Welcome to Nature Bliss |
Hey Soul Family,
As most of you know, I've been traveling around Mexico for the past year. Its been an amazing adventure and now I'm envisioning a new passion project near Puerto Escondido in the south of Mexico. While traveling around the Americas, I've come across several intentional communities. An intentional community is a beautiful way to live amongst diverse people that share common goals and values. My wish is to create a small community that is based on yoga, mindfulness, and sustainable living. The community will be a healing place of peace and will be alcohol, drug and tobacco-free. We will allow for plant medicine ceremonies and retreats. My hope is to provide healing to the larger community in Oaxaca through my own practices (Reiki, bodywork, and hypnotherapy), through Nature Bliss community members and visiting healers. The intention is to create a permaculture/edible garden with medicinal herbs, veggies and fruit trees. The homes will be made of eco-friendly materials such as earthbags and adobe, bamboo, strawbale, and glamping tents or yurts. No trees on the property will be removed or harmed to build structures. Now is the perfect time to heal in nature & with community. I'm excited to start building community and am seeking founding community members to help create Nature Bliss. Founding members will decide on the location of the land and decide on the organization of the community. Please feel free to contact me, subscribe to our newsletter or follow Nature Bliss on social media. With love & light, Deondra |
Inspiring Sustainable Living
NATURAL LOW-IMPACT WELL-DESIGNED HOMES
PLANT MEDICINE GARDENS & PERMACULTURE YOGA & MEDITATION SHALA POLLINATING SPECIES (BIRDS, BEES & BUTTERFLIES) COMPOST FOOD WASTE REFORESTATION & ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH |
OFF-GRID SOLAR PANEL ELECTRICITY
RAIN WATER IRRIGATION & WELL WATER SYSTEM COMPOST TOILETS SOLAR HEATED SHOWERS COMMUNITY RECYCLING INTERNET |
EXPLORE THE OAXACAN COAST
PUERTO ESCONDIDOPuerto Escondido is a port city in Oaxaca (pronounced Wa-ha-ka) state of Mexico. It reminds me of the southern California coast with the ocean to the west and the mountains to the east. Puerto Escondido is known for its world-class surfing (which I'm learning..its so much fun!), gorgeous beaches, friendly locals, and excellent food. Oaxaca is the food capital of Mexico and almost every week I discover a new dish here. Many dishes are vegetarian & pescatarian friendly. There's also a beautiful spiritual and eco-minded community that travels between the towns of Puerto and Mazunte. There are lots of activities to do in Puerto; releasing baby turtles, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, surfing, horseback riding, parasailing, or even skydiving. In November the whales start making their way past Puerto. Last Thanksgiving Day, we went on an amazing boat tour and saw lots of dolphins, sea turtles, and a momma whale with her baby! I've also seen flying manatees passing through and the area is a bird watcher's paradise.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Some of my favorite spots near Puerto Escondido
La Punta ZicatelaThe tip of Zicatela Beach is a little surfer/bohemian village where I lived without wearing shoes for 3 months. I can't tell you how freeing it is to not wear shoes! There's still a lot of trees and shrubbery (although people are building at a rapid pace) and I often see a variety of tropical birds and wildlife (think scorpions and opossums). The main strip has an array of great food and a lively scene. It's fun to grab a strong Oaxacan coffee from one of the local cafes and watch the surfers in the morning. Savor a delicious lunch on the strip then head back to the beach for sunbathing and people watching. La Punta has some spectacular sunsets that are an event by themselves. Catch people doing tandem yoga, sound baths, playing guitar, and fire dancing on the beach all while enjoying a beautiful sunset in paradise.
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The Atotonilco Hot SpringsThis magical place is hidden amongst the hills of a small town about 30 minutes from Puerto. It takes 90 minutes to hike or 45 minutes on horseback to get to the springs. It's a place of perfect peace; the only sounds you'll hear are birds chirping and relaxing water melodies. The setting is very natural with lots of trees and plants. There are several pools of sulfur-rich water that vary from extremely hot to body temperature. A tranquil river runs next to the hot springs, perfect for cooling down. It's a wonderful day trip or an overnight camping experience.
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Mazunte, San Agustinillo & ZipoliteThese small beach towns are just south of Puerto, each with its own personality. Mazunte is a jungly mystical place with an indigenous healing site called Punta Cometa that has some of the most spectacular sunsets. Mazunte also has many holistic events and wellness centers. San Agustinillo is more of a laid back fishing village. And Zipolite is Mexico's only clothing-optional beach with a party vibe at night. I loved swimming in the ocean sans bikini. It's very natural and liberating!
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ChacahuaChacahua (pronounced Cha-ka-wa) is a very unique location for its history and nature. The inlet of Chacahua is a maroon village (African descents who escaped enslavement and formed their own settlement) and it's also a national park. Chacahua is an amazing place to stargaze as there's very little light pollution. Enjoy bird watching at the lagoon to the east and surfing in gentle ocean waves to the west. It's still pretty isolated and rugged. I spent a week there doing a house sit on a small off-grid farm. It was utterly peaceful and secluded.
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The Majestic Sierra Madre MountainsThe mountains are about 3 hours away from Puerto. This includes the magic town of San Jose del Pacifico where they have psychedelic mushrooms, hiking trails and a cloud forest. The temperature is usually 20-30 degrees cooler than at the beach so it's a great place to take a break from the heat. There are other small mountain villages with a lower elevation and warmer climate that are great for camping. Easy public transportation by way of mini-bus will whisk you away to the mountains in no time.
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Oaxaca City & MoreOaxaca City is a 6 hours Sprinter van ride away through winding mountain roads. Enjoy one of the best cities in Latin America, with excellent food, art, architecture, ruins, culture and natural wonders.
If you're seeking more time in nature, there are numerous camping sites around the coast and in the mountains to enjoy. Two hours south of Puerto is Huatulco, a town with gorgeous beaches. The state of Chiapas, another natural paradise, is a 10-hour bus ride or a 45 minute flight to state capital from Puerto. Mexico City & Cancun are both 90-minute plane rides. |