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. Over the years, Daniele played an important role in the project’s management. Today, however, Cristiano is the only one who continues to run El Zopilote, while the rest of the family has returned to Italy. His children, Lena and Kai, are now 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 first ten years were incredibly beautiful but also wild and demanding. Life on Ometepe at that time was far behind: there were no proper roads, no hospital, and almost nowhere to buy supplies. Everything had to be built, created, or invented by hand , a true adventure shaped by resilience and improvisation.
Since 2018, the farm also includes a mushroom project where we cultivate organic reishi and oyster mushrooms. Alongside this, we produce a wide range of natural products, from sourdough bread, sauces, chocolates, and ice creams to natural cosmetics and medicinal preparations, all crafted with ingredients from our land.
A fundamental part of El Zopilote’s story has been the immense collaboration of friends, guests, and volunteers. Their contribution has been invaluable, and the project would not have become what it is today without their generous support, energy, and creativity.
