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Host rating
100 %
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100.0 %
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Details
Description
We are looking for a couple ( or two friends ) to stay long-term over the year to help with maintenance, building work, farming, in the kitchen and animal care ( sheep, goats, chickens.. dog and cat! ).
The ideal volunteers will be open-minded, easy going and interested to learn about off-grid and remote living and have their own transport!
The details of the exchange offered will be flexible and need to be clearly agreed, it would be preferable to have a short stay first to make sure that the location, work and relationship feels good and balanced.
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A rural creative space in the green heart of northern Portugal - connected to the old world and distant from the rush of modern life.
We are usually doing creative jobs in the old stone houses, gardens, kitchens and gardening and renovation on the farm land.
Opportunity for volunteers to see and learn from working examples of off-grid energy systems ( both solar and micro-hydro electricity ), grey water systems, compost toilets, small-scale agriculture and also online remote working.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Portuguese language skills, traditional crafts, off-grid and remote working - to name but a few :)
Help
Daily tasks are gardening, cooking, maintenance of the land and buildings and creative jobs all around :)
We offer simple local, seasonal, vegetarian food - lunch and dinner is prepared and eaten together.
If volunteers have specific food requirements, we ask that these are discussed and agreed upon before visiting - thanks!
Requests for long-term placements, please get in contact to discuss.
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The short history...
In October 2018 a large area of Central Portugal was burnt in a rapid wild fire - including the area around this farm, and the land itself. Over the last years, we have worked to restore and reforest this land and to clear and prepare many areas surrounding it with some great success, but the work is long-term and continual.
This is the modern reality of Portugal and many other parts of the world, as the planet adjusts to human domination and changes to the climate.
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A longer history...
Based in a remote and peaceful old farm, located in the Serra do Caramulo mountain range - 50km from the Atlantic coast.
The farm is totally off-grid, energy is provided by solar and micro-hydro generation ( from a small stream that borders the land ), we are gradually working towards being more self-sustainable and producing more of our food and others resources as locally as possible.
All volunteers have the opportunity to learn a few things about off-grid living, sustainability, traditional farming and land management or helping with locally sourced building materials, such as stone or wood.
The land is open and spacious, with areas given over to living, farming, grazing, herbs, flowers and woodland - the valley below gives open views to the peaks of Portugal's highest mountains - The Serra da Estrela.
Spring is an amazing display of colour and life - starting with the mimosas in February all the way into summer - flowers, birds and life in general celebrate the return of the heat from the suns rays.
The aim is always to create durable, attractive, useful additions to this amazing space - built were possible with local and natural materials - simply moving them from other locations on the land to use.
The neighbours are frequent visitors, bringing on their goats to graze - they are always on hand to offer advice and to place objects or concepts into context - they are connected to this land in a deep, yet simple way - they embody all that is good and positive about Portugal.
The area has very few foreigners, and the locals generally only speak Portuguese - lack of language skills in no ways blocks communication - but a basic spoken level can be of help in certain situations.
Portugal is a safe, tolerant, relaxed and naturally beautiful land.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Polish: Fluent
Portuguese: FluentThis 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.
Accommodation
Bed in 6 bed dorm - clean and comfortable.
Small studio with double bed, sink and wood burning fire.
What else ...
Please note:
We would ask that all volunteers have their own travel or health insurance cover - we, of course take great care to avoid any dangers and aim to provide a safe and healthy environment - but we do not have or offer insurance to the volunteers that come.
~~~ Due to fire risk we do not allow any form of open fire or smoking anywhere on the farm ~~~
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have a co-working space and slow, but steady wifi
Space for parking camper vans
Steep dirt road down, but passable by all but the largest of vehicles.
Can possibly accept pets
We have chickens, goats, sheep, a cat and a large dog, so while we might accept others, this would need to be very clearly agreed in advance.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
4 hours / day - 5 days a week.
Feedback (25)
Don't be fooled by the "caveman/woman" description! They are both cultured people, who enjoy the good things in life as much as the simple - and both know… read more
They are also both very open and communicative and a pleasure to work or socialise with and know how to respect others and integrate into a new environment.
It was a real joy to host them and they both made an important… read more
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Don't be fooled by the "caveman/woman" description! They are both cultured people, who enjoy the good things in life as much as the simple - and both know… read more
They are also both very open and communicative and a pleasure to work or socialise with and know how to respect others and integrate into a new environment.
It was a real joy to host them and they both made an important… read more
Great hosts, generous, respectful and always appreciative of your efforts to contribute to their wee slice of paradise….a hidden gem.… read more
They communicated clearly and defined their working and personal terms in detail. We described our aims, budgets, materials and limitations and then they set about realising more than we could have ever hoped for in the short 6 weeks that they stayed with us - all to German standards, crafted with care and… read more
They were great company, and we enjoyed relaxing evenings playing games with them, long walks and making the wine… read more
I feel extremely lucky to have spent some time with Ray: he is a careful, gentle, generous host and a true traveller - and he makes the best chips of the world. :)
I've learnt many things with him, working at different - never boring - tasks, always having the chance to stop and… read more
Grazie mille Marta!
Good luck with you travels!
I remain very impressed with her grace and charm, her advice continues to help me in my daily life and she inspires me whenever we speak or spend time together.
Merci,… read more
Ray, Yogi, & Ranger are all a joy to… read more
She is physically fit, engaged and focused, polite and tidy, respectful and also excellent company - she is easy to host, as boundaries and requirements are clear, with no need to explain.
Thanks so much for your energy and contributions - we all hope to see you again… read more
It was a pleasure to host you Kateryna - thanks for your good chats and pleasant company - come back soon :)
Thank… read more
We had a great time woodworking, gardening, cooking,… read more
It was a complete pleasure to host them both for a few weeks and I hope they will return soon to the farm to… read more
She enjoys a good joke and is very knowledgeable about handy crafts and traditions - I would happily recommend her to any other host :)
She learned quickly and was responsive to all feedback - she's also a great conversationalist with an encyclopedic knowledge on many relevant and useful subjects - so great… read more
Ray is kind, and helpfull and he was always there to answer my questions. He is interesting and he has this vision that one day will become reality. A good part of it is… read more
They are simple, easy-going, open-minded and ever-willing to help out - whatever the job at hand.
The adapted to everything here quickly, were comfortable to be with and to get along with - they worked hard and finished every single task assigned to them correctly and with… read more
Ray lives alone at his homestead but there are always neighbors and workers around at… read more
Bahar cooks excellently - Jayson is strong and physically able ( and does a mean salad ) - and they work well together as a team and with other people. They are both intelligent, open-minded and… read more
She worked hard when it was needed, she relaxed when it was appropriate and she was always very pleasant to spend time with - a pleasure to… read more
Everything she worked on - from painting, to hole digging or garden and tree care was done with love and attention to detail - that is all we can ever ask… read more
Ray taught me everything he knows about mosaics and much more. He's been very patient with my thousands questions and we got along very well. When he gives you a task he lets you complete it in autonomy.
This is a jewel,… read more
She worked on a large-scale mosaic in our new bathroom and was comfortable to lead both the design and realisation of the work to an excellent standard - she worked quickly, cleanly and also very creatively,… read more
Working there had so much fun(not really hard-working :)) and Ray is sooo nice and excellent.
He even brought us to the beautiful lake in the mountain for picnic!
Thank you so much for your hospitality and kindness, Ray!!
Thank you very much for coming, it was great to meet you - good luck!
I want to thank you both for you hard work - it was a pleasure meeting you… read more
And then there is Yogi - the wonder dog (my dog was clearly depressed for… read more
For the time that Charlotte was here she helped to water and maintain all the trees and gardens in the Quinta as well as feed and care for the other volunteers - highly recommended - thanks!
Mike's dedication, enthusiasm and zeal for all things green and ecological mixed with his worldly experiences and general all-round good nature make him a highly recommended volunteer and no doubt in short… read more
He's knowledgeable about and handy with a wide range of building and farming tools and machines and loves to see a project through to completion.
Thanks to Chris and our little chainsaw we now have cut fire wood for the… read more
Thanks and come back soon :)
She has a great attitude to life and her calm personality makes spending time with her very pleasurable.
You can come back any time - thanks!
