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30 Oct 2024
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Description
Shahnaz (my wife), Arianna (our baby girl, born in Feb 2021) and myself, Francois, are the proud owners of beautiful quinta nestled at the foot of Serra da Estrela mountain range and national park in Central Portugal. In 2018, we took over this farm that was abandoned for 15 years. We are in the slow process of reviving it, clearing shrubs and brambles, planting new trees, and trying to create a badass veggie garden. What we do is inspired by permaculture principles and an ecosystem approach, and one of our goals is to become more self-sufficient.
The whole property is off-grid. We live in one of two tiny houses, and are renovating two other old stone buildings. Part of our vision is to turn this already amazing place into an edible landscape / food forest, increase biodiversity, and strengthen drought resilience.
But we're not the only ones working at the renaissance of our little piece of Portuguese wilderness paradise! Our three donkeys (who are so very fluffy) work tirelessly - all day, every day, and all week - at savoring all kinds of vegetation, suiting their whims and fancies, while delightfully dispersing their homemade fertilizer (yes, that means poop).
Our dogs, Mojito and Castanha are an unlimited source of entertainment.
Murdoch and Fuji, the cats, do the usual cat stuff: purr [FEED ME], miaouw, leg-rub [FEED ME], a nap here, scratch the carpet [FEED ME], a bounce there, and repeat [FEED ME][FEED ME][LOVE ME].
Last but not least are our various daredevil free-range birds (chickens and ducks) who are some of the finest fox escape artists of the whole district. Well, we wish, but as we naively noticed once or twice, they're quite low in the food chain (if you forget to lock them in at night).
In terms of getting to us, the closest airports are Porto (approx. 3h away by bus) and Lisbon (approx. 4h30 away by bus). You can take the bus or train to Guarda, the big town 20min away from us. We'll pick you up from there.
On days off, you are welcome to explore the area on your own (see some ideas below). If we're headed to town for errands we can drop you off somewhere, and if we go to a regional market or other event you're welcome to come with us.
Note: We're an LGBTQI-safe space.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
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
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are quite well integrated in our community; we speak decent Portuguese and regularly go to local shops and events. During your stay with us, you'll have a glimpse at what living in rural Portugal entails.
That said, we also lived in many different places before moving to Portugal, such as New York or La Paz, and we traveled a lot before settling down here. We learned a good deal of homesteading (among other things) along the way, and we enjoy sharing our experience with volunteers and visitors.
Help
Well, we need all kind of help around the quinta - the work follows whatever project(s) we are doing at the moment - on-going examples include clearing and cutting vegetation, shrubs etc.; taking care of the animals; fencing; planting; composting; gardening; and much more.
We don't require special skills and welcome all kinds of experience, as long as you're motivated and don't forget to have fun along the way. However, you get bonus points if you're good at woodworking, building, growing things, training animals, photography, video filming and editing, and... ok nevermind, we are quite open-minded and can probably find a use for almost any skill or interest you have.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Portuguese: Intermediate
Dutch: Beginner
Accommodation
We have a few tents (for 2 and for a family of 4) that you could deploy wherever pleases you on the land (think night sky with zero light pollution and so many stars).
We provide mattresses & pillows, but ideally you bring your own sleeping bag. If that's not possible, we'll find a way to make it work.
We have one outside solar shower with solar-powered hot water that offers privacy for the summer months, two indoor shower for colder months (and summer is that's what your prefer!), and vermicomposting toilets.
We sometimes cook together and would be sharing some meals. Other times, you'll be cooking on your own or with other volunteers. Either way, we cover your food costs as per the Workaway framework!
What else ...
We're a 20 min walk or 5 min drive to a pristine and untouched piece of the river Mondego - yes you can swim in it, and nothing beats that in the summer.
It's a 30 min walk or 5 min drive to the closest village for local shops, bars, restaurants, a bank, and a post office.
It's a 10 min drive to a nice lake where you can swim and relax.
There are numerous historical villages in the area, that all organize their own medieval fair (usually summer or fall).
We're by the Serra da Estrela national park, which means breathtaking views, walks, Portugal's highest point, and skiing about an hour away.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
If your campervan can make it down our rather rustic path (2km of dirt track, often bumpy and with quite a few turns), we would love to have you! Don't hesitate to ask, and we can figure out based on the vehicle you drive whether it's feasible.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (10)
The farm is located in the middle of the forest with a beautiful view and all the tranquility you could wish for. At the same time, it is not far from the town of… read more
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Cultural exchange:
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The farm is located in the middle of the forest with a beautiful view and all the tranquility you could wish for. At the same time, it is not far from the town of… read more
Both our kids loved the… read more
François and Shannaz are very welcoming and kind people.
The farm is relatively isolated but François and Shannaz took me to a lot of very good places and local events. Also, in the warmest days I could enjoy the -very nice- river.
I can only recommend : pleasant hosts, place… read more
They cooked delicious dishes from their international roots.
We just stayed a week but we are already attached to them and looking forward to… read more
It was easy to interact with them and they fit in straight away.
They were up for any kind of jobs such as painting, landscaping and helping with the animals, among st other things.
What a pleasure it was to have you around guys,… read more
My friends Paul, Natalie, and I stayed at Shahnaz and Francois beautiful property for 10 days and enjoyed every single one of them.
One of our biggest projects during that time was staining the newly built bathouse and also fighting brambels growing along pathways (which is a bloodier,… read more
As a bonus, Logan is a great cook and… read more
