A Week at Tropicalia: Your Stay Guide

People ask what a week here is like. It isn't an itinerary, exactly. It's a rhythm, and most guests find it somewhere around the third day. Until then, the guide below is what we'd tell a friend over coffee.

The five cottages

We have five, and we've never wanted six. Each sits alone, set into the trees with a deep porch and an outdoor shower.

• Almendro. Closest to the main veranda and the easiest first night. Two rooms, a kitchenette, a hammock built for two.

• Ceiba. The one people re-book. Raised on stilts, with a wall of louvred windows and the night-blooming jasmine underneath.

• Jobo. Quiet and tucked back. A good choice for anyone who came to read and plans to do exactly that.

• Zapote. Wide porch, long table, and the best morning light on the property. Often chosen by families.

• Higuerón. The smallest and the most private, at the edge of the forest. It sleeps two. It also has the loudest frogs.

At full capacity we host about ten guests. Never more. That's part of the pace.

How a week tends to run

Days one to three: arrive and reset. There's nothing to do on purpose. Eat breakfast on the veranda (it takes a while). Walk the garden at dusk. Sleep with the windows open. Don't make plans. The first three days are for letting the city drain out of your shoulders.

Day four: the village. Go to the market on Wednesday, buy too much fruit, and cook with it that night.

Day five: the water. A beach day, with or without a board. If you'd like a surf lesson, tell us the evening before and Sofia will decide where to go based on the sea.

Day six: the garden. Spend a morning with the kitchen beds. See what we plant and why, then pick your own dinner vegetables.

Day seven: nothing. Let the last day be as empty as the first. Most people tell us it's their favourite.

Booking

• The minimum stay is seven nights. The first three are for resetting.

• Bookings open six months in advance.

• Off-season rates apply from May to August.

• Tell us about dietary needs and allergies when you book, and we'll plan the kitchen around you.

What to pack

Light cotton, a rain jacket for the afternoon showers, sandals you can get muddy, a hat, reef-friendly sunscreen, and one good book. Leave the formal clothes at home. Nobody here has worn a tie since we opened.

The idea behind it

We left the city to build a place that moves slower than we did. The cottages are small on purpose, the garden feeds the kitchen, and the staff know every guest by name by the second morning. If that sounds like the sort of week you need, we'd love to host you. You can read more about us on the about page and browse the rest of the journal under Travel.