A working permaculture community in the hills above the Central Pacific coast
St. Michael's is a permaculture community in the hills inland from Esterillos and Parrita, a few miles from the Pacific. Homes sit on individually titled lots, while a shared area of gardens and food forest is run collectively. Several homes are natural or alternative builds, including Earthship-style and living-roof designs.
Community stays & properties
Off Grid Destinations is a marketplace connecting you with independently owned homes, rentals, and properties in St. Michael’s Sustainable Community — managed directly by their owners.
Community facts
St. Michael's began planning in 2008, and its first residents moved in around 2009. It grew around a simple idea: a neighborhood where the land produces food, water comes from the property, and homes are built to suit the climate rather than fight it.
Today the community combines privately owned home lots with a shared core of gardens, food forest and animals. Visitors can book a permaculture tour, stay in one of the community's rentals, or come for an event, so it is possible to see how it works before thinking about buying.
Community Yoga Session
A shared movement practice open to residents and visitors.
Seasonal Gathering
A shared meal or celebration marking the season.
Verified community representatives can:
The property covers roughly 100 acres of hillside above the Central Pacific coast, with springs, streams and a mix of regenerating forest and productive land. The community describes a polyculture of hundreds of plant species alongside small-scale livestock, poultry and aquaculture.
Homes sit on individually titled lots that owners buy and build on. Shared gardens and the food forest at the centre are held collectively. Anyone considering buying should ask how shared areas are owned and governed, what the annual costs are, and which rules apply to building.
Water comes from on-site springs, supported by rainwater collection and storage. Homes use solar power, and the community has also described small hydro and biomass systems. Ask each seller which systems a specific home relies on.
Shared facilities include a community rancho, a saltwater pool and a disc golf course that has hosted national-level competition. The community runs permaculture tours and events, and several rentals let visitors stay on site.
Coordinates
9.55600,
-84.41550
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