Living Here
A year at the Rancho: 2026 in review
An honest look at what we built, what we didn't, and what we learned in our third year. The coast doesn't rush. Neither do we.
April 8, 2026Journal
Stories from
the Rancho.
Notes on building, living, and growing a community at the edge of Lagunas de Chacahua.
The Land & Chacahua
Why Chacahua? The story behind our search for the right place
We looked at dozens of locations across coastal Mexico. Then we arrived at Lagunas de Chacahua and understood why some places choose you, not the other way around.
Recent
Latest from the journal.
Owning Land in Mexico
The 15 questions we hear most before people visit
Before people book a tour, they usually have the same questions. Here are honest answers to all of them.
March 25, 2026
Build & Sustainability
The permaculture plant list: what grows in our food forest
A working guide to the species we've chosen for the Rancho's food forest — and why each one earns its place in a tropical Oaxacan ecosystem.
March 11, 2026
Owning Land in Mexico
Buying land in Mexico as a couple: what you need to know
Two names on a fideicomiso, one piece of land. Here's how joint ownership works in coastal Mexico, and what to think through before you commit.
February 18, 2026
Wellness & Retreat
Surf and yoga at the edge of the world: what a week at the Rancho feels like
Yoga at sunrise. Surf in the afternoon. The Pacific, the lagoon, and the kind of tired that means you actually rested.
February 4, 2026
School & Education
Nature-based education on the Oaxacan coast: what we've learned
Our first sessions at Nandia taught us something unexpected: the landscape teaches faster than we do.
January 21, 2026
The Land & Chacahua
Getting to Rancho de las Estrellas from the US, Canada, and Europe
A practical guide to every realistic route from North America and Europe to the Pacific coast of Oaxaca.
January 7, 2026
Build & Sustainability
Five things that surprised us about building with adobe in the tropics
Adobe works. But not exactly the way the books describe it. Here's what we learned building with earth in a hot, humid coastal climate.
December 3, 2025
The Land & Chacahua
Chacahua vs. Mazunte: which Oaxacan coast is right for you?
Two coastlines, two completely different rhythms. We've lived in both places long enough to give you an honest comparison.
November 12, 2025
Wellness & Retreat
YogaMala: why Chacahua is one of Mexico's best yoga retreat settings
There are retreats in Tulum. There are retreats in Sayulita. Here's what makes practicing in a mangrove lagoon different from all of them.
October 8, 2025
Owning Land in Mexico
Buying a lot at Rancho de las Estrellas: from first visit to title
What the process actually looks like — step by step, from scheduling your first tour to receiving your title or fideicomiso.
September 10, 2025
School & Education
Nandia: what a Waldorf education looks like in a mangrove lagoon
A school where the curriculum includes the tidal schedule, the planting calendar, and the names of the birds that fish the lagoon every morning.
August 13, 2025
The Land & Chacahua
Chacahua in high season: what December through March looks like
The dry season brings clear skies, consistent surf, and the full life of the lagoon. Here's what to expect if you're planning to visit between December and March.
July 9, 2025
Living Here
Surf, yoga, and the Pacific: Roxi on life at the Rancho
I came for a two-week retreat. That was two years ago. Here's what actually keeps me here.
June 4, 2025
Owning Land in Mexico
The true cost of buying land in coastal Mexico (2026)
Most listings show you the lot price. Here's the full picture — every cost involved from deposit to title, with real numbers.
May 7, 2025
Build & Sustainability
How we design for hurricanes: building resilient homes on the Oaxacan coast
Hurricane season is real on the Pacific coast. Here's how we build homes that stay standing — and why the right materials make all the difference.
April 2, 2025
The Land & Chacahua
From Puerto Escondido to Chacahua: a 50-minute drive
The route, the road, and what to expect on the way from the airport to the edge of the lagoon.
March 5, 2025
Owning Land in Mexico
Why we chose propiedad privada — and why it matters for your future here
Ejido land is cheaper. It's also riskier. Here's the difference, and why we specifically sought out privately titled land for Rancho de las Estrellas.
February 11, 2025
Owning Land in Mexico
The fideicomiso explained: how foreigners buy land in coastal Mexico
A clear, honest breakdown of the trust structure that makes foreign ownership possible in Mexico's restricted coastal zone.
January 14, 2025
Build & Sustainability
Our food forest in year one: what we planted, what's growing
A permaculture food forest doesn't look like a farm in year one. Here's an honest account of what we put in the ground and what came up.
December 4, 2024
Living Here
Why we kept 70% of the land open
The most important design decision we made was about what not to build. Here's why we gave most of the land back to itself.
November 5, 2024
Wellness & Retreat
A day in the life of a YogaMala retreat
Morning practice, afternoon silence, evening fire. What a retreat week actually looks like here — hour by hour.
October 8, 2024
School & Education
Why we're building a Waldorf school in the mangroves
Nandia is more than a school. It's a wager on what education looks like when it's rooted in a living place instead of separated from it.
September 3, 2024
The Land & Chacahua
Mexico's darkest skies: stargazing at Rancho de las Estrellas
The name was not an accident. Rancho de las Estrellas sits under some of the least light-polluted skies left on Mexico's Pacific coast.
August 6, 2024
Build & Sustainability
Building with the climate: eco-homes for the Oaxacan coast
How we design for heat, humidity, and hurricane season using local materials and passive strategies — without air conditioning.
July 9, 2024
The Land & Chacahua
The wildlife of Lagunas de Chacahua: what lives here
Herons, roseate spoonbills, crocodiles, sea turtles, and a lagoon system that hasn't been simplified into a nature park. A field guide to what you'll actually see.
June 11, 2024
Living Here
What it's like to live in Chacahua year-round
Seasons, rhythms, and the things nobody tells you about full-time life on the Oaxacan coast.
May 14, 2024
Living Here
What is an intentional community? (And why we're building one in Oaxaca)
The term gets used loosely. Here's what it actually means to us — and why the distinction matters for how we grow.
April 18, 2024
The Land & Chacahua
Lagunas de Chacahua: a complete guide for visitors
A federally protected national park where freshwater lagoons meet the Pacific Ocean, mangroves line every channel, and the pace of life still follows the tides.
March 20, 2024Stay in the loop.
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