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.
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.
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