My Time Living and Creating at Selva Negra in Nicaragua

I spent the month of April living in the mountains of northern Nicaragua, tucked away on the lush grounds of Selva Negra, a historic coffee estate, organic farm, and ecolodge in the heart of Matagalpa.

What I thought would be a quiet escape into nature turned into something much deeper, an opportunity to witness legacy, to honor community, and to merge my love of travel and storytelling in a way that felt both aligned and unique.

This wasn’t just a stay. I was welcomed in not as just a tourist, but as a collaborator to help document Selva Negra’s story as it celebrated 50 years of existence.

The family that owns and runs the farm invited me to interview workers, relatives, and long-time staff to capture their memories, their love for the land, and the threads that tie generations together.

Some of the stories were shared in English. Others were spoken in Spanish and translated for me, and yet somehow, even through language barriers, the emotion carried itself. I spoke with people who were born on the farm, who met their spouses there and who raised their own children on the farm. These weren’t just interviews, they were oral histories. They were moments of reflection, laughter, and even tears. (Joyous tears.)

Selva Negra spans over 1,500 acres. But what struck me most wasn’t the size it was the intentionality.

It’s one of Nicaragua’s oldest and most renowned coffee farms, home to more than 200 workers and a beautiful ecolodge that can host 100+ guests.There is a school on the farm, there is a nurse’s office, a woodshop where items for the restaurant are built and there is even an organic lab where they test and iterate the soil.

The way the Kuhls, the family behind it all, have built something that is both rooted in history and still blooming in purpose. I’m still in awe of what they’ve built.

This experience was a personal milestone for me and a full-circle moment. It’s rare to find a space where my love for travel, human connection, and video storytelling intersect so perfectly. And yet, here I was…living it.

To document. To listen. To experience a new place and to contribute something meaningful.

I can’t imagine this experience unfolding any differently.

I’m so grateful my curiosity keeps leading me to places like this. And that my gifts make room for me when I arrive.

To learn more about Selva Negra, visit their site here.