¡Bienvenidxs! Cocreate on our growing agroecological food forest around Lake Chapala, MX

Mexico

8 reviews • Updated 24 days ago

Hello, Santiago and Saku here! Together with our family, we are creating a small co-housing project in the lively town of San Juan Cosalá, by Lake Chapala, Mexico. The land is shared with family, a few neighbors, our rescued labrador Werita, and often friends, visitors, and volunteers. Our intention is to grow a lush fruit, medicinal herb, and vegetable forest using permaculture and agroecological practices, while also building communal outdoor spaces and gathering areas for community life. We are looking for self-sufficient, curious, and collaborative people who wish to co-create this project. We value the diverse skills each person brings and enjoy learning, sharing, and implementing them through ongoing, hands-on work. Life here includes gardening, building, creating, waking up to birdsong, enjoying sunrises and sunsets over the lake, disconnecting from city life, and moving the body through garden work and mountain trails. FEBRUARY – MARCH 2026 Current activities include: ○ Landscaping around a recent build ○ Building bamboo wall panels for an outdoor dry toilet and shower, plus greywater landscaping ○ Transplanting fruit and native trees ○ DIY build of a solar dehydrator ○ Creating a worm compost system ○ Building a small eco-pond ○ Hosting workshops, yoga, shared meals, movie nights, and potlucks ○ Processing harvests into jams, ferments, teas, and floral salads for local markets (seasonal) ○ Designing a self-built eco wooden cabin to start mid–late 2026 __DAILY LIFE We have a plant nursery, a hands-on hose-based irrigation system, and a composting area, with plans to expand into worm composting. Garden tasks follow lunar cycles when possible. Two shared meals are prepared on workdays, with cooking and cleaning shared equally. __ACCOMMODATION We offer a covered campsite with tents (max two at a time), bedding, electricity, WiFi, and shared facilities. Vanlifers are welcome. __COMMON AREAS AND AMENITIES ○ Fully equipped outdoor kitchen ○ Outdoor dry toilet and solar-heated shower ○ Open garden paths and central gathering area ○ Large terrace for yoga, movement, arts, and workshops (8:00–20:00) Work starts early to avoid heat, with mornings dedicated to garden tasks. Lunch is shared; dinner is on your own, though we occasionally go out together for local bites. San Juan Cosalá is one of the oldest towns by Lake Chapala, vibrant and authentically Mexican. Nearby towns are easily accessible. Hiking, cycling, cultural activities, hot springs, and workshops abound. We share the land with wildlife, and there are critters such as mosquitos, spiders and scorpions to watch out for,; we've never had an inccident in the 5 years being here. A hospital is 10 minutes away. The climate ranges from 15–35°C. We do not host volunteers during the rainy season (late June–September). If you value community, autonomy, nature, and hands-on living, we’d love to host you :-) ◉◉◉ ¡Hola, somos Santiago y Saku! Junto con nuestra familia, estamos creando un pequeño proyecto de co-housing en el energético pueblo de San Juan Cosalá, a orillas del Lago de Chapala, México. El terreno se comparte con familia, algunos vecinos, nuestra labradora rescatada Werita, y con frecuencia visitas de amistades. Nuestra intención es cultivar un bosque abundante de frutas, hierbas medicinales y hortalizas utilizando prácticas de permacultura y agroecología, al mismo tiempo construir espacios exteriores comunitarios y áreas de encuentro. Buscamos personas autosuficientes, curiosas y colaborativas que deseen cocrear en este proyecto y estilo de vida. Valoramos la diversidad de habilidades que cada persona aporta y disfrutamos aprender, compartir e implementarlas a través de un trabajo práctico y continuo. La vida aquí incluye jardinería, construcción y creación; despertar con el canto de los pájaros, disfrutar amaneceres y atardeceres sobre el lago, desconectarse de la vida urbana, y mover el cuerpo tanto en el jardín como en los senderos de la montaña. FEBRERO – MARZO 2026 Las actividades actuales incluyen: ○ Paisajismo alrededor de una construcción reciente ○ Construcción de paneles de muro de bambú para un baño seco y regadera exterior, además de paisajismo con aguas grises ○ Trasplante de árboles frutales y nativos ○ DIY un deshidratador solar ○ Creación de un sistema de lombricomposta ○ Construcción de un pequeño estanque ecológico ○ Organización de talleres, yoga, comidas compartidas, noches de cine y potlucks ○ Procesamiento de cosechas en mermeladas, fermentos, tés y ensaladas florales para mercados locales (según temporada) ○ Diseño de una cabaña ecológica de madera autoconstruida, con inicio a mediados–finales de 2026 __VIDA DIARIA Contamos con un vivero, un sistema de riego manual con mangueras y un área de composta, con planes de ampliar a lombricomposta. Las tareas del jardín siguen el ciclo lunar cuando es posible. En los días de trabajo se preparan dos comidas compartidas, y la cocina y la limpieza se reparten equitativamente. __ALOJAMIENTO Ofrecemos un campamento techado con tiendas (máximo dos a la vez), ropa de cama, electricidad, WiFi y servicios compartidos. Las personas que viajan en van son bienvenidas. __ÁREAS COMUNES Y AMENIDADES ○Cocina exterior totalmente equipada ○Baño seco exterior y regadera con calentador solar ○Jardín abierto con senderos y un área central de reunión ○Terraza amplia para yoga, movimiento, artes y talleres (8:00–20:00) El trabajo comienza temprano para evitar el calor, con las mañanas dedicadas a las labores del jardín. La comida es compartida; la cena es por cuenta propia, aunque ocasionalmente salimos juntos a probar antojitos locales. San Juan Cosalá es uno de los pueblos más antiguos del Lago de Chapala, vibrante y auténticamente mexicano. Los pueblos cercanos son de fácil acceso. Abundan las opciones de senderismo, ciclismo, actividades culturales, aguas termales y talleres. Compartimos la tierra con fauna silvestre incluyendo mosquitos, arañas y alacranes, afortunadamente los encuentros son poco frecuentes y en los 5 años aquí jamás ha habido un incidente. Hay un hospital a 10 minutos. El clima oscila entre 15 y 35 °C. No recibimos voluntarios durante la temporada de lluvias (finales de junio a septiembre). Si valoras la comunidad, la autonomía, la naturaleza y una forma de vida práctica y activa, nos encantará recibirte :-)

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Forestry

Flower farming

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Seed saving or production

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Traditional crafts

Green Building

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

No-till farming

Permaculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

Former WWOOFer

0.2 Hectares | 0.5 Acres

Accommodation

3 WWOOFers

Camper / RV

Campsite

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Santiago

Member since 2024

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 3 days

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Mexico

Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara/Direct bus to Chapala/Taxi availability

Reviews

Hanna

Estonia • January 2026

Located next to the beautiful Lake Chapala, San Juan offers a peaceful environment for those looking to experience non-touristy Mexico — the place where Santiago and Saku have built their home. Just outside the town center, it offers the perfect balance between tranquility and the lively streets of San Juan Cosalá. Communication with the hosts was 10/10 — they were always responsive and provided all the information one could need before arriving. During our time there, we felt incredibly welcomed and appreciated. They truly care about the well-being of their volunteers. The space is quite small; however, there is enough room to enjoy some privacy or spend time with the community. Santiago and Saku shared so much knowledge about the surroundings and life in the area, making it easy to explore on your own and experience authentic small-town Mexican life. Daily tasks mainly involved gardening — watering, planting, and some minor construction work. They are very open-minded and genuinely welcome ideas and input, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with them. We just want to thank Santiago and Saku for this incredible experience — and cheers to new friendships. Hopefully, we’ll see you again soon! P.S. Give all your love to Güera (the dog and the true soul of the community).

Adrien

France • October 2025

Mil gracias, Santiago y Saku, por su increíble hospitalidad y por toda su buena vibra durante mi primer woofing. De verdad me hicieron sentir como en casa. Aprendí muchísimo con ustedes, no solo sobre el trabajo, sino también sobre la vida, la comunidad y la importancia de vivir de acuerdo con lo que uno cree. Son personas maravillosas, auténticas, llenas de curiosidad, alegría y ganas de aprender. Admiro mucho cómo ponen en práctica sus ideales y cómo están tan abiertos al mundo y tan integrados en su comunidad local. Gracias por todo lo que compartimos! Fue una experiencia inolvidable

Wah Kang

Singapore • June 2025

Spent a good 3 weeks here. Together with Santiago, we worked in the garden a lot and there were a lot of seeds sprouting and also saw all the small plants grown 3-4 times bigger by the time I left. Santiago is a very caring and tentative person, making sure I was comfortable throughout the stay. Appreciate the my first woofing experience in Mexico at Santiago's. Thanks Santiago 😘.

Arjun

United Kingdom • May 2025

Santiago, Saku, and the extended family at San Juan Cosala are wonderful hosts who ensured that our time volunteering with them was purposeful and rewarding. The work mainly consisted of gardening, landscaping and construction projects and had a clear and coherent vision behind it which made it satisfying to complete. Santiago’s community driven ethos is apparent in the welcoming and nurturing environment that he has created and throughout my time there, we felt a genuine sense of kinship with everyone we met. We hope to return in the future and contribute more to this important project and to see it grow and flourish, much like the saplings we planted!

Kathleen

Canada • April 2025

I had a wonderful two week experience with the farm fam. They were welcoming of my limited knowledge and encouraging throughout. Instructions were clear and it was really fun to see the progress and growth of the gardens day over day. I'd highly recommend this volunteer experience as a wonderfully collaborative opportunity and relaxing place to spend quality time with yourself.

Souzan

Canada • March 2025

Lovely gentle family setting with a garden. I stayed one month with Santiago and his family and enjoyed my stay. I worked on taking care of the garden and building vegetable beds. It’s good to have some knowledge of garden work already as you might be working alone most days. Living conditions are very comfortable. The town is calm and small. Mountain and lake views make it a tranquil area. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have met this kind, generous, and grounded family.