere else. I just smile every time I think of Playa Viva and my family growing up there. It has been such a special place for us. It’s a big deep breathe and a great relaxing release. We think you all are doing everything perfectly- so glad we found you and have grown with you.”

Marc Antoine:

Even if all the guests came from different countries… they came to Playa Viva to connect with themselves, with the nature and the authentic rustic luxury of the place.

Since Marc Antoine and family are originally from France but living in Mexico, I asked him how he feels Playa Viva is inclusive, to which he responded, “Even if all the guests came from different countries, with different languages and religions, they all are running away from the material and ego luxury and come to Playa Viva to connect with themselves, with the nature and the authentic rustic luxury of the place.” When asked about why bring his extended family, Marc adds, “I think Playa Viva is a real place with no lie, where the memory you remember and the moment you share are pristine pure, it’s real beautiful life. That’s why I want my extended family to know this particular place which means a lot for me, my wife and my daughters.”

Theresa and Zak:

As a couple-no-kids we love to try to infuse our lives at home with our favorite aspects of Playa Viva and every visit helps us to disconnect more often and just “be”.”

Not all families involve multi-generations, grandma, kids, extended family. Often the core family is a couple. Theresa and Zak are one such couple who come to Playa Viva year after year and we ask them about how they feel included in the Playa Viva family. “In general we always feel welcomed and special at Playa Viva. Seeing the same staff year after year has only deepened our enjoyment of our time there and the changes to the land and buildings have been both subtle and dramatic but never jarring or disappointing. We’ve really enjoyed watching it grow and change over this time.”

Theresa adds, “We do actually view Playa Viva as a more couple-no-kids kind of place, and find ourselves a little surprised (but not upset) when families with kids show up, but that might just be our perspective. We view our week there as our yearly retreat to rest from and reassess our lives in order to come back feeling more creative and resilient. For the most part we have enjoyed sharing meals with families with young kids (of course there’s always exceptions to that!!). As a couple-no-kids we love to try to infuse our lives at home with our favorite aspects of Playa Viva and every visit helps us to disconnect more often and just “be”.”

Fred and Ran:

“Playa Viva is perfect as a place to appreciate nature, relax, explore the best of the Mexican coast and a wonderful community of environmentally active visitors. We’ve always felt welcome, by everyone.

Another couple who are repeat guests are Fred and Ran, a gay couple from Oakland, CA. They were among our first guests and in fact many of the room photos you see on the Playa Viva website were taken by Ran who is a great photographer (among his many skills). When asking Fred about why he and Ran keep coming back to Playa Viva and how they feel included in our extended family, Fred responded, “Playa Viva is perfect as a place to appreciate nature, relax, explore the best of the Mexican coast and a wonderful community of environmentally active visitors. We’ve always felt welcome, by everyone.”

When asked if they ever felt excluded at Playa Viva, Fred stated, “I’ve never felt excluded at Playa Viva, and the two of us have always been treated with absolute respect by everyone as a couple — no problems at all.”

Fred does find issue with the images on Playa Viva’s social media and does express his desire that we show fewer images which he has “found … overtly heterosexist and sexist as well – mostly in the images of ‘sexy women’ clad in bikinis, whereas I’ve never seen a sexy man who is overtly gay in the ads.” Fred also asks about pictures of kids with their two dads or two moms.”

Want to Share Your Playa Viva Experience?

We agree with Fred. Our social media feeds are largely a reflection of a subset of our guests; those who have chosen to share their pictures with us. We would love to have more pictures showing the full diversity of guests we receive, rather than merely that subset, and would happily share them. We will redouble our efforts to include exactly the types of photos Fred is inquiring about. Why not? This is a reflection of who we are and who we want to be, open to all and reflection of the larger society of which we are a part.

Get in touch, we’d love to share your experience and photos on social media, or in a future blog post! Additionally, all photos posted to Facebook and Instagram and hashtagged #PlayaViva are automatically entered into our photo contest where you can win a free stay.

Pack for a Purpose When You Visit Playa Viva

Click to View Our Up To Date List of Needed Supplies and Pack For A Purpose on Your Vacation to Playa Viva!

On your next trip to Playa Viva, the unused space in your suitcase can make a BIG difference.

We’ve teamed up with Pack for a Purpose to give our guests an easy way to deliver necessary supplies to our nearby communities. These donations all directly support ongoing social impact programs, with items such as gently used clothes, school supplies, sports equipment, or medical supplies. Our list of needed supplies is always up to date on our Pack For a Purpose Page, ensuring your gift is not a one off thing – it supports a long term program and fills an identified need in our community. Your empty suitcase space can make an impact long after you leave.

If you would like to distribute the supplies you bring, we would love to arrange that for you! We always prefer to organize an activity as a way to allow guests to connect and engage with our community, rather than just handing out free supplies. This results in a more meaningful experience for everyone involved and you may find it to be one of the highlights of your stay – a true exchange of gifts and gratitude!

READ: English Classes Help Plant Seeds For A Better Future

A guest engages students in Juluchuca while distributing donations. Guests’ Pack For A Purpose donations support educational programs in 4 local schools.

These donations go a long way in supporting the communities that surround Juluchuca. As part of Playa Viva’s social impact work, we directly engage local youth in English classes, sports and environmental education.

School supplies go directly to students and classrooms in our four impact communities… Juluchuca, Rancho Nuevo, La Ceiba, and Las Placitas. These towns range in size from 500 people (Juluchuca) to just over 60 people (Las Placitas). The school supplies ensure that kids stay in school and have the resources to learn. Most of the supplies stay in the classroom for everyone to use, however, when we get particularly large donations, we can give out supplies for each child to take home.

Ariel Arguedas is our lead educator on the project:

“When I started teaching in the schools in Juluchuca, I saw how many kids didn’t have notebooks or pencils and how that affected their learning,’ he said. ‘With the support of a lot of guests from Playa Viva, we were able to change that.’

READ: A Long Awaited Youth Soccer Team Comes to Juluchuca

Pack For A Purpose Has Helped Bring Uniforms to a Newly Formed Youth Soccer Team in JuluchucaWhile school supplies are the most frequent donation we receive at Playa Viva, we are also in need of medical supplies and new or used clothing and shoes. The medical supplies are donated to the health clinic in Juluchuca, the only one of our four impact communities with an operating health center. Clothes and shoes are given to the neediest families in town, who are always very grateful for the support.

The donations that guests bring through Pack for a Purpose make a significant difference in helping us empower our local communities. We thank you for your generous donations and encourage our visitors to come into Juluchuca to see the community and create a cultural exchange experience that enriches all involved!

A Long Awaited Youth Soccer Team Comes to Juluchuca

Meet the Team

When I arrived to Juluchuca last September to oversee Playa Viva’s social and environmental impact work, I was surprised to find that there were no extracurricular activities for kids, not even sports. As I became more integrated in the community, I learned that many parents wanted a soccer team for their kids, but weren’t sure how to organize or pay for it. With the support of Johnny and Ariel, both active members in the Juluchuca community, we were able to make that kids soccer team a reality last October, creating a ripple effect for sports, health, and family life in our community.

Many parents wanted a soccer team for their kids, but weren’t sure how to organize or pay for it

Practice Makes Perfect

Playa Viva played a key role in starting the Juluchuca team. Ariel, Johnny and I took on the responsibility of registering the team and organizing rides. Playa Viva sponsored all of the inscription fees and costs associated with travel, referees and gear. Through Pack for a Purpose, a Playa Viva guest donated two complete sets of Nike uniforms. Our Holistic Host Anne-Lauren brought down a full bag of soccer cleats. These donations helped us ensure that the team was completely free of charge and allowed us to engage as many kids as possible.

After a month, it became clear that they needed to form two teams!

“In the beginning only eight or nine kids would go to practice,” Ariel explained, “Many of them asked how much money it cost to join the team. I could tell the parents were worried about the potential expenses. After our first game, though, they saw that it was truly free of charge. That’s also when the kids realized we were in an official league, got to travel to Petatlan to play, and wear fancy uniforms. Even though they lost that first game 12-0, the next week we suddenly had 20, 25 or 30 kids going to practices.”

Ariel and Johnny held practice three days a week and coached the games over the weekend. After a month, it became clear that they needed to form two teams, Juluchuca A and Juluchuca B, the former comprised of older kids ages 9 to 11 and the latter comprised of younger kids ages 6 to 8. Both teams are co-ed, with a fairly even split between girls and boys.

Shows the impact that Playa Viva can have in our community when we are aligned with what the community wants and needs.

Ariel explains the impact that the team has had on the kids. “It is incredible to see how much they have improved and learned. Many of them started off afraid of the ball, unsure how to kick it or trap it. Now they are confident, more fit and play better together as a team. They still have a long way to go, but I can see how much they are learning, how much fun they are having and how this will help them later in life. They have to work out conflicts, trust one another and exercise discipline. That’s not always easy.”

Inspired by the kids, a group of teenage girls have now formed a women’s soccer team with over 20 players.

As part of Playa Viva ́s social impact work, we are constantly looking for ways to contribute to community education, health and nutrition. By engaging kids in sports, we are helping them get fit and learn about healthy bodies. As a coach, Ariel often talks to them about the importance of nutrition, health and staying away from drugs and alcohol.

End of Season Pizza Party!

The youth soccer team has had many ripple effects throughout town. A group of teenage girls inspired by the kids have now formed a women’s soccer team with over 20 players. They practice twice a week and have games on weekends. Parents have gotten involved as well. It’s not uncommon to see moms go to the field to walk laps while their kids practice. Even the dads go to their kids ́ games to cheer them on.

As one parent explained to me, “Most dads are not very involved in their kids lives. But with soccer they are taking much more interest.”

The kids league ended in June but will start up again in a couple of weeks. Other rural communities have expressed an interest in joining the team or creating teams of their own. We hope to continue the momentum by organizing sports days in town with kids from our other impact communities up in the mountains. We plan to continue to engage parents in topics of health and nutrition. We’ve seen that together we can enjoy soccer, support family life and connect as a community.

Playa Viva also paid for a volleyball net at the soccer field. On any given day, there may be 50 to 60 people out on the field playing soccer, volleyball, or doing some other form of exercise. Ariel hopes to build a new outdoor Ninja gym in the fall using recycled materials. This engagement opens the door to have bigger conversations about health, nutrition, parenting and community life. It also shows the impact that Playa Viva can have in our community when we are aligned with what the community wants and needs.

If you would like to support these types of projects, either during your visit, or from afar, please contact me.

They Are All Stars!

Playa Viva’s Delicious Coconut Ceviche at Home

Enjoy a taste of Playa Viva at home this summer with our delicious coconut ceviche recipe, taken from our cook book “Comida Viva”. As with all our recipes, it is best enjoyed with family and friends!

ENTRÉES | Vegan, Gluten Free

2 Tomatoes, Diced
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Bunch Of Cilantro, Chopped
Juice Of 1 Lime
Juice Of 1/2 Orange
1 Coconut, Cut Into Bite Sized Pieces
Salt (Sal Viva!) To Taste

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS in a medium sized bowl, stirring well. Serve chilled.