One of the calming and beautiful views at Rancho Margot
Bunkhouse relax and gathering area
another view of bunkhouse relax area
View towards the Bar
Compost area overlooking plant garden
Horse stables
Beto teaching me how to milk cows
Compost
Compost
La Casona
Garden
Bunkhouse
emergency/soccer field
playground
lobby seating area
Rancho Margot
El Castillo, Costa Rica
The beautiful scenery of the bright green mountains, the colorful palette of different flower species, the sound of the birds and the occasional sound of the rivers and waterfalls made the 3.5 hour drive from San Jose to La Fortuna worth every second. All of the sudden there was a deviation from the paved road, the unexpected 45 minute bumpy, dusty but almost fascinating ride took us to what, in my opinion, was the best part of this class. It was the arrival to a magical, mystical and even glorious place called Rancho Margot.
Juan Sostheim, bought the property about 8 years ago. His ambition to do something good for this earth, drove him into transforming what was an open field used to graze cattle in what is today known as Rancho Margot. Rancho Margot is more than just a resort, it's a science experiment, it's a place where everything and everyone lives in harmony with nature. The 400 acre site is a self-contained project, it's a case study on sustainable living. Despite all the rough times Juan had to obtain the property, his vision overpowered anything that would impede his dream from coming true.
The main idea of the site is permaculture. Permaculture is a branch of ecological design, ecological engineering, and environmental design which develops sustainable architecture and self-maintained agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems. Permaculture encapsulates taking care of the earth, taking care of the people and sharing the surplus. At Rancho Margot, every element flows and connects back with nature. The place is completely off the grid, produces its own food, own furniture, own soap, energy, electricity and cooking gas. Water is heated with approximately 20 tons of cow, chicken and horse manure.
Guests can appreciate a comfortable environment with pools, yoga classes 2 times a day, massage, horseback riding and 3 freshly made meals; but aside from all the luxury Rancho Margot has to offer, the main dedication of the project is to teach sustainable principles. Juan is more interested in the educational and research aspect of Rancho Margot and believes that the place has the potential to become a think-tank on sustainability.
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