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Last replied
26 Apr 2025
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Description
**Seeking an on-site manager or couple to start as soon as possible -- hospitality experience is a must. Read below more about living and working here and be in touch if you feel you could be a good fit **
Hello, and thanks for your interest in reading more about life and work at our eco lodge:-)!
SHORT SUMMARY
Our project is a sustainably built and functional off grid retreat centre located in a valley where 2 rivers meet and not far from the Serra da Estrela Mountain Range (the highest point of mainland Portugal) which makes for dramatic beauty in nature. Since 2017 we have welcomed Workawayers to help us build, expand, and maintain the retreat centre…. It has been a pleasure to meet so many beautiful people from across the globe and we’re really grateful for all the helping hands!
Workawayers enjoy the complete immersion in nature and get to learn about what is involved in living & working off grid. Attending Yoga classes, sweat lodges, and other activities offered here at the retreat centre during their time here is a happy bonus for many! They enjoy exploring the area on their days off... Hiking, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, visiting the local sites and markets etc.
ABOUT US!
Ashley - Yoga Teacher/Yoga Therapist and Lead Facilitator of 200 Hour RYS Yoga Teacher Trainings. Her background is working as a pediatric critical care nurse in the USA where she is from. After experiencing burnout, she took a break from nursing to travel around Central and South America for about 6 months where she got together with Rory.
Rory - Civil Engineer and Natural Builder who specializes in timber frames and originally from Ireland. His background is working as an Engineer in various roles, volunteering in Guatemala building eco friendly homes for families, and opening a couple of tourism businesses in Guatemala.
Together - we moved to Portugal (in 2017) and bought this river-front property with dreams of transforming it into something that would be benefit the land itself plus would provide a gorgeous space in nature for people to heal and enjoy. With the help of many, we've managed the invasive/non-native tree forest and have planted many native ones, built all of the buildings for the retreat centre and our home from natural materials, and opened for business as a retreat centre in 2019. We've hosted a variety of retreats, workshops and Yoga Teacher Trainings. We have retreat groups coming from all over the world to rent the venue for their retreats and trainings. Ashley runs a 3 week long Yoga Teacher Training during the year, and offers Yoga classes to the community. These community classes, you are welcome to join!
THE WORK AND LIFE HERE:
The retreat centre is a place for wellness in wild and breathtaking nature. In the garden, building, and how we run the space we use many permaculture based principles from what Rory learned in a Permaculture Design. Together we trial, learn, and grow!
Workawayers have access to the communal retreat centre kitchen to prepare their meals when retreats are not in progress (November-March). From April-Oct when the retreat centre is open we have a rustic outdoor kitchen/chill out space exclusive for volunteer use. They also happily get lots of retreat food leftovers.
Life here is communal, and as part of the the team there is also an element of space holding involved for the retreat groups. A requirement is that oncoming workawayers are happy with this communal and retreat vibe style of living.
Off Grid:
We use Solar Power and so things that use a lot of electricity cannot be used if the sun is not there. Spaces are heated with a wood burning stove, and the water comes from the land so we ask it is conserved (less than 5min showers etc).
Accommodation:
(Nov-Mar) In one of the retreat centre's accommodations or in the shared dorm style Bell Tent. We provide plenty of blankets and hot water bottles but the winter can get very cold and wet so please be prepared, both physically and mentally, for the weather and elements!
(Apr-Oct) A shared dormitory style Bell Tent or a normal camping tent. Both with quality mattresses.
Bathrooms:
Shared bathrooms, hot showers.
Note:
Rory and I live a healthy and yogic type lifestyle and personally do not drink alcohol.
The venue is alcohol and drug free. There is a section for smoking. We aim to maintain a healthy and peaceful environment for all staying. Food is prepared to meet all dietary needs and requests of the team here from vegan to carnivore.
What you can expect from us:
-accommodation and communal living as described above
-2 full consecutive days off to explore the area or relax here
-access to yoga classes (normally offered on a weekly (sometimes more) basis)
-Time off can be spent swimming in the rivers and hiking the local trails as well as the use of paddle boards.
-Shared volunteer car for use within 45 minutes of retreat centre, as pre-agreed with hosts.
- As a business, workers from Workaway register on the books here to be paid the minimum hourly wage in Portugal but do not get meals included in the exchange
What we expect from you:
-25 hours per week, with 2 consecutive days off per week. (avg. 5 hours/day)
-Outside of those hours, pitching in to keep our shared spaces clean and share the cooking duties
-Respect of the spaces - both the retreat centre and the private/communal areas
-fluent in English and/or Portuguese.
- As a business, Workaway requires that workawayers register on the books here to be paid the minimum hourly wage in Portugal but do not get meals included in the exchange
Winter time jobs (Nov-Mar)
Our off season for retreats etc… Tasks may include land clearing/landscaping, planting trees, developing the kitchen garden, building/expanding, preparing firewood, and maintaining facilities like our biological swimming pool, sauna, and hot tub. We will have the occasional retreat when we’ll need help in the kitchen, cleaning and accommodating guests. A 2 week minimum commitment during these months is essential.
Summer time jobs (Apr-Oct)
Our busy season for retreats etc… Tasks may include cleaning spaces (room change overs, communal spaces used by the guests, toilets & showers), pool cleaning/maintenance, help in the kitchen (we have a chef), gardening, building/expanding, preparing firewood. The main focus is around keeping the space clean & nice for the retreats.
A 4 week minimum commitment during these months is essential.
If you have any questions about our project, us, the work, the living or anything... please ask!
**Perks to staying long-term:
-opportunities to learn timber frame building and other natural building techniques with Rory
-get to know the area and alternative community in which we are located in like a local!
-if you're a yoga teacher or wellness provider, opportunities to offer classes and workshops in the community
- **Per the Workaway platform, as a business workers are paid the minimum hourly wage (on the books, meaning you must be able to legally work in Portugal). Meals are therefore, not included in the exchange.
Questions?? Please send us a message to clarify anything, and be sure to highlight any skills that fit into our description!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The area is rich in Portuguese culture. The weekly market in Tabua is a great place to meet people in the area, both Portuguese and estrangeiros (foreigners). There's a unique hospitality and way of life in Central Portugal that's refreshing and fulfilling, which Rory and Ashley have fallen in love with, and hope that workawayers will enjoy as much as we do.
Ashley and other yoga teachers have regularly scheduled yoga classes. There is a river beach on site and a deep creek for swimming in. Workawayers will have the opportunity to learn about off grid living, building with natural materials, gardening, and helping host retreats.Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage
This host offers accommodation and payment.
Help
Helping on various projects and maintainence. 5 hours of help per day, 5 days per week. We expect help with cooking and keeping the volunteer hub clean and nice.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Accommodation
Shared dorm or private tent
What else ...
The property and area around it is ideal for free outdoor activities such as swimming, kayaking, hiking and cycling. There are plenty of river beaches in the area, and we have paddle boards available for use. With the Serra de Estrela mountain range nearby, there are plenty of breath-taking hikes. But if you want a break from the country side there's a train just 15 minutes from the project that connects to Lisbon, Porto, and anywhere else you'd like to discover on time off.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
Parking available.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (28)
I helped with maintenance of their yoga centre (gardening, clearing path to the waterfall, cutting small trees of mimosa, making trenches, cleaning, and what was necessary) and I painted some signs.
The yoga classes were amazing.… read more
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(4.9)
I helped with maintenance of their yoga centre (gardening, clearing path to the waterfall, cutting small trees of mimosa, making trenches, cleaning, and what was necessary) and I painted some signs.
The yoga classes were amazing.… read more
We, Selia and Maurus share a dream of having our own quinta in Portugal. On the way there, we do a couple of workaway stays on different places to learn as much as possible.
Rory and Ashley exceeded our hopes in several ways. We were allowed to have… read more
Brad has been willing to tend to any and all jobs needing to be done and looked for ways he could be more helpful. He communicated really well, and worked well individually and as part of the… read more
Jobs consisted of: cleaning inside areas (dining… read more
I spent one month here and it was very good and interesting experience. Rory and Ashley are very nice patient people and they use to make sure I'm always feeling okay with everything and with a good smile on their face 😊,
accommodation was nice for sure better (usually) then others places i have been to,
the… read more
She was punctual, respectful, and happy to help with all tasks needed done. We'd welcome her back anytime she'd like, and would recommend her highly!
The work wasn't difficult… read more
Thank you very much for everything! See you soon :)
There are a lot of things happening at the lodge, and we were impressed to hear how well they had thought through the design of their land, like irrigation and fire prevention systems. We really enjoyed… read more
They joined us at a bit of a difficult time as we were dealing with our ill dog who we then had to put down a few days after their arrival. They were so… read more
Sorry that my feedback took too long to response.
I just want to thank you for the possibility to stay and work at your place Eco Lodge. It were a remarkable tree weeks there. I feel really gratefull for all the time a could spend there, doing many kinds of work on the site, exploring the river and beautifull pure nature… read more
During my time here I helped on all sorts of jobs. The tasks were… read more
He's handy and skilled in carpentry, and often worked above and beyond both expectations and hours. He helped on projects at our eco lodge in the making with building a deck, repointing stone with… read more
First of all, so sorry for the delay of the feedback, it was a technicality!
Ok, so we were supposed to stay three weeks and we ended up staying almost four months. For the first 'real' experience in Workaway, it couldn't have been better.
The place is beautiful and Ash and Rory are great people, funny, kind and open to… read more
They welcomed… read more
I stayed there about 2-3 weeks, working 5 days a week about 4 hours a day! Work is various, interesting, and physical. I worked on various projects (clearing the land, building a geo-dome, patching old stone wall, etc... There is a lot to do over there always so you won't get bored! Ash… read more
Bonnie is a great worker -- self-motivated and creative. Whether it was digging, or clearing wood, or building a little fence around the garden independently she likes to keep busy and is always happy go lucky when it comes to work. Bonnie also cooked for the whole volunteer group for one of the weeks she… read more
They are excellent hosts, from so many points of view!
I had the chance to put a lot of creative input and was free to experiment and do my thing. Rory was always willing to explain, listen to my opinion and find a good way of… read more
She is happy to work hard at any project, and is very creative. We will miss having her here and wish her the very best at future workaway hosts, who… read more
It's a great place in a very beautiful area of Portugal wich was perfect for little trips by bike or walks through the nature.
I enjoyed working for the project and so nice people:) I really learned a lot.
Also thank you very much that you let me built… read more
We would highly recommend Johann for any project as he is sweet, caring and gets along well with everyone, not to mention he's an extremely skilled carpenter in the making! He built us a new kitchen table, new shelving, and an improved… read more
The work was a focus on building and clearing the land from and invasive-species tree. The work was not hard, usually 4 hours per day with a break in between. Rory not just gave instructions on how to do the tasks, but also explained their background and how… read more
We would highly recommend Jose to any project he wishes to be a part of. He’s a very hard… read more
A big THANK YOU for your feedback and these amazing 2 weeks I stayed on your site. I enjoyed every day on your property, grateful to experience the simplicity of life in a wonderful place with great company. Working with the chainsaw was fine for me and I was happy to help the ruin to… read more
Thank you so much ! And we will miss Hank Harvey and Hugo!
