Hacienda Mateo

Welcome to Paradise! OUR FARM- The farm is 400m high in the Andean foothills of the Amazon Rainforest, surrounded by wild jungle & other village farms. We are far away from the city and enjoy fresh air. There are many rare birds, butterflies and wild animals in the surrounding jungle. We practice organic farming. We have a tree nursery and reforestation project, some bee keeping and chickens. We produce coconut oil and natural products, soap, insect repellent, etc here as well. -WHAT YOU CAN DO HERE- You will most likely have shared room, and sometimes a private room, 3 meals a day which is a collaborative affair in the kitchen. Working hours are only 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. On your time off, there are cascades, and great hiking right on the property and other natural wonders close by as well. We often make a trip into the city ussually on the week-end. We can plan some trips to the local natural attractions here in the Amazon, and check out the night-life for whoever is up for it. Whatever, your preference is I'm sure we can point you in the right direction. We are currently developing an Eco lodge project. You can help with tree planting, gardening, coconut oil production, construction, etc. It's not very rigid, so you can participate in the activities you are more interested in. We have a really wide variety of things to do. We're not just looking for helpers but also people to share this beautiful place and experience with. We have an incredible river with cascades on the property that we are developing as one of our main tourist attractions. (International Backpackers coming soon!) I'm a native english speaker, and all our workers are local Peruvians, almost all volunteers speak decent enough English so you will experience the best of both worlds. If you want to see everything from the Amazon jungle, eco-construction, permaculture, to producing coconut oil you came to the right place. -HOW TO GET HERE: We are located 30 minutes past the city if Lamas, in San Martin Peru. Lamas is 25 minutes outside of Tarapoto. To get from Lima to Tarapoto by air, we would recommend Star Peru ( https://starperu.com/es ) The flight is 55 minutes. By bus we would recommend Movil Tours (https://www.movilbus.pe/). They are the largest bus operator in Peru and have new and clean buses. The ride should be about 28 hours. We can arrange for you to be picked up by trusted contacts in Tarapoto, the biggest city in the region less than an hour away from our farm. Our project is a very small operation. We ussually have groups of 5 to 8 volunteers who get to know eachother personally, forming strong connections. Oftentimes future travel partners are met here. We are located in an isolated rural Amazonian community. It is very dificult to get things done here. If you need an organized stay, with your days planned well in advance then we are not for you. Our workers have responsibilities towards their own farms, and often don't show up when scheduled. Technicians often don't repair things correctly, or on time. We have learned to adapt to the reality of life here in the rural Amazon. We recently obtained reasonably reliable electricity. At times we have power outages that last for hours or on rare occasions even for days. We have a washing machine, but at times you may need to wash your clothes by hand. Transpotation to and from here needs to be planned and coordinated in advance. Feel free to ask me about anything. I check my Worldpackers inbox daily. Take care,

I am a native english speaker from Canada, and I've been living here in Peru for several years. All our workers are local Peruvians so you will experience the best of both worlds. Everyone that comes should expect to be treated as a welcomed member of the family.