Why Amora exists

“The next Buddha may take the form of a community.”

Thich Nhat Hanh · Spirit Rock, 1993

Amora is the answer to a longing many of us carry — to live in connection again. On a lush ridge with wide views over the Pacific, a group of people have chosen to come together and live in harmony with each other and nature. If you have heard the same calling, you already know why this place exists.

Origin

Women heard the calling

Amora began here, on a forested ridge running down to the Pacific at Dominicalito. A circle of women answered, and chose to become its first visionaries. The intention was whole from the start: a village that raises its children together, grows food within sight of the table, and leaves its land healthier every year. Today a team of women and men build Amora, guided by feminine principles.

What sets Amora apart

A village for people who choose intentional community

Amora is an ecovillage taking shape in Dominicalito. We call it a village, because that is what it is becoming.

Amora asks more of you than a neighbourhood does. We gather in weekly forums. We share our gifts, our tools and our time. We do the inner work close living asks for.

What holds it together is shared stewardship. We keep the land whole and tend it together. That one choice saves millions in infrastructure. It keeps a home here within reach of an ordinary family.

Loneliness is one of the great illnesses of modern life. We believe community is the medicine.

Across 148 studies and 308,849 people, those with strong relationships were 50% more likely to live longer. Harvard has asked the same question since 1938. Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.

Sources: Holt-Lunstad, Smith & Layton,“Social Relationships and Mortality Risk”, PLoS Medicine, 2010 ·Harvard Study of Adult Development.

Our values

8 values we hold in common

Regeneration

Healing ecosystems and honoring natural cycles.

Community & Belonging

Inclusive, heart-centered relationships where everyone thrives.

Whole Wellbeing

Care for body, heart, mind, and spirit, woven into daily life.

Family-Centered Living

Nurturing children with a strong nature bond and multigenerational love.

Freedom

Respecting individual autonomy within community.

Earth Connection

Gratitude and respect for the sacred natural relationship.

Sovereignty

Self-reliance through our own water, energy, and food systems.

Authenticity

Clear, honest dialogue and conflict resolution honoring all voices.

The land

Nature abundance with breathtaking ocean views

Amora sits on the Costa Ballena, five minutes from the surf town of Dominical and fifteen from Uvita, the larger town on this coast. The beach is a ten minute walk from the land. Rivers run through primary and secondary rainforest into waterfalls you can swim in, and the views run all the way to the Pacific. This stretch of coast is rich twice over: in biodiversity, and in the communities and regenerative projects already alive around us.

The land at a glance

Where: The Osa coast · Dominicalito
Towns: 5 minutes to Dominical · 15 to Uvita
The beach: A ten minute walk from the land
Living water: Rivers and waterfalls you can swim in
Preserve: Most of the land
Forest: Primary and secondary
Planted: Over 1,500 fruit trees & native hardwoods

All of life, together

We learn this land from the families who have lived it for generations

This land was farmed and walked long before we arrived. The rain keeps its season here, and the water knows where it wants to go. Our Costa Rican neighbours have known both for generations, and we are learning it from them.

We reserve 30% of the affordable homes for Costa Rican residents. Elders, children and neighbours share the same table here. Join our weekly potluck and meet them.

Education

Where children grow roots, the earth teaches and wonder leads the way

All about education

Already happening

This is more than a vision

We have been stewarding this land for over two years. Every week the community gathers for a potluck. We meet for sunsets, for acro yoga, and for long shared meals with the ocean in view. Come join us.

Adults and children in sun hats, carrying backpacks, walking up a shaded forest path between palm trees on a land tour at Amora, near Dominical, Costa Rica

People sitting close together on the grass at dusk, canvas tents pitched behind them

Three women sitting on a picnic blanket under a palm tree at Amora in warm late light, the Pacific in the distance behind them

A woman lying on a blanket lifting a small girl into the air on her feet, a baby sitting close beside them, the ocean behind

A man in a sun hat playing a wooden flute on the open hillside at Amora as the light goes

A woman sitting cross-legged on the ridge at Amora in late afternoon light, seen from behind, looking out over the Costa Ballena coastline far below

The community stretching side to side on the grass in front of the lotus bell tent at Amora, late sun on the trees — a yoga session on the land of an ocean-view ecovillage in Costa Rica

People sitting shoulder to shoulder on the ground at dusk, watching the sun reach the horizon

A woman lifting a laughing baby up into the last of the light while others nearby watch the dusk sky

Two women holding a baby between them in low golden light, the sun flaring behind

The first fire of the evening beside the lantern-strung tent at Amora at dusk, a crescent moon over the Pacific

Women and children sitting close together at dusk at Amora, Dominicalito, Costa Rica, smiling

What makes Amora unique

The nature it is nestled in: ocean views, deep forest, and rivers running through it. A landscape that nourishes and restores you.

The stewards

Founded by women, stewarded by the village

Jessica Filkins

Visionary Director

Jessica came to Dominicalito for the coastline and stayed for the surf. She is at home in the water, and patient with the slow work of community. Amora grew from what she saw here: a place to belong, with the land and each other.

Jessica Filkins introduces Amora. Captions are burned in; a text track carries them for screen readers.

Kyleen Keenan
Steward of Finance
Kyleen keeps the numbers clear and the ground under Amora steady. Years in conscious and regenerative businesses taught her what a solid foundation costs. She is a mother, and builds for her daughter's generation and the ones after.
Nikita Timmermans
Steward of Marketing
Nikita tells Amora's story and keeps it true to the place. She is a mother of two girls, building a village where children grow up outdoors. She works heart-led, and lets the land speak for itself.
Victoria Leyden
Steward of Community
Victoria farms regeneratively and lives close to the ground. She gathers people with song and dance, and with attention to the seasons. Around her, a newcomer stops feeling like a guest.
Maria Kusk
Steward of Social Media
Maria raises three adventurous boys in the jungle, and it suits her. She shares what the days here actually look like, rain and mud included. Family life in Costa Rica is both her subject and her days.
Ariana Binney
Steward of Education
Ariana is a mother of two and has taught children for more than two decades. She co-created Woods of the World School, built on nature-based learning. Now she is moving to Costa Rica to bring that learning to Amora's children.