How We Got Started
Set atop a ridge in the valley of San Juan de Dios in Costa Rica, Cascada Elysiana (or Elysian Falls) is a Natural Wonderland, featuring one of Costa Rica's most beautiful private waterfalls.
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Our orchards and hiking trails are a reforestation project dating back to 1987, exquisitely designed by Eugene Mitchell, who sought to rehabilitate the land surrounding these majestic falls, which had previously been deforested for cattle ranching.
<< Check out this video from 2019 to see how we got started!!
Eugene Mitchell
1987-2017
In the late 1980's, Eugene began seeding fruit trees, hardwoods, ylang ylang, cinnamon, cacao and bamboo, beginning the process of restoring his newly acquired ranch land to a tropical rainforest. In time, the neighboring jungle along the waterways filled in the gaps with all of the requisite species to restore the local ecosystem. He began lining the hiking trails to the waterfall with ornamental jungle plants, he planted patches of herbs and covered small rolling fields with peanut grass. In January of 2017, Eugene handed over his project to us.
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We were taken by the balance of natural and human design of this natural sanctuary, a vision that we continue today.​​​​​
Eugene Mitchell
Mak & Steve
2017-Present
Steve's Austin-based home building company designed and developed the first new-build Passive House in Texas. The Passivhaus Institute of Germany has refined and standardized a system for building using passive energy, greatly reducing the CO2 footprint of homes and other buildings.
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He has brought his love of eco-design to Cascada Elysiana, where we are working on various off-grid and passive systems such as compost toilets, solar water-heating, micro-hydro energy, living roofs, bamboo and rustic wood building, etc.
Stephen Isdale
From 2010 to 2017, Mak lived in Los Angeles where he converted a school bus to run on WVO (waste vegetable oil) for his touring bands Hell & Lula and Goodnight Goddess.
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He has worked as a personal development coach and workshop leader since 2016 and cofounded the Radical Honesty Institute in 2021.
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Mak has has a passion for languages as well as physical fitness, psychological health, and eco-living.