Straight answers
Questions about Amora
The things people ask us most, answered the way we would answer them on a call.
What Amora is
What is Amora?
Amora is a regenerative village taking shape in Dominicalito, on Costa Rica's South Pacific coast. It is over 100 hectares of primary and secondary rainforest, where households own their own homes and the forest, the water and the gathering places are held and cared for in common.
Where exactly is Amora?
On the ridge above Dominicalito, in the canton of Osa, Puntarenas. Dominical is five minutes away and Uvita fifteen. The beach is a ten minute walk from the land.
Is Amora on the beach?
The land sits above the coast, not on it. The beach is a ten minute walk away, and the Pacific is in view from the ridge. Rivers run through the forest into waterfalls you can swim in.
How much of the land stays forest?
Most of it. Where the forest stands we leave it standing, and where it is broken we plant it back. One green thread of forest runs through the whole property as a biological corridor, so animals can cross. Over 1,500 fruit trees and native hardwoods are already in the ground.
Is Amora an ecovillage or an intentional community?
Both words fit. Amora is an intentional community, because the people here choose each other and choose how to live together. It is an ecovillage, because the land is part of what the community is for. We usually just say village.
Who lives at Amora, and how
Who can live at Amora?
People who want to build a life with others rather than beside them. Becoming a resident starts with getting to know each other: we meet, you join the gatherings, and together we feel whether the fit is real. Alignment runs in both directions.
Is Amora only for people moving from abroad?
No. We reserve 30% of the affordable homes for Costa Rican residents. Our neighbours have known this land and its water for generations, and we are learning it from them. Elders, children and neighbours share the same table here.
Are children and older people part of it?
Yes, by design. Amora is multigenerational: children, working adults and elders live on one piece of land rather than in separate places. That is one of the village's founding commitments, not an afterthought.
What does living here ask of me?
Participation. Weekly forums, sharing what you are good at, and the inner work that community asks of everyone. This is the part that turns land into a village.
What you own, and what it costs
Can I buy a home at Amora right now?
Six lots along the outer edge of the land are available today, each with clear title. They are the only pieces of Amora that can be bought at the moment. Sizes and prices are shared on a call. Village homes, forest sites and ocean-view homes are opening soon.
What will homes at Amora cost?
Forest sites start at $100,000 and village homes at $150,000. Ocean-view homes higher on the ridge start at $2,000,000. These are starting figures for the categories rather than a price list, and the detail comes on a call.
Do I own my home, or is everything shared?
You own your home. Each household keeps its own front door. The land around it is held whole and stewarded in common, so the forest, the water and the gathering places belong to everyone. Residents have their own homes while being co-owners of something much greater.
Who owns the land, and is that settled?
Some details of the legal structure are still being shaped. When you ask us about them, we'll tell you what is settled and what is still in motion. The six outer lots available today each carry clear title.
Can a foreigner own property in Costa Rica?
Yes. Foreign buyers can hold titled property in their own name with the same rights a citizen has, and residency is not required to buy. A Costa Rican attorney checks the national property register before you sign. There is more on this on our page about living in Costa Rica.
What is a Founding Seeder, and is the gift refundable?
A Founding Seeder is one of the first people to plant their commitment to Amora, through a one-time gift of $100, $500 or $1,000. The gift is one-time and non-refundable. It is not a membership and not a reservation, and no particular home is set aside. What it gives you is a place in the founding circle.
Visiting before you decide
Can I visit before deciding anything?
Please do. We run a land tour by car, a weekly potluck and regular gatherings, and visitors are welcome at all of them. Come meet the land before you decide anything.
How do I get to Dominicalito?
Most people fly into San José and drive south, which takes around four hours. Small airstrips at Quepos and Palmar Sur shorten the trip. The Costanera Sur runs the length of this coast and joins the towns together.
When is the best time of year to come?
Both seasons show you something true. The dry season, roughly December into April, brings bright mornings and clear rivers. The green season, roughly May into November, keeps the mornings open and brings warm rain in the afternoon. Humpback whales pass this coast around the middle and the end of the year.
What language is spoken at Amora?
English carries you through the village and the towns on this coast. Spanish is the country's language and opens everything beyond them, including the neighbours, so most people here are learning it.
Ask us anything we missed
A person reads every message and a person writes back. There is more onwhat a regenerative village is, onthe coast we live on, and onliving in Costa Rica.