El Zopilote was founded in June 2002 by Cristiano together with his father Bruno, with the financial support of his mother Lina and the help of his siblings Lucia and Daniele. Daniele has played an important role in the project’s management over the years, making it a truly family-run initiative. Today, Cristiano’s children, Lena and Kai, are also actively involved in the life of the farm.

Originally created as an eco-hostel, in 2004 it evolved into a permaculture farm after Cristiano attended the first Permaculture Design Course in Nicaragua, organized by Michael Judd at the Bona Fide Project. Today, El Zopilote is both a hostel and a permaculture farm , a living encyclopedia where visitors can learn about sustainability, tropical plants, permaculture, mushrooms, and natural living. It’s also a place to enjoy life through workshops, live music, ceremonies, gatherings, and festivals held throughout the year.

The farm features a restaurant and pizzeria, where many dishes are prepared with fresh organic products grown on-site, and a mushroom farm where we cultivate organic oyster and reishi mushrooms. We also produce a wide range of natural products , from sourdough bread, sauces, chocolates, and ice creams to natural cosmetics and medicinal preparations , all made with ingredients from our land.