The Mission of the Viva La Raw Project at La Joya del Sol is dedicated to raise awareness, provide education and teach skills to anyone concerning an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just, health-giving, tropical food lifestyle. The Project supports scientific research, initiatives, and organizations that significantly increase quality of life, nutrition, healing of earth, air, and water, and ethical treatment of animals embodied by this lifestyle.
Come and co-create this piece of Eden.
BE the jewel of the sun of HEALTH and VITALITY you wish to be.
Participant Program
A Participant Program (formerly Internship) is open for any eager and able individuals wishing to learn the aspects of a back-to-nature lifestyle and help the Viva La Raw Project meet its mission. You’ll have daily participation of up to 30 hours per week in various projects that include raw plant-based cuisine, wild food cultivation, permaculture, rainforest reforestation, rebuilding native fauna populations, natural fitness and bodycare, bio-architecture, sustainable building with bamboo and other natural materials, tropical gardening, natural/edible landscaping, water collection and distribution, and conscientious (sustainable) business spawning. Experiences are tailored opportunities to raise your health, healing power, spirit, connection to nature, artistic expression, and conscious personal growth.
More information available on request (contact here)
Healthy Vacations
Many health-seeking visitors have visited from all over the world looking for a truly natural experience vacation, like these 2 Swedish couples that raw food author Fred Patenaude brought with his Tropical Lifestyles tour. Several notable and conscientious artists, authors, musicians, natural food chefs, healers, yoga teachers, and celebrities, have come here to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect. Feel how healthy and vibrant it is to fully immerse in a rejuvenating, natural environment. Experience the feelings of joy and divine connection to nature at its best.
Roughing it in a Rainforest
For both guests and participants, there are 6 canopied bamboo tent platforms, one family standup tent that sleeps 4 with electric/water, a bamboo/cob eco-casita with electric/water, and economical open orchard camping. You may bring your own tents, towel, or bedding or we can provide 2 person platform tents with the bedding. More eco-casitas are planned.
A window to the world is open… 3G wifi is available at the communal rancho. If you want cellular or computer service anywhere, including remotely from your own tent, SIM chips are available at any local ICE KOLBI office. Faster 4G internet cafes are in Tinamastes, San Isidro and Dominical. 5G does not exist here.
Yoga
All guests are welcome to bring their yoga mats and practice in a variety of beautiful spots, indoors or out. Local yoga teachers are for hire to conduct classes.
Wild Animals and Pets
A rare Trogon
The surrounding rainforest is blessed with an abundance of wild creatures, many returning after not being seen for over 30 years because of restoration efforts of private landowners such as the adjacent 8000 acre Boracayan preserve. Everyone has enjoyed seeing howler and white-faced monkeys, ocelot, kinkajous, jaguarundis, pasotes, anteaters, racoons, agoutis, lizards, giant toads, red trogons, parakeets, kites, hawks, eagles, blue and red tanagers, endangered spotted jaguar, to name a few.
In our mission to preserve and restore native species and natural habitats, imported domestics such as cats, dogs, cows and horses, etc., should have a minimal presence. Reforestation and permaculture can replace non-native grass and soil disturbance by grazing animals, and hunting by cats of songbirds will be reduced to help their numbers grow, but they do keep down rodents. Dogs are great for security and companionship, but must be trained or bred not to chase or eat small animals. There’s lots of pasture for a few horses.
Water
Rejuvenating natural  hydro-massage
La Joya del Sol is blessed to be at the top of its watershed with natural spring water so clean you can drink it. Hydromassage gently soothes the body’s muscles, cools it down for rejuvenation, and infuses healthy oxygen with millions of bubbles.
