What It’s Like: Garden-to-Table Retreat in Costa Rica
There’s a big difference between visiting the tropics and living their daily rhythm — even briefly.
At Finca Tierra, you spend the week inside working food systems in Costa Rica’s Caribbean rainforest near Puerto Viejo. This is a hands-on outdoor garden-to-table retreat, where guests participate in gardening, harvesting, and farm-to-table cooking inside a working tropical ecosystem. The garden, the kitchen, and the cabins are a short walk apart. The pace is calm, the food is seasonal, and everything is optional.
Below is what the rhythm feels like.
Mornings: Garden + Food Forest
Mornings start early, when it’s cooler and the light is soft.
Some guests walk the garden paths with coffee. Others join in: planting greens and herbs, harvesting roots, tasting fruit, and learning simple skills as you move through the food forest.
This isn’t a “tour garden.” It’s designed to feed people. You’ll see tropical staples, perennial greens, fruit trees, and seasonal crops growing side by side — and you’ll understand how the pieces fit together.
Late Morning: From Harvest to Kitchen
Late mornings naturally move toward the open kitchen and fire.
This isn’t a cooking class with steps and handouts — it’s daily cooking, done well. Guests can join, observe, ask questions, taste, or step out whenever they want.
Depending on the season, you might see:
coconut pressed by hand
roots roasted in embers
tortillas warmed on the griddle
cacao roasted for simple chocolate
herbal teas and tonics made from the garden
Lunch is the anchor point: relaxed, generous, and built around what’s available.
Afternoons: Free Time (On Purpose)
After lunch, the schedule opens.
hammock time
swimming in the natural pond
reading or napping
quiet walking paths through the forest
If you want the coast, Puerto Viejo and nearby beaches are close — easy to visit, then return to the calm.
Nothing is “built in” that you have to keep up with.
Evenings: Dinner + Fire (Low-Key)
Evenings are simple: dinner, firelight, and downtime.
Rainforest sound becomes the background — frogs, insects, and occasional howler monkeys in the distance. No performance vibe. No forced group activities. Just a relaxed end to the day.
Cabins: Private, Off-Grid, Comfortable
Each guest has a private bamboo cabin surrounded by forest.
Lantern-lit, simple, and designed for quiet sleep. Most people sleep deeply by the second night.
Wildlife: You’re in a Corridor
Finca Tierra sits inside a biological corridor on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Seeing wildlife is normal here — sloths, toucans, monkeys, morpho butterflies, frogs, and plenty of birds.
It doesn’t feel like a place “near nature.”
It feels like you’re inside it.
Who This Week Is For (and Who It Isn’t)
This tends to be a good fit if you want:
a calm, nature-forward week that isn’t crowded
real farm-to-table meals (mostly plant-based, with eggs/dairy and fish sometimes)
optional garden + cooking sessions without the pressure of a “course”
a simple routine with lots of downtime
rainforest + beach access near Puerto Viejo
It’s not the best fit if you’re looking for nightlife, luxury resort amenities, or a packed itinerary.
Where This Is (Puerto Viejo, Caribbean Coast)
Finca Tierra is located on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast, about 15 minutes from Puerto Viejo, in a quiet rainforest corridor close to beaches and wildlife. You get the feeling of being fully in the jungle, with easy access to the coast when you want it. Most guests fly into San José (SJO) and travel to Puerto Viejo by shuttle or private driver, then take a short taxi ride to the property.
Experience It
This is the rhythm of the Plant · Harvest · Cook Retreat at Finca Tierra, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast near Puerto Viejo.