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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
1 Jun 2025
Reply rate
90.3 %
Usually responds within 2 days
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Description
Welcome…..
Hi, I am Janine , my partner Terry both originally from the UK, we have two boys of 11 and 10yrs old and we live on a Quinta (tiny farm) in central Portugal next to the country's second biggest lake Castello Do Bode. We own 2 acres of land with an old farmhouse on which we are renovating , close to the town of Tomar famous for being home to the Knights Templar. We have 700 vines, 36 olive trees an orchard that we planted a few years a go. 2 wells , orange trees, figs, almonds etc etc. We have 10 chickens and a cockerel, a cat called Everest and a beautiful Dog called Nica and now also her daughter named Sparkle by our eldest son.
Our idea is to become as self sustainable as we can and to build a garden based on permaculture ideals. We garden organically recycle where we can and wish to learn and improve. We are not experts just enthusiastic students looking for a more off grid life.
That said we are currently on grid as far as electricity and wifi etc goes.
We have lived in caravans for nearly 8 years and have loved it but we do need to get the house renovation done before the kids are moving out!
We welcome all skill sets, the most important qualities being enthusiasm and open minds. Everyone has something to give. If you have a particular interest in part of our projects we are happy to let you help in that area. The tasks will range from gardening and Eco sustainable building and landscaping to tending the vineyards, pruning trees, fencing and a constant ongoing planting, harvesting and experimenting with new ideas in the garden!
We have hosted a huge number of workawayers over the last 9 years and are well used to making people feel at home and finding the best way for each one to help and have a great experience .
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
House sitting
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
As an English couple living in Portugal we have a variety of cultures in our lives, we have lived here for some time now and are raising bilingual kids . We are a mix of english and Portuguese we love to show people the wonderful area in which we live and ho we like to enjoy it! I am learning Portuguese but speak other languages inc Spanish and v limited German. We are interested in meeting people from all walks of life and I have various travelling experiences to share. Now we can also share a wealth of stories and experiences we have had through workaway, it has taught me SO much about humanity , engendered a level of understanding of others i am not sure i could have gained any other way.
Food is one of my personal passions and I enjoy cooking and eating a great deal so enjoy showing people how I cook and love learning new foods and recipes. I try to find time for yoga , sports and furthering my spiritual journey!
Terry is a very skilled bloke, a mechanic and general all round inventor and creator of great stuff, he has many skills he can pass on and excellent practical knowledge.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
whilst voulnteering here with us you will be able to join in with many varied projects, from stone mural wall making, gardenening land care , planting and mulching, strimming, pruning, olive harvesting, vineyard care and diy.......the list goes on but we are happy to be flexible on what people get involved in though there are at times priority tasks on the go and we hope people come with an open mind to how they may be spending their helping hours.
There is always work in the garden, if you have studied permaculture and want some earth to experiment on we are always happy for people to come and play with ideas etc! This is how we all learn!
We want people to have a positive experience and hope that there will be a variety of opportunities to learn and be able to practice new things aquire new skills and put theory learned into practice!
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: Intermediate
German: Beginner
Spanish: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
Languages are a wonderful key to the world and i really enjoy the ins and outs , the comparisons , coversations and exchanges that are always happening when people visit, i love to talk and share and learn about languages so if you want to practice your English, start to learn portuguese or just ramble on about words this is a good place to come!
Accommodation
Our current accommodation is in a yurt and a caravan. We have two caravans and an interconnecting awning in which we have lived for the last 8 years! We are now sleeping under the house so our family caravan, the smaller bedroom caravan is available for workawayers it can sleep 4 , in a double bed and 2 single bunk beds! The yurt has a double bed so sleeps 2 or maybe 3 at a push!
You are welcome to bring tents, caravans, camper vans etc to our land.
We have now constructed an outside toilet room on the land ( the toilet even has a flush now!) to add to our caravan toilets. Showers are hot and plentiful, beds comfy bedding towels etc provided. Once we have built more we will have more to offer but for now. This is us!
What else ...
We live in a beautiful place near to a beautiful lake, portugals second biggest, is from the house on foot a half hour walk, or 10 mins in a car to the local beach on the lake. We have a boat and wake boarding equipment which we use on the weekends to get a much needed break from the project! We have a couple of bikes you can use, and 3 canoes that can be borrowed on agreement.
The local town of Tomar is beautiful and very historic home to a Knights Templar castle and Convento! we are surrounded by nice villages Serra and Sao Pedro to name but a few. It's not a huge town but not tiny either has enough going on to keep up the interest!
We are a mixed bag as a couple Terry likes his motorbikes and Films, I love nature and food, we are chalk and cheese but harmonious too! We have two children boys of 10 and 11 years so life centres as much around them as the land project for me, my partner Terry is a mechanic and has his own garage over here, he aims to split his time between the business and the home project. Volunteers need to be enthusiastic and happy to get on with tasks given without constant supervision,though we want to help and guide as much as we can we have many commitments.
We are happy to have people from all walks of life, I am happy cooking for vegetarians, not very experienced at vegan diets so if you are expect to help out! We hope everyone will come with the expectation to help out with general food n clearing up duties ( we do have a dish washer tho!) otherwise I am happy to cook for people most of the time.
We have wi fi, electricity , and hot showers in the big caravan. As Portuguese cars are insured not the driver, anyone with a licence can in theory borrow our car, this will be dependant upon us feeling comfortable with the person who is asking , taking our car so it is not a given but a possibility.
Please come and share our life with us for a while! Long and short term stays all fine!
Also please read our feedback from some of the awesome people we have had here over the years!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We now have fibre unlimited Wi-Fi so decent connection !
Space for parking camper vans
So most vans can get on our land, driveway is a bit dodgy, a 7.5tonne Horsebox has made it on but at a push!
Can possibly accept pets
We can accept pets on a case by case basis, we have a cat so any dog here must be cat friendly and other dog friendly for that matter!
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (35)
We worked mostly in the garden, weeding, planting stuff and pruning trees. The weather was absolutely amazing so it was a pleasure to be outside most of the… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(5.0)
We worked mostly in the garden, weeding, planting stuff and pruning trees. The weather was absolutely amazing so it was a pleasure to be outside most of the… read more
Janine and Therry made their best to make me feel comfortable and happy and invited me to… read more
They have a polite and welcoming treat with you since the first smile, they are community constructive, and have a sustainable sense of life 🤍 ... Being minimalist but at the same time enjoying a delicious and generous meal, a good day on the… read more
Huge respect to their bussy… read more
Their land is beautiful and the vibe is very free-spirited and embracing. Both the family and the friends of the family are extremely lovely and generous people.
We stayed with Janine, Terry and their two boys for two weeks back in August. We would've liked to stay longer but unfortunate… read more
The… read more
It was very peaceful working in the garden alone. Janine explained the jobs that needed to get done and then I could make my own plan for the day, which worked really well. I did different jobs in the garden, like… read more
Both are extremely nice, fun, joyful people our home was enhanced by their laughter, two genuine easy to get along with interesting people.
They both have an excellent work ethic, they… read more
I spent One month with them, the boys Lucas and Dion are so cool and smart, I became the crazy "uncle". tips, don't let Lucas bite you (he thinks it's cool), and if you're working with tools close to Dion, keep an eye on the tools, they start to disappear, Dion sometimes… read more
From the first second we arrived there, Janine and the boys made us feel really welcome, greeting us with open arms and giving us a feeling of immediate homeliness.
From… read more
The olive harvest was a truly intense and enriching experience for me. I recommend the harvest for people who are good in teamwork, love trees and nature and are maybe a little bit crazy… read more
They were incredibly hospitable and generous, Janine is a… read more
Jamie and Venus were an absolute pleasure to host, their dog Ananda is gorgeous, they worked hard, went with the flow and cooked some great food too. We were sad to see them leave but I'm pretty sure we will meet again!
Definitely recommend… read more
They are both lovely people we thoroughly enjoyed having them both around and were really sad to see them go. They worked hard and well with care and dedication. They were both good with the kids and helped out in all areas of life here. Thank you so much guys, I hope we will see you… read more
Jhan stayed with us in late November 2018, she is a really lovely lady who we enjoyed hosting. Thanks for the interesting conversation and for you beautiful patience and kindness with the boys!
All the best, Janine , Terry , Lucas and Dion xxxx
On the work front we had a great project attempting a first for all of us in creating a stone mural on a large wall, what fun, inspiration and hard work they brought to the project.
At the end of their stay Reena stayed on… read more
Abraços
:)
In the end we had to move on because we couldn't find a peaceful balance between the kids (the boys were much too… read more
It felt like staying with old friends and we settled in really quickly. Such a kind and generous family, always doing whatever they could to make sure you were comfortable and happy.
They live in a beautiful and tranquil part of Portugal, where there's… read more
I really… read more
Although Tim clearly arrived with little experience with children he did really… read more
Thanks for coming Lucas now refers to current workawayer's as "my Bruno" , you were great with the kids!
Good… read more
You are amazing, I am really over the moon I sent you that message! We loved having you, you worked so hard, were an absolute best to have around and are a decent genuine and lovely guy! Proud to be part of your first trip abroad and thankful for all the work you did!
Happy travels and you are always welcome! Xxx
