Finca Lilapad is a humble yet beautiful three acre sanctuary in the southwest of Costa Rica, established by Emily and Mateo Padilla for collective wellness and healing.

Based opposite Costa Rica’s tallest (600 foot) waterfall, we are blessed to have breathtaking views of this majestic vortex. The energy of the land we steward is mystical and heart-centered, with indigenous roots. Much love and intention has gone into creating and maintaining it.

We benefit from a comfortable year-round climate (between 70-85°F / 20-30°C), tropical flora and fauna, seasonal fresh creek water on three sides of our land, and a diverse ecosystem of jungle creatures. You’re likely to see colorful caterpillars and butterflies, furry agotes or even howlers and white-faced monkeys, and will wake up to a birdsong symphony of toucans and other rainforest birds and insects.

An organic, chemical-free farm practicing permaculture principles, at Finca Lilapad we grow medicinal and culinary herbs, nutrient-dense greens, fruits, root crops and ornamental flowers. Our goal is to become self sustainable, off-grid homesteaders, producing most of our food on our fertile land and eventually achieve food sovereignty and security for ourselves, our guests, our Valley Village members and neighbors.

The Diamante Valley is home to pristine rivers, stunning waterfalls, serene swimming pools, rock-elevated meditation perches, primary and secondary rainforest, intentional communities, conscious gatherings, events and farmer’s markets ~ many within walking distance or a short drive from Finca Lilapad.

We are also within a 10 minute drive to trailheads for two of the best waterfalls the country has to offer, Nauyaca and Diamante Falls. There is definitely no shortage of water and every shade of green you can imagine!

In tandem with the wider community, we are establishing and practicing a new way of life outside of the societal status quo, innerstanding the human conditioning and choosing an alternative lifestyle. We live harmoniously with nature ~ recycling, re-purposing and re-using where possible.

Whether you are visiting to grieve, unwind, detox, move or introspect, or to stay with us longer term as part of our new ‘Valley Village’ family community, we offer an immersive nature experience to help you reconnect deeper to Pachamama ~ our most freely available resource for remembrance and healing.

We have recently increased our accommodation capacity by building a cosy geodesic dome and wooden A-frame with kitchen, sunken crescent moon seating and bathroom. Our next project is to plant out the Hügel beds of our large greenhouse, built from sustainable materials leftover from the construction of Templo Ocho.

In addition to the off-grid rain water encatchment system, composting toilets and banana filtration circles that we currently use, further down the line we would like to install a back-up electricity supply. We hope it feels rewarding to know that your stay and contribution goes directly back into our land and community to consistently improve our offerings.

Retreats and ‘Valley Village’ projects here are led by our dedicated team and community, yet we as co-owners (Mateo & Emily) do not call ourselves healers. Rather, we have been blessed with wisdom and tools that we share from our hearts. Our dharma is to provide a supportive ground to assist with your own transformation and evolution, and to help you remember what you deep down already know.

Finca Lilapad is set between the city of San Isidro de El General (also known as Perez Zeledon) and the popular tourist beach and surf town of Dominical. It is a four hour drive from San Jose International Airport (SJO).