01 — WELLNESS
Yoga, breath,
and quiet.
Our YogaMala space hosts retreats and gatherings throughout the year — practice in a setting that asks for stillness and gives it back.
Wellness & retreats →Lagunas de Chacahua · Oaxaca · México
A small eco-community
where the lagoon meets the Pacific.
Fifty hectares of mangroves, open sky, and slow living on the wild coast of Oaxaca — a place to build a home, raise a family, host a retreat, or simply belong to something quieter.
§ 01 — Vision
What we're
building.
Rancho de las Estrellas is an eco-community taking shape on the edge of Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua, about fifty minutes south of Puerto Escondido. We're growing slowly and carefully — with respect for the land, the water, the people of nearby Zapotalito, and everyone who chooses to put down roots here.
This isn't a development.
It's a place.
We've watched too many beautiful coastlines paved over in a generation. The intention here is different: to plant more than we take, to keep the night sky dark, and to build something that feels good to live in, not just to look at.
50 Hectares total
~70% Kept as common land
2023 Year founded
§ 02 — Life at the Rancho
A community is more than its land.
Here's what's already taking root.
Yoga, breath,
02 — NANDIA SCHOOL
Nandia: a school
taking shape.
A Waldorf-inspired learning project for the children growing up here. Rooted in nature, creativity, and care for the cultures around us.
About Nandia → 03 — ECO-HOMES
Building with the land,
not on top of it.
Eco-home construction designed for the climate, the materials, and the rhythms of the coast. Models available for owners who want to build.
Building here → 04 — THE EVERYDAY
Mornings on
the lagoon.
Mangroves, herons, fishing pangas, and a Pacific beach you can walk for hours. The everyday here is the kind people travel far to find.
The setting →§ 03 — The setting
Chacahua:
Oaxaca's quiet coast.
The Lagunas de Chacahua remain one of the Pacific coast's last unhurried places. A federally protected national park, it's a meeting of mangrove channels, freshwater lagoons, and long, unbroken Pacific beaches.
Wildlife is everywhere — herons, ibises, sea turtles, the occasional crocodile slipping through the reeds at dusk. From the Zapotalito pier, a short boat ride takes you across to the open sea.
Getting here →§ 04 — How we live
Slow, sustainable, shared.
We're not trying to build the next big thing. We're building a small thing well.
Our principles are simple: design with the climate, plant more than we take, support the local economy, keep the night sky dark, and make space for both quiet and community.
Fewer cars, fewer fences, fewer screens.
The land sits on fifty hectares — much of it staying open as trails, common spaces, and a future observatory under one of the darkest skies in the region.
Regenerative design
Climate-responsive building, native planting, water that returns to the land.
Local & low-impact
Local labour, local materials, local economy. Built by the coast, for the coast.
Dark skies preserved
No light pollution by design. A future observatory under one of Mexico's darkest skies.
Shared common land
Most of the fifty hectares stay open — trails, gathering spaces, dark-sky meadows.
§ 05 — Become part of the Rancho
We'd rather find
the right neighbors
than fill the land quickly.
We're a small community growing slowly, and on purpose. If you feel called to be part of this — to build a home, hold retreats, raise children with sand on their feet, or simply have a quiet stake in something beautiful — there are still plots available.
“Don't just visit; belong.”
Plot size 450–950 m² Standard subdivision
Starting at ~$50 USD/m² From 900 MXN/m²
Services Water · Electricity All lots
Larger parcels By the hectare Outside subdivision
§ 06 — Voices
A few words from the people
who've found their way here.
“
We came looking for somewhere our kids could grow up barefoot. We found neighbors, herons, and a sky full of stars.
[Name pending]
Early resident “
I've led retreats all over the world. There's something about this stretch of coast — the lagoon, the quiet, the way the day moves — that lands people faster than anywhere else.
[Name pending]
Retreat facilitator “
Buying land in Mexico felt overwhelming until we visited. The team walked us through every step, and a year later we're building.
[Name pending]
Plot owner § 07 — The team
The people behind the Rancho.
Rancho de las Estrellas is held together by a small, hands-on team — a founder, two directors, and the yogis, builders, and educators making it happen day to day.
Paul Ruminski leads the project as founder and director, alongside co-director Luisa Barrientos, who oversees our educational vision. We'd love for you to meet them.
Meet the team →Paul Ruminski
Founder & Director
Luisa Barrientos
Co-Director · Education