Founded in 1941, when the Inter-American highway was just a dirt path, and the journey from Panama City took around 3 hours, the community of Coronado has seen immense change.

Today’s infrastructure has reduced the trip to 1.5 hours from Panama City, and the Beach Corridor is promising to bring it down to just an hour. 

While building in Coronado was once a large endeavor, today, there are dozens of new projects breaking ground.

 One community in Coronado, with deep roots, is in bloom. 

Since its inception, this community has done something differently. It hasn’t been about selling lots, says the founder, it’s been about making real connections and finding others looking for those connections too. 

The heart of Terra Viva Coronado

Recently, we had the honor of attending the Terra Viva junta de embarre, which loosely translates to "mud meeting."

This special occasion involves building a traditional house from mud and hay and represents the values of coming together as a community.

Roberto Eisenmann III, founder of Terra Viva, told us three generations of his family were in attendance to build a home for the Soto-Cárdenas family: Juan, Oriela, and their daughters Emily and Melany.   

Which he called a "living expression of gratitude to those who protect the soul of Terra Viva."  

This tradition is the practice of using materials at hand: the earth and its people. It is the coming together of the community and the land, and their shared purpose of building someone else a home. The event brilliantly exemplifies the essence of this community.  

 La junta de embarre - The Mud Meeting

Children and grandparents join together, linking arms and going barefoot, as they sink their feet into the earth to mix the mud for building walls. They sing call-and-response songs that adhere to the rhythms of tamborito, a folk music style inspired by African traditions in Panama, reminiscent of yodeling.

When the perfect consistency is achieved, armfuls are gathered and slapped onto a waiting wooden frame. The walls are then left to dry in the beating sun. Finally, they are topped with clay roof tiles.

Learn more about Terra Viva Coronado Panama.