A thriving ecological neighbourhood of 135+ residents from 34 countries, built on 170 acres of regenerated hillside in San Mateo — with its own water grid, fiber internet, and one of Costa Rica's most active permaculture farms.
Community facts
Alegría Village began with a clear conviction: that a community of people from wildly different backgrounds could choose to live well together, grow their own food, and actually improve the land they live on. That conviction became 170 acres of hillside in San Mateo, Alajuela — and since 2018, it has been proving itself right, one fruit tree at a time.
Today, over 135 residents from more than 34 countries call Alegría home. Local Costa Rican families live alongside digital nomads, young families, and people who simply decided that the conventional version of life wasn't enough. Spanish and English are the shared languages. The children are mostly bilingual. The community is genuinely international in a way that very few places are.
Casita La Raíz at Alegría Village
A-frame casita at Alegría Village, San Mateo
from $1,200/mo
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View stay →Casa en el Aire at Los Altos, Alegría Village
from $200/night
Alajuela · Costa Rica
Casa La Raíz – Main House
Rainforest rental in Alegría Village, San Mateo
from $1,800/mo
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View stay →Lot 90 — Alegría Village
Property inside Alegria Village with community access and natural surroundings.
$260,000
Lot: 1,117 m² (0.11 ha)
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Lot 62 — Educación — Alegría Village
Three independent units with river access — retreat, co-living, or multi-family
$669,000
Lot: 974 m² (0.10 ha) · Built: 189 m²
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Lot 57 — Casa Zen — Alegría Village
Artist-designed 3-bed home with 14ft cedar ceilings, art studio, herb garden, an
$695,000
Lot: 2,200 m² (0.22 ha) · Built: 223 m²
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Lot 100 — Las Vistas — Alegría Village
Fully furnished 2-bed garden home with salt water pool, chef's kitchen, and unob
$549,000
Lot: 1,394 m² (0.14 ha) · Built: 213 m²
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Lot 87 — ALEGRÍA VILLAGE
1-bedroom property inside Alegria Village with community access and natural surr
$375,000
Lot: 3,296 m² (0.33 ha) · Built: 100 m²
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Lot 72 — ALEGRÍA VILLAGE
2-bedroom, 2-bathroom property inside Alegria Village with community access and
$439,000
Lot: 1,674 m² (0.17 ha) · Built: 110 m²
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Alegría Village Lot 70 Colinas — Large Jungle Lot with Creek Access
Large lot with jungle views and creek access
$199,000
0.45 ha
Creek access on the property boundary.Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Alegría Village Lot 20 Los Altos — Creekside Land in San Mateo
Gentle landscape lot on the creek
$199,000
0.38 ha
On the creek — natural stream runs along the property boundary.Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Alegría Village Lot 96 — Ridge Land with Mountain and Valley Views
Ridge lot with gentle slope toward valley
$285,000
0.47 ha
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Alegría Village Lot 95 — Ridge Land with Mountain and Valley Views
Ridge lot with gentle slope toward valley
$275,000
0.45 ha
Alajuela · Costa Rica
View listing →Demo 4-Hectare Jungle Land with Spring Water and Build Sites
$185,000
4.00 ha
Piedras Blancas · Costa Rica
View listing →Alegría sits between 378 and 598 metres above sea level — high enough for a reliably cooler climate than the coast, with warm days, fresh evenings, and none of the lowland heat that makes outdoor living uncomfortable. The property is built on a massive underground river and natural springs, which feed an independent community water grid delivering clean, untreated spring water to every lot.
The farm covers roughly 2 acres, with over 600 fruit trees and syntropic agroforestry throughout the wider property. More than 1,700 native trees have been planted across the 170 acres. Residents receive a weekly basket of fresh organic produce. Hiking and biking trails run through the property along creek edges and through common areas.
The Hive is the social centre — an open-air building with a commercial kitchen, pool, hot tub, workspace, and seating where most of the community's spontaneous life happens. There's a Yoga Shala, a co-working hub called The Hub, treehouses and meditation spaces tucked into the forest, and a monthly zero-waste market where local artisans sell handmade and organic goods.
Events here are not scheduled programming — they're what happens when people who share values live in close proximity. Ecstatic dance, AcroYoga, farm-to-table dinners, potlucks, kids' swimming lessons. A calendar that reflects the fact that the community is genuinely alive.
Alegría is one of several intentional communities that have grown up around San Mateo over the past decade. La Ecovilla — Costa Rica's original and most internationally recognised eco-village, featured on Netflix with Zac Efron — is nearby, as are Tacotal and Ecovilla San Mateo. All are listed on Off Grid Destinations. If you're exploring the area, it's worth looking at all of them to find the right fit.
Address
XF9V+PP7, Alajuela Province, San Mateo, Costa Rica
Coordinates
9.96899,
-84.50512
Open in Google Maps →
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