Casa Chuparrosas was never planned. It began through stillness and circumstance.
For Marian, cooking has always been an act of love and creativity. She started baking as a child in her aunt’s kitchen and later studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at Boston University. She drew inspiration from chefs like Jacques Pépin, Julia Child, and Martha Stewart, but her real education came from years of cooking for her family and learning through travel, practice, and curiosity.
After raising her children between Boston, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala, Marian spent long summers exploring Mexico with them. They camped on beaches, cooked over fire, and discovered the rhythms of rural life. Those years deepened her love for Mexican culture, food, and the land itself.
During one of those journeys, she came upon San Mateo Río Hondo, a small mountain village wrapped in mist and pine. It felt peaceful, wild, and familiar. She knew she would one day return.
In early 2020, Marian came back to San Mateo to look for land. It was meant to be a two-week stay, but when the world paused, she found herself stranded in the mountains. What began as uncertainty became a moment of grace. Alone with time and silence, she felt a quiet pull to begin creating something new.
The land, the forest, and the isolation worked together to guide her. She built a small home and kitchen by hand and began tending the soil. The project grew naturally, as if it had always been waiting for her. Casa Chuparrosas was born from that moment, a gift from the mountain and a reminder that creation often begins when we stop trying to control the outcome.
In 2022, childhood friend Opy arrived to join her. With patience and vision, he helped bring the dream into form. He began cultivating the gardens from seed, collecting and acclimating rare and local plants to the mountain soil. Each morning he tends to the Juanas, their happy chickens who live in a coop beside the garden. They eat the garden’s leftovers and return the favor with fresh eggs that Marian gathers for her kitchen.
Together, Marian and Opy turned Casa Chuparrosas into a living space shaped by care, food, and the natural rhythm of the Sierra. Every stone, beam, and garden bed was made slowly and with intention. What began as stillness became a home full of life.