Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
15 May 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 6 days
Feedback
27
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Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
***************
PLEASE NOTE
Straw bale/Cob building experience is sought.
Don't be discouraged if that is not you, but be sure to read our whole profile to avoid disappointment.
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On 15ha of land in the Parque Natural, we live a whole and peaceful life, off-the-grid.
We are 2 families (one with young adult children and one with a 20 month- and 4-year-old), enjoying the peace, privacy and abundance that this hidden valley provides.
Here we become more and more self-sufficient and enjoy the company of like-minded people.
Together we share and grow our skills and interests, like energy- and plant medicine, qigong fusion, yoga, breath work, organic gardening, natural building and low environmental impact living.
From our organic garden and that of our neighbours, we get almost all our fresh produce.
Fermented foods, sun dried goods and home baked bread are examples of food we regularly make.
Mostly we eat plant based, but also enjoy fish and meat.
With Zoe, our large pup, we explore miles and miles of off-road trails and partake in regular wild swimming.
The garden, animals, general upkeep and building projects require presence and commitment.
Travelling and our other hobbies like climbing, surfing, sailing and long distance hiking are only possible with significant organisation and creativity.
We have had tremendous success and great fun, hosting through Workaway, short-term
BUT
Would like to explore a more long term community commitment where we could
-create together
-share the health and safety the land provides
-enjoy the convenience of shared responsibility and
-thrive with like-minded people while being challenged and inspired by diversity
If you would like to explore this, come and experience this space for 2-4 weeks and see if it is what you would like to call home.
Couples and young families are welcome!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Sustainability
Pets
Farming
Self development
Writing
Cooking & food
Yoga / Wellness
Water sports
Outdoor activities
Nature
Mountain
Hiking
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are a South African couple who have lived abroad for 25 years.
Our children were born in Ireland and Namibia.
We lived in Namibia for 7 years before we went sailing on our 53ft cutter. After 5 years of cruising, we decided to stay in one place for a bit again.
We settled in Portugal to live closer to the land and found 15ha of pristine bush in the natural park.
That was 12 years ago.
Our backgrounds are in mechanical engineering and medicine and we have a special interest in energy medicine, qigong, breath work, yoga and nutrition.
We are eager to share and learn new things.
We strive to minimise our impact on the environment and constantly explore sustainable living concepts.
Living in the rural Algarve, we have many elderly neighbours who share their language and experience of the land, sea and local cuisine with us.
Learning to eat what we grow and harvest from the land and sea at special times has been a special journey.
As our command of this language progresses and the local experience deepen, the Portuguese culture slowly infuses into our lives.
Help
The following skills would be a benefit:
Love and knowledge of gardening
Woodworking
Clearing bush and cutting wood
Specific skills are less important than a positive attitude, problem solving and realizing projects by following through with ideas.
It is important that you are physically strong. Everything we do, from gardening to hiking, cycling and surfing is only enjoyable if you are relatively fit.
Normally we work in the mornings and have lunch together.
Languages
Languages spoken
Afrikaans: Fluent
Danish: Fluent
English: Fluent
Indonesian: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
Portuguese: IntermediateThis 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
Private caravan, nestled in the Cork oaks, down in the garden with own outdoor kitchen and bathroom area.
Shared cooking experience has been highlights of our exchanges.
For the other meals we provision and you enjoy in your outdoor kitchen area next to the garden.
We do eat meat and fish occasionally but enjoy balanced vegetarian cooking.
We avoid dairy and wheat.
What else ...
The beach is easily accessible by bicycle (25min)
A swim at the private dam is just 20 minutes walk away.
Although this place feels isolated, we are not remote. Bordeira village is 10mins by car and Aljezur less than 15.
We enjoy working together and being social, but also value our privacy.
Being comfortable on your own, interested in exploring this beautiful parque and enjoying your own space in nature, will make this hidden valley stay unforgettable.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Good wi-fi connection available for digital nomads.
Space for parking camper vans
We have private, terraced spots for a campervan/tiny home/tented camp.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (13)
At the beginning we did house sitting while Martin, Henda and the girls were away for holidays, taking care of the house, the chickens and the beautiful Zoe.
When Martin came back we did a lot of work like painting the cabin, level the floor for a new… read more
Zoe, our large pup, was so happy around them and our home felt cosy and settled with them.
Martin worked with them for another month after his return. They cleared the river and steep hill, mulched and chopped wood, finished a wood working project… read more
Many superlatives could describe their stay with us. Great company, solid workers, quick and smart but most of all.... FUN!
We worked on quite a few jobs together, and they took on some on their own.
Together we did some physically hard clearing and cleaning, quickly and efficiently. We… read more
Our mornings started beautifully on the yoga deck, providing an amazing and peaceful way to begin each day.… read more
We are so happy we had the chance to meet you and to be able to help and join you in your beautiful and magical place! We spent an amazing week and even if it was such a short period we both bring with us a very special memory!
This beautiful and energetic family live in a small hidden paradise that you can easily call home.… read more
It was too short....but we filled it with delightful shared cooking experiences. My mouth starts watering just thinking about it...
Great to surf with you, hang around on the verandah and enjoying to be in your space. You are a magical couple.
Clara and Pietro both have excellent work ethics, enjoy pulling… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
At the beginning we did house sitting while Martin, Henda and the girls were away for holidays, taking care of the house, the chickens and the beautiful Zoe.
When Martin came back we did a lot of work like painting the cabin, level the floor for a new… read more
Zoe, our large pup, was so happy around them and our home felt cosy and settled with them.
Martin worked with them for another month after his return. They cleared the river and steep hill, mulched and chopped wood, finished a wood working project… read more
Many superlatives could describe their stay with us. Great company, solid workers, quick and smart but most of all.... FUN!
We worked on quite a few jobs together, and they took on some on their own.
Together we did some physically hard clearing and cleaning, quickly and efficiently. We… read more
Our mornings started beautifully on the yoga deck, providing an amazing and peaceful way to begin each day.… read more
We are so happy we had the chance to meet you and to be able to help and join you in your beautiful and magical place! We spent an amazing week and even if it was such a short period we both bring with us a very special memory!
This beautiful and energetic family live in a small hidden paradise that you can easily call home.… read more
It was too short....but we filled it with delightful shared cooking experiences. My mouth starts watering just thinking about it...
Great to surf with you, hang around on the verandah and enjoying to be in your space. You are a magical couple.
Clara and Pietro both have excellent work ethics, enjoy pulling… read more
The family (and all the animals) appreciated the time that you spent with us. Thanks to you Cabana Azul is sporting a new kitchenette and almost everyone has gorgeous haircuts.
We are so grateful for all your help with the underground workshop, the vegetable garden and everything else you did around the house and… read more
We loved our time with you and wished that you could have stayed a bit longer.
In her 2 week visit she spent many hours attending to the garden. From preparing more beds for the sweet potatoes - hard, grunt work....
to delicately managing the growth of the tomatoes...
and planting, harvesting, weedeing, composting and… read more
Your soft energy and lightheartedness was a beautiful experience for me.
Although we did not have big ongoing projects, Leo was content with whatever he could help with. The garden loved his care and attention and will benifit for the next seasons from the collection of goat manure from our camp.
A… read more
We so enjoyed your enthusiasm and energy. For all your help in and around the house and garden we are so grateful.
The fruit orchard proudly offers a new outdoor bathroom with great views thanks to the time you spent there with Martin. Your effort and attention to detail is so obvious and… read more
Unfortunately we just could be there for two weeks and a half. But at least we have been there, and we have been able to enjoy your company, your kindness and happiness, your AWESOME food, the card games after lunch, the tasty veggies from the garden, the bbq in the night, the walk and swim in the dam, picking… read more
He loved this quiet space, wanted to do hard, physical work and spend time on his own for his personal passions: hiking, yoga, meditation and cycling.
Olivier and Martin made an impressive working duo and did much, much more than they set out to. He appreciated the wood work, learned fast and… read more
The environment is beautiful and very quiet, I felt so peaceful there. It’s a real paradise, a perfect place to live in harmony with nature and animals.… read more
Jeroen and Aurelie are two inspiring people with a special energy.
They helped with the building of a wooden cabin with eco roof and the preparation of the wood.
Aurelie also did hard work in the fruit orchard, clearing, composting and mulching around the trees. I loved my long yoga session with her.
Their work ethic is… read more
From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed into their home and made to feel like part of the family. We really enjoyed working alongside Henda and Martin on their beautiful property, and we picked up a few new skills and techniques along the way! This included helping to… read more
They are both full of energy and enthusiasm. The whole family enjoyed their fun nature.... we worked hard and laughed a lot.
Thank you so much for sharing your time, working on our projects and helping to fulfill our dreams here in this special valley.
We wish you all the best for your future. May your dedication and… read more
They made us feel welcome from the first day and made their place our home. They feeded us from morning until evening with delicious home made cookies, bakeries, snacks and great dinners every night with fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden! We enjoyed to work and live with them,… read more
Thank you for all your help and energy. We achieved so much during these 10 days in spite of the continuous rain.
Vale's carpentry is precise and aesthetically pleasing. We learned so much working with him. He is driven to finish a job and takes great pleasure in the result.
Svenja loved spending time in the garden, weeding and… read more
When you step in this secret valley, you feel the good vibes, right away. Henda, Martin, the girls and Zoe make you feel home with a warmth welcome ! Then you realise how peaceful and quiet this little piece of land is, and it's hard to get back to the "real world". What about the nice evening playing card… read more
We will miss his easy company.
He really finds joy in everything he does which makes him a pleasure to be around. No task is ever too big/small/boring or too challenging for him.
Thank you for all the good meals, thoughtful hard work and sharing your time with us.
Fair winds "O… read more
They are a quiet, modest couple who have a wealth of experience to offer. Both have way more skills than they say on their profile.
After more than 2 weeks we are sure than many hidden gems are still unexplored.
We are really grateful for all their hard work and good company and will certainly see… read more
The property is isolated and a beautiful place to enjoy some… read more
From the first they fitted in effortlessly. Always willing to do a whole lot more than we asked of them, they are pleasant, lighthearted good company.
Taylor is a good guy to work with as well as enjoying working on his own. He has great ideas and wood working skills. We successfully built an outside bathroom… read more
