Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
6 Nov 2023
Feedback
6
Email verified
Badges (1)
Details
Description
We are a young family learning to live off grid and more sustainably on a beautifully peaceful mountainside quinta with our two young children and a bunch of animals! We've worked hard to rebuild and renovate the old structures, reveal and restore neglected and overgrown terraces, regenerating the over ploughed landscape and begin our reforestation project. We have established our growing gardens and spend time caring for the animals that help us in all of this. We have implemented a spring fed, gravity water system which provides water to the house and gardens and we manage an effective humanure system that provides us with lots of amazing compost. Recently we have created a paddock paradise style track system to enhance the lives of our ponies and cell graze the land.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful space close to nature. Our quinta offers a space for quiet reflection and learning. Here we have begun to implement some of the wonderful things we have seen and observed over our years of study and travel and we want to share in this with others. We have built our knowledge by working and supporting other sustainable projects, completing a permaculture design course and more recently, spending time learning the old ways with our wonderful elderly neighbours. The local people here love to talk about all things but especially about growing, raising animals and cooking! We have been welcomed and accepted into the local community here and enjoy spending time in the village cafe, chatting with our neighbours. We also have many other like minded neighbours of many nationalities who support each other and provide wonderful living examples of off grid living. We are always keen to share our tales of triumphs and failures and to learn more ourselves from the life experiences of others.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
There are 9 hectares to get lost in here, with so many beautiful spaces yet to be revealed and so many little jobs in need of attention.
We are continuing to develop the old granite house and have work ongoing creating bedrooms for the children. We will be opening up further windows and doors, natural clay rendering the walls, lime putty render finishes, lime washing, wiring, plumbing, tiling, etc. ... as well as taking on the external lime pointing.
The land has changed a lot in the time we have been here but there is still much more to do to reveal the beauty that is hidden under 30 years of overgrowth. We are discovering more and more areas of land and tracks hidden by time. There are hours of fun to be had here, chopping, clearing, chipping and burning. There are also many parts of the old granite walls that have suffered over the years and could really do with some attention from someone who enjoys working with stone and would like to rebuild now that we have worked on clearing the lost lavadas and improving the passage of the winter rains.
Our permaculture food garden is coming along but there will always be work to be done. We have a mix of raised and no dig beds that need a little maintenance plus we have lots of space to move into and are keen to implement new ideas. We use hot composting methods and regularly make our own cover material for our composting toilet system. Here we safely process our own humanure which completes the cycle back to the garden.
We keep a few family ponies and are passionate about providing them with the best environment and stimulation. We have built a paddock paradise track system which allows us to cell graze the land whilst encouraging movement and natural grazing behaviours, and at the same time, protect and enrich the diverse landscape that surrounds us. The first track loop is proving to be a great sucess. We would love to expand on this little by little along side the task of planting appropriate fodder trees, herbs and bushes around it.
There are also different harvests to be carried out seasonally.
We have 70 Olive tress here, some 100 years old. We conduct the harvest sometime during November/December. We go to a local traditional lagar for the olives to be stone crushed and pressed through reed mats and the taste is just amazing!
The grape vines need attention a couple of times a year. Pruning takes place in January with the harvest and wine making in September. We use a wood fired oven and back boiler system to provide us with heat for both cooking, radiators and hot water and so we need to manage the woodlands around us, cutting and processes our own firewood between October - march.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: 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
We have a separate private guest house to offer just next to our home. There you will enjoy a comfortable bed, seating area and private shower room with composting toilet. There is a wood burner to make a winter stay with us nice and cosy and a small gas hob for drinks ect and limited solar power.
We also have a nice campervan, equipped with its own kitchen and bathroom.
What else ...
We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area rich in nature. There are loads of amazing trails to take around the Serra da Gardunha and wonderful river beaches to enjoy dotted around the pretty little villages. There is a festa somewhere close by pretty much all year around and the local community is incredibly diverse. We have three different monthly Eco markets in various directions, a short drive away and yoga and Pilates classes available. The local town holds a market twice a week and has all the usual in terms of shops and services. We are a short drive away from the Serra do Estrella mountains where you can walk, climb, ski or just admire the beauty and wonder of it all. We are also close by to the historic village of Monsanto and the geological site at Penha Garcia. There is also the option of horse riding or dirt bike riding for experienced riders.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (4)
It really was a pleasure to have Cat stay with us. Cat is a very kind,… read more
Feedback
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Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
It really was a pleasure to have Cat stay with us. Cat is a very kind,… read more
