In the Footsteps of Oaxaca's Ancient Hillside Builders, an Architectural Refuge Arises Over the Pacific

In the Footsteps of Oaxaca's Ancient Hillside Builders, an Architectural Refuge Arises Over the Pacific Architectural Digest Zipolite, long known as a bohemian beach town and one of Mexico's only naturist beaches, has grown well beyond that niche. Still a popular destination ...

In the Footsteps of Oaxaca’s Ancient Hillside Builders, an Architectural Refuge Arises Over the Pacific

Relocating to Mexico provided artist Carter Peabody with a renewed sense of purpose and inspired the creation of a purpose-driven ecocommunity in Zipolite focused on blending design with nature

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The Zapotec civilization has shaped Mexico’s most linguistically diverse state of Oaxaca for more than three millennia. With roots that began in the Central Valleys near present-day Oaxaca City, the society known as “the Cloud People” expanded from the lowlands into the lush hills of the Sierra Madre to establish one of Mesoamerica’s earliest and most enduring mountaintop civilizations, with an elevated identity that still defines them today.

The impact of the Zapotec people within the country’s most biodiverse state stretches broadly. From an architectural and design perspective, they were meticulous builders, shaping impressive terraced settlements and notable stone-built civic spaces attuned to the contours of the terrain, reinforcing communal and ritual life.

Photo: Vito Ciliberto

Thousands of years later, on those same Oaxacan lands still influenced by the industrious Zapotec today, a unique purpose-driven enclave has emerged that mirrors the path laid out by those masterful hillside builders. Atop a dramatic plot that cascades over Zipolite and the Pacific, Rancho Aragón has taken shape as a new type of conscious community centered on personal growth, creativity, and genuine connection in nature.

“Mexico inspired me to pursue a more meaningful, artistic, and centered reality. The desire is not only to create an idyllic refuge in this remarkable setting, but to build a community at Rancho Aragón rooted in natural beauty and authentic connection,” explains Peabody.

That same stretch of Oaxacan coastline that inspired Peabody has become one of the most sought-after destinations in the Americas, drawing Mexicans and international travelers alike, from nature lovers and surfers to artists and creatives seeking a more authentic experience.

Photo: Carter Peabody

An intentional community sitting at the heart of the Oaxacan Coast

Peabody’s retreat rests on the edge of Zipolite on a 20,000-square-meter plot, about a 10-minute walk from the town, its beaches, and Playa Aragón. Zipolite, long known as a bohemian beach town and one of Mexico’s only naturist beaches, has grown well beyond that niche. Still a popular destination for LGBTQ travelers, it now attracts a broader mix of international adventurers, remote workers, and Mexican weekenders, giving this stretch of the Oaxacan coast a notable global profile.

The property is also located within minutes of the popular towns of San Agustinillo and Mazunte. San Agustinillo, a laid-back beach village with an almost European vibe, is known for its stunning bay and slower pace. Minutes to the north, the larger town of Mazunte has built a strong identity around ecotourism and conservation. Home to a large turtle reserve, it is also designated by the Mexican government as a Pueblo Mágico, a special distinction given to towns recognized for their extraordinary character and appeal. An hour to the north, Puerto Escondido, the largest city on this stretch of coast with more than 30,000 residents, is known internationally for its surf culture. With the recent completion of the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla Highway, a new corridor from Oaxaca City to the coast has dramatically increased access, cutting the drive from seven hours to three hours.

For Peabody, the location was essential to the concept. Beyond the rarity of a site situated above the ocean with panoramic views, there was a deliberate choice to stay close to the beaches and town while keeping enough distance to preserve quiet and perspective. The intent for Rancho Aragon was never just building villas on a hillside. It was conceived as a grounded conscious environment for those who feel stuck in a loop, explains Peabody. Built around personal growth, healing, and a steadier daily rhythm, the refuge reflects the shift that Mexico and the coastline offered Peabody himself. It also aligns with his broader interest in exploring how people inhabit places, and how places in turn shape the lives lived within them.

Photo: Carter Peabody

Beyond the location and the communal core, nature is perhaps the project’s most important tenet, reflected in an eco-conscious approach throughout. The architecture reinforces that emphasis through natural materials and earth tones that blend into the hillside. Set on private parcels, the one- and two-bedroom casitas rise two or three stories, each facing the Pacific. Multilevel exterior spaces extend the living area outdoors. While inside, natural materials and handcrafted furniture by local Oaxacan artisans reinforce the project’s connection to the surroundings. Each parcel ranges from roughly 400 to 800 square meters, with road access, power, and water already in place. The casitas are thoughtfully set into the land’s natural contours around an integrated ecological reserve. Nature is not just part of the setting but central to how Peabody imagines people living here.

“The land is the origin of everything. It’s not just a place where something is built—it’s something to be honored. Caring for it means designing with respect, listening to the surroundings, and understanding that Rancho Aragón must be in dialogue with this place, not imposed upon it,” explains Peabody.

Photo: Ash Austin

A new chapter shaped in creation and belonging

The project also reflects the personal path that brought Peabody to Mexico. He studied art and film, and spent more than two decades in New York directing and producing before relocating to Mexico City. Now working primarily in photography, he explores the relationship between people and place, moving between portraiture and landscape as two sides of the same inquiry.

In that sense, Rancho Aragón feels less like an invention than a continuation. By focusing on art and personal well-being, Peabody was inspired to build a refuge that reads like a conversation between places and times, across ancient Oaxaca, contemporary Mexico, and today: a return to the self, reclaimed on higher ground.