# PDC: Permaculture Design Certificate Courses in Costa Rica > A Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) is a course of at least 72 hours that teaches you to design farms, gardens and homes that work like natural ecosystems. In Costa Rica, Rancho Mastatal and Finca Tierra list current PDCs; Rancho Delicioso now offers a shorter introduction, and Punta Mona has closed while it moves. Source: https://costarica-yoga-retreats.com/pdc-permaculture-design-certificate/ Last checked: 2026-11-04 **Update, November 2026:** We've checked each farm on this 2017 list again. Rancho Mastatal and Finca Tierra list current PDC courses; Rancho Delicioso says it isn't offering its PDC right now; Punta Mona closed in 2021 and plans to reopen elsewhere; and Finca Morpho's and VerdEnergia's own websites no longer work, so contact them through the directories linked below. We've removed a link that now leads to an unrelated site. ![A woman harvesting greens among rows of mixed vegetables, flowers and onions in a large garden](/static/img/old/2017-08-beautiful-companion-row-planting-crop-1-e1503575632930.webp) A Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course teaches you to design land, food systems and buildings that work with nature rather than against it, based on the ethics of care for the earth, care for people and fair share. The standard curriculum runs at least 72 hours and mixes classroom lessons with hands-on work. You'll typically cover: - Reading a site: climate, water, soil, slope and microclimates - Designing food systems such as food forests and gardens, plus composting and soil building - Water harvesting and earthworks - Natural building and energy - Managing waste and recycling - Community and economic design - A final group design project for a real site Costa Rica is a popular place to take a PDC because you can see tropical food forests and natural buildings at work, often on farms that also offer yoga. Here's the current state of the farms on our original list. Read more about many of them on our sister site [Costa Rica Journeys](https://costaricajourneys.com/pdc-permaculture-design-certificate/). ![Corn, cassava and other food plants growing together in a tropical garden](/static/img/old/2017-08-pdc-permaculture-design-certificate-300x200.webp) ## Rancho Mastatal, Puriscal A long-running education center and farm in the hills of Puriscal, southwest of San José. It runs an annual two-week PDC; its site lists the next one for December 4 to 15, 2026, alongside natural building workshops and a year-long apprenticeship. More on [costaricajourneys.com](https://costaricajourneys.com/rancho-mastatal/). Website: [ranchomastatal.com](https://ranchomastatal.com/). ![A teacher talking to a group of students sitting among young trees in a food forest](/static/img/old/2017-08-rancho-mastatal.webp) ## Finca Tierra, Cocles (Caribbean coast) A working farm at Playa Cocles, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Its site describes a 15-day residential PDC that follows the 72-hour curriculum, for up to 12 students, with bamboo cabina lodging, mostly plant-based meals and a field visit included. It also runs an online tropical permaculture course and a farm-and-cooking retreat week. Check its course calendar for dates. More on [costaricajourneys.com](https://costaricajourneys.com/finca-tierra-organic-permaculture-farm-eco-lodge/). Website: [fincatierra.com](https://fincatierra.com/). ![Aerial view of small buildings scattered through dense tropical forest](/static/img/old/2017-08-finca-tierra.webp) ## Rancho Delicioso, southern Nicoya Peninsula An eco-village and organic farm near Delicias, between Montezuma and Santa Teresa. Its PDC page now says it isn't currently offering the full course but hopes to again. It does run a week-long [permaculture and yoga retreat](/permaculture-and-yoga-retreat-at-rancho-delicioso/) with eight introductory permaculture workshops, which is a good taster. Website: [ranchodelicioso.com](https://ranchodelicioso.com/). ## Punta Mona, Caribbean coast A family-run off-grid permaculture farm and eco-lodge near Manzanillo that ran PDCs with daily yoga for many years. It closed in 2021; its website says the team plans to welcome guests again at a new project in 2027. See our [Punta Mona profile](/punta-mona/) for the history. ![Two men planting a seedling in dark soil among tropical plants](/static/img/old/2017-08-punta-mona-permaculture-design-course-300x225.webp) ## Finca Morpho, Osa Peninsula A small permaculture community near Cabo Matapalo, south of Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula. Directory listings describe volunteering, internships and two-week PDC courses, but its own website no longer works, so we couldn't confirm current dates. Contact it through its [Global Ecovillage Network listing](https://ecovillage.org/project/finca-morpho/). More on [costaricajourneys.com](https://costaricajourneys.com/finca-morpho/). ![Two people working with potted plants in a shady garden beside a painted site map](/static/img/old/2017-08-finca-morpho.webp) ## VerdEnergia, Puriscal A cooperatively owned permaculture community and reforestation project in the mountains of Puriscal, founded in 2006. It has run PDC courses and internships, with a course listed for January 2025 on the [Regenera Vida directory](https://regeneravida.com/event/permaculture-design-certification-course-verdenergia-jan25/). Its old web address now leads to an unrelated site, so we've removed that link. More on [costaricajourneys.com](https://costaricajourneys.com/verdenergia/). ![A large group of students and teachers posing together in the forest](/static/img/old/2017-08-verdenergia-300x150-png.webp) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a Permaculture Design Certificate? It's a course of at least 72 hours that teaches the principles and practice of permaculture design and ends with a group design project. Graduates receive a certificate from the teaching organization. ### How long does a PDC take in Costa Rica? Most residential PDCs in Costa Rica run about two weeks, with lessons and hands-on work most days. ### Can I combine a PDC with yoga? Some farms offer yoga during or alongside their courses. Rancho Delicioso's week-long course pairs daily yoga with an introduction to permaculture. ### Do I need farming experience? No. PDCs are designed for beginners as well as farmers, designers and teachers.