Kolaval × Permatours
Feb 16-28, 2026
Bioconstruction & Community-Weaving Immersion
Chiapas, México
Location: Kolaval Retreat Center, south of San Cristóbal de las Casas
Altitude: ~2.5 km above sea level
Landscape: Forested mountainside with sweeping valley views, terraced gardens, rain-catch water systems, and ongoing regenerative projects
In February 2026, Permatours and Kolaval Retreat Center invite you to an 11-day bioconstruction and community-weaving immersion in the highlands of Chiapas, México.
Participants will co-create an earthen dwelling using locally sourced natural materials while living, learning, and sharing daily life on Indigenous land with deep care and reciprocity.
This experience blends hands-on natural building with ceremony, wellness practices, creativity, and collective rhythms. It is designed for people who feel called to regenerate land, relationships, and inner life through embodied practice, skill-sharing, and collaborative creation.
Schedule
Main Immersion (Participants):
Feb 15 – Arrive in Tuxtla Gutiérrez; travel to San Cristobal de las Casas
Feb 16 – Arrive to Kolaval Retreat Center
Feb 17 – Opening circle & new moon eclipse ceremony; begin the build
Feb 18–28 – Building, workshops, community practices, celebrations
Feb 28 – Closing ceremony
Mar 1 – Departures
Optional Extension / Crew Schedule (for those supporting setup and/or completion):
Feb 12 – Setup crew arrival
Feb 16–28 – Bioconstruction workshop (see above immersion schedule)
Mar 1–3 – Cleanup crew: finishing touches & site cleanup
Mar 3 – Lunar eclipse gratitude ceremony
Mar 4–5 – Integration & departures
Workshop
The Build
Participants will help construct a new bioconstructed dwelling using locally sourced natural materials, including wood, on-site clay, sand, lime, pigment, straw, and stone. The structure has been designed by a local architect using principles of sacred geometry and the golden ratio.
The building will serve as a sleeping residence at Kolaval Retreat Center and will include a wood stove for warmth and occasional cooking. Most daily activities, including communal meals, will take place in the adjacent common house. For more information about Kolaval Retreat Center, please visit: https://givebutter.com/KolavalChiapas.
Skills & learning may include:
Earthen wall systems and natural plasters
Working with clay, lime, sand, and natural pigments
Natural finishes and aesthetic integration
Collaborative building processes
Design principles rooted in sacred geometry
Caring for the body while doing physical labor
Facilitators
The bioconstruction workshop will be guided by Scotty Guzman of Permatours, Luz Elena Morey of Kolaval, and a skilled local builder well-versed in building with the local clay.
Luz Elena brings more than 40 years of experience working with groups and a feng-shui–informed approach to design, landscaping, and architecture (https://innerwisdomuniverse.org/).
Scotty is a natural builder, compost educator, and heart centered community organizer. He is a co-founder of Permatours (Permatours.org) and the founder of Birds Nest Builders (birdsnestbuilders.com/), a natural building and design business. Scotty travels around the world joyfully facilitating permaculture work parties that leave a positive impact while teaching practical skills on various topics such as natural building, soil science, acro yoga and foraging wild foods.
Daily Rhythms
Accommodations
On-site camping and limited sleeping space in the community building will be available. We'll also have an off-grid compost toilet and outdoor bathing setup, with limited water available for bathing. Participants will need to bring their own tents and sleeping gear. Off-site accommodations with more amenities may be available at extra cost.
Food & Water
Meals provided will be vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free, with space for additional dietary needs submitted in advance.
Participants are welcome to bring special foods and supplements.
Drinking and bathing water is brought in from San Cristóbal.
Bathing water is limited; bucket showers and solar/wood-heated water are available.
Community Life
Daily rhythms will balance ~4–5 hours of hands-on building with rest, learning, and community practices. Alongside the build, participants will engage in:
Gratitude gatherings and community-building circles
Sound healing, rhythm journeys, singing, dance, and art-making
Story sharing and cultural exchange with local people and each other
Qigong and wellness practices
Teachings from elders and experienced creators on bioconstruction and embodied approaches to shaping our lives and communities
Featured teaching: Dr Marcos Girón Hernández will offer the Permatours workshop community a stunning presentation about the astronomical and mathematical knowledge of the Mayan Tseltal people.
Optional field trips to ancient sacred sites, sauna, hot spring, or river sites (extra cost, must be arranged in advance).
Kolaval’s ongoing projects will also be part of the learning environment: terraced gardens, water-flow design, food-growing systems, path creation, and early visions for a sound temple, a dance temple, and future earth-based structures.
Tickets
Tickets are offered on a sliding scale basis, with limited work-trade and scholarship tickets* available.
Please reach out if you would like to attend but cannot afford a ticket.
Local indigenous people do not need to purchase tickets, please reach out to coordinate.
Capacity: ~15 participants
Please note that ticket prices do not include airfare, travel costs or off-site lodging.
Sliding Scale Pricing:
Abundance - $999+
Ideal for those who can comfortably afford this ticket and typically have enough to spend on vacations. This amount covers the cost of the workshop and supports others at lower ticket tiers in being able to attend.
Sustaining - $630-999
Suitable for those who can generally cover their basic needs without financial strain. This fee covers all workshop costs (minus building materials).
Accessible - $490-630
Designed for those who may struggle to meet their basic needs, making participation possible. This contribution covers some of the cost of food and event organizing costs.
Day Pass - $180-230MXN
Locals Only. No overnight accommodation. Lunch provided.
*Please note that work-trade capacity has been reached, but please reach out if the cost of a ticket is a barrier to attending - we may be able to work something out.
Community Support Fund
If you feel called to support this work beyond your own participation, donations to Permatours and/or Kolaval help sustain our organizations and contribute to scholarship funds that make this immersion accessible to those who might not otherwise be able to attend.
Tax-deductible donations may be made through our GiveButter pages:
Preparing for Your Trip
Land, Culture & Respect
Kolaval is located on Indigenous land. Participants are asked to:
Dress modestly in alignment with local norms (skirts or long pants are best)
Avoid nudity or anything that may be disrespectful to neighboring communities
Refrain from publicly sharing the exact location online
Practice reciprocity and cultural humility
Leave no trace: bring out what you bring in
Health & Well-Being
Kolaval sits at high altitude, so cardiovascular readiness and personal wellness preparation are essential. A community-care approach will be held throughout the immersion:
Respecting each person’s health choices
Encouraging strong immune support through rest, hydration, herbs, and good nutrition
Offering space if someone becomes unwell
Avoiding unsolicited advice while sharing knowledge in consent-based ways
Participants are invited to reach out in advance about access needs (physical, sensory, pacing)
We encourage honest self-assessment around physical capacity and rest needs
Please see the end of this event page for the Permatours Event Agreements.
Travel Logistics
Nearest airport: Tuxtla Gutiérrez (recommend layovers in Mexico City rather than Cancún)
As a precaution, we recommend booking refundable airfare in the unlikely event that minimum enrollment is not met.
From Tuxtla → shared van to San Cristóbal de las Casas → caravan or pickup to Kolaval
No Wi-Fi; cell service is intermittent but usually workable for calls
Solar electricity is limited; solar phone chargers recommended
3 km from the nearest small store
~40 minutes from San Cristóbal’s gas station
Permatours Event Agreements
We value active participation in all facets of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share.
We treat the land and all beings with love and respect.
We do not tolerate hate language, discrimination, or violence of any kind.
We support an accessible and equitable environment for all beings.
Equality is not an assumption, and we strive to promote equitable access.
Consent is required for all: commitments (including time/energy expectations),
verbal interactions, physical contact, emotional support, desire for intimacy, etc.
We encourage curiosity to be a leader against assumptions.
We support the use of the acronym FRIES to share concisely that consent is:
F - freely given
R - reversible
I - informed
E - enthusiastic
S - specific
Permatours is dedicated to holding containers (intentional spaces) that remain free of alcohol, powders, pills, and gasses. Your presence, in times of joy and difficulty, is welcome here!
We support a space of interdependence, and mutual aid. We trust that when we arrive and are able to do for ourselves what we can, with the interstanding we may not be able to do everything, we are better aligned to receive the aid we truly need, and aid others in areas of their needs. Building mutually beneficial relationships and working together in symbiosis are key aspects of being able to thrive physically, emotionally, and spiritually, as a community.
We support a space of radical self-reliance, encouraging everyone to show up able to meet most, if not all, of their own needs. The community is here to support them when/if needed.
We observe the 4 Agreements, with the inclusion of the 5th agreement, by Don Miguel Ruiz:
1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don’t take anything personally.
3. Don’t make any assumptions.
4. Always do your best.
5. Be skeptical, but learn to listen.
If this immersion feels aligned, we welcome your questions and look forward to connecting.
Organized by Kolaval Retreat Center and Permatours
501(c)(3) Public Charity · EIN 84-3937172
permatoursplanet@gmail.com · kolavalretreatcenter@gmail.com