Experience our sustainable off-grid life in Vila do Mato, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  We’re looking for hardworking, enthusiastic and practical people to come and help us look after our land. We’re just a couple creating and maintaining our home, not a business, so the help is very much about sharing the work that comes with living here.
  
  It would suit independent, practical people who genuinely enjoy being outdoors, getting stuck into projects and living away from the chaos of urban life.
  
  If you enjoy nature, hands-on work and the satisfaction of seeing a place develop around you, you’ll probably feel very at home here

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Light maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Fashion or beauty

  

  Events & social

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Gardening

  

  Astronomy

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals

  

  Dancing

  

  Beach

  

  Nature
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Volunteering with us is an opportunity to connect with nature, learn about sustainable living and experience an alternative off-grid lifestyle in a peaceful rural setting, away from the noise and rush of modern life.
  
  Each season brings something different. Learn about our trees, fruits and nuts, along with pruning, planting and harvesting.
  
  We have ancient olive trees which we harvest for eating and to produce our own olive oil. Come along for the November olive harvest and see how the olives are transformed into oil at the local mill.
  
  Some of the fruit we grow is also used to make alcohol, and you can visit the local lagar to see the process.
  
  Discover permaculture techniques, gardening and different ways of preserving food. You can also explore the surrounding woodland and forage for wild foods — Seb especially loves hunting for mushrooms!
  
  Get to know the local culture and pick up some Portuguese from the friendly villagers — or practise your French or English with us!
  
  Our land is visited by plenty of wildlife. You’ll spot signs of wild boar, while the gardens come alive with the sounds of birds, frogs and everything else that makes its home here.

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  Help

  We’re looking for enthusiastic, hands-on people to help us care for our 5.5 hectares of lush terraces and enchanted oak woodlands.
  
  We’ve already done most of the hard graft clearing years of bushes and brambles, but there’s still plenty to discover, develop and care for.
  
  There are trees to fell, wood to chop, trees to prune and plenty of general land management — all part of keeping this beautiful place healthy and thriving.
  
  Our organic vegetable garden has recently been redesigned and is now rewarding us with delicious homegrown food! There’s always some weeding to do, and depending on the season, seeds to sow and vegetables to plant.
  
  The land here is wonderfully diverse, and we feel incredibly lucky to have found such a special place with so much potential. There are different areas to nurture, improve and gradually transform as we continue creating our little corner of paradise.
  
  We’d particularly love to meet enthusiastic, practical and creative people who enjoy getting stuck in and have skills, knowledge or ideas they’d enjoy sharing.
  
  Some tasks can be physical, but there’s something very satisfying about working with your hands outdoors — especially surrounded by nature, sunshine and the peace of rural life.
  
  Come and get involved, share your skills, learn something new and help us care for this very special piece of land.
  
  We would love some help with:
  Olive harvest - picking olives and seeing how it's turned into oil!
  Weeding — surprisingly relaxing and meditative!
  Maintenance around the pond area
  Upgrading our caravan glamping area — painting, woodwork, general improvements etc.
  Getting our vegetable garden back into shape — it needs some love at the moment!
  Creating an automatic drip-irrigation system for the vegetable garden

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  We have caravans available, or you’re welcome to camp in a tent.
  
  If you’re travelling in your own van or camper, there’s plenty of level space to park beneath the olive trees, next to the lakes.
  
  We provide breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
  Lunch and dinner are prepared by Sebastien, our amazing qualified French chef. 🇫🇷 Delicious, wholesome, healthy and mostly vegetarian.
  
  There’s also some basic cooking equipment in the caravan if you prefer to cook for yourselves sometimes.
  
  We have a compost toilet and a funky shower block. Hot water is currently a work in progress, but we can heat water for a warm wash.
  
  All our water comes from the well or a local spring, so please be mindful of water use, especially in summer.
  
  We also have freshwater pools for cooling off!
  
  Any questions, just send us a message.
  
  We look forward to hearing from you!

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  What else ...

  The valley we live in has a lovely alternative community alongside welcoming local villagers, creating a friendly and interesting mix of people.
  
  There’s a big river nearby where you can swim or fish if you have a rod. Our village is just a 10-minute walk away, with a lively café and bakery — both with free Wi-Fi.
  
  The nearby towns have local markets, shops and all the usual amenities.
  
  The Serra da Estrela mountains aren’t far away, with beautiful walks and nature to explore. There are also numerous river beaches nearby, while the Atlantic coast is around an hour’s drive.
  
  Getting around: Porto is around 2 hours away, and there’s a train station at Carregal do Sal, with bus stations in the nearby towns of Tábua and Oliveira do Hospital.
  
  We can provide a mountain bike, and we regularly head into town if you’d like to come along.
  
  There are plenty of shady spots around the land where you can practice yoga, meditate, read or simply relax in peaceful surroundings.
  
  We’d ideally love to host a couple or friends travelling together, although solo travellers are very welcome too.
  
  Non-smokers are preferred during the summer months due to the high risk of wildfires..

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have plenty of flat land to accommodate any size living vehicle with great access for bigger trucks.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  we have 4 cats so NO DOGS sorry, if you're travelling with your feline then they are potentially welcome :)

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  odin, chilli, baloo, tigz, manga, maia..

  yes, we have 6 cats!

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