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Description
Hello everybody! We are a Portuguese family living in a peaceful little village called São Vicente do Paul, near Santarém, and we would love to welcome you into our home ☀️
I’m José (57), and I live with my wife Claudia (55) and our son Miguel (27). We also have two daughters who have already moved out, so the house feels a little emptier these days!
We live in a big house surrounded by nature, in the countryside near Santarém. Although it feels peaceful and a bit secluded, we are actually quite well connected:
* 🚗 20 minutes by car to the city centre of Santarém
* 🚆 10 minutes by car to the nearest train station (we can drop you off whenever needed!)
* 🚄 5–10 minutes by train to Santarém
* 🌆 Around 50 minutes by train to Lisbon
For nature lovers, there are also some beautiful places nearby:
* 🌿 Paul do Boquilobo Nature Reserve — around 30 minutes by bike
* ⛰️ Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park — around 20 minutes by car
We even have a bike you can use if you’d like to explore the surroundings. It’s a quiet area, ideal for people who enjoy nature, slower days, and countryside life. We’ll also do our best to show you around and take you to nice places whenever possible 😊
Our furry family is also a big part of the house! We have:
🐱 3 cats — Nabiça, Branquinha & Pepa
🐶 2 dogs — Maia & Mutley
We decided to start this Workaway journey because, after our daughters moved out, it became harder to take care of such a big house, the animals, meals, and everything else by ourselves — especially since me and my son started a small construction business and spend more time working outside the house. A little extra help would truly make a difference.
But it’s not all work — we also love enjoying life! We’re very social and enjoy barbeques, pool days, gatherings with friends and family, and having fun together.
One of the favourite parts of the house is our basement — a space dedicated entirely to fun! Think of it as a mix between a games room and a mini disco 😄 You’ll find:
🎱 A pool table
⚽ Table football (matraquilhos)
🎯 Interactive darts
🕹️ Pinball machines
🔊 Great speakers with disco lights for fun nights
We hope to create a warm, relaxed, and fun environment where everyone feels at home. Looking forward to meeting you!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Interests
Pets
Events & social
Culture
Gardening
Cooking & food
DIY & crafts
Music
Photography
Carpentry
Animals
Team sports
Fitness
Nature
Mountain
Water sports
Outdoor activities
Hiking
Cycling
Adventure sports
Beach
Dancing
Camping
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We hope this experience feels like much more than just helping around the house 😊
We love spending time together as a family and with friends, so there will often be opportunities to join us for barbeques, pool days, dinners, birthdays, local festivities, or simply relaxed evenings chatting, playing games, or listening to music. We want you to feel included and part of the family during your stay with us. At the same time, you will always have time for yourself and the privacy of your own room.
We also enjoy showing people around and, whenever possible, we’d love to take you to nearby towns, beautiful nature spots, viewpoints, local markets, or traditional restaurants and cafés. Since we live close to Santarém, there are plenty of places to explore. However, please don’t expect this every day, as we also have work commitments. That said, we will spend time together whenever possible, and you’re welcome to see what we do for work and the places we usually go.
As a family, we believe everyone has something to teach and something to learn. We can share Portuguese culture with you, including traditional food, language, customs, and everyday life in the countryside. If you enjoy practical work, me and my son can also share knowledge about DIY, construction, gardening, and general hands-on projects. Claudia also loves cooking and sharing homemade Portuguese meals (and sweets 😁).
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
For us, hosting through Workaway is mainly about cultural exchange, sharing experiences, and welcoming someone into our family life ❤️ We already have regular household help, so we are not looking to replace a cleaner or domestic worker. Instead, we’re looking for someone who would enjoy being part of our daily routine, sharing meals, stories, and experiences while helping us with some light day-to-day tasks.
The main thing we would love support with is cooking 🍳 We really enjoy good food and would love someone who enjoys cooking too — whether that means preparing simple daily meals, sharing recipes from your country, or teaching us something new in the kitchen. We’d also be very happy to share Portuguese dishes and traditions with you.
Besides cooking, we may occasionally appreciate some light household support, such as:
🧺 Helping with laundry
🧹 Light tidying or helping keep shared spaces organized
🐶 Spending some time with and feeding the animals
🌱 Occasionally helping with light gardening
The help is around 4 or 5 hours per day, Monday to Friday, with weekends completely free for you to relax, travel, or explore the area.
We like to keep things flexible but organised, so we usually prepare a simple weekly task plan together. You’ll have freedom to manage your schedule in the way that works best for you, whether that’s mornings, afternoons, or splitting the hours.
Because of our work schedules, there may be moments during the day where you are more independent, but we really want this to feel like a shared experience and not just “helping around the house”.
For us, the cultural exchange aspect is the most important part of Workaway 😊 We’d love to introduce you to Portuguese culture, food, traditions, and local places. Whenever possible, we’d love to include you in meals, barbeques, family gatherings, and social moments with friends and family.
At the same time, we are genuinely excited to learn about you, your culture, language, traditions, and way of life. We believe the best part of Workaway is what everyone shares and learns from each other — and we hope whoever stays with us feels like part of the family.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
Accommodation
You'll have your own room in our house with a desk and a double bed with a walk in window. We can provide extra furniture if you need. The bathroom will be shared with my son, but we do have the basement one that we only use when we have guests and you can have it for yourself during your stay.
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?
Two
My animals / pets
Nabica
Pepa
Branquinha
Mutley
Maia
Photos
