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Description
My name is Carlota. I am a choreographer, costume designer, and scientific/nature illustrator and cooking for others is a very importante part of my life. My partner, Nuno, is a lighting designer and photographer. We are both 60 years old but we still have the energy of 30. My son Vicente is 17 and studies multimedia in Coimbra.
We are originally from Lisbon, but six years ago we moved to Alfafar, a small village in Penela, in the Coimbra district.
We bought a ruined limestone house and have been rebuilding it ourselves ever since. Alongside this, we founded a cultural association, where we host artistic residencies, concerts, performances, and a variety of cultural activities in the village. At the same time, we continue to work across Portugal and internationally.
This place is both our home and a space for cultural exchange and artistic creation.
We share our life with a horse, 5 dogs, 4 cats and 5 goats, and soon we will have chickens.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
House & pet sitting
Interests
Fashion or beauty
Outdoor activities
Beach
Nature
Dancing
Languages
Sustainability
Farming
Pets
Videography
Politics / Social justice
Events & social
LGBTQ
Culture
DIY & crafts
Architecture
Performing arts
Writing
History
Plant care
Music
Books
Art & design
Photography
Gardening
Cooking & food
Animals
Drawing & painting
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travellers who join this cultural exchange will experience a space where art and land coexist in a very direct, lived way. This is a place that hosts artists, performances, and gatherings, while also embracing the everyday rhythms of rural life, caring for animals, (horse, dogs, cats and goats) building, growing food, and repairing what is needed. Cultural exchange happens as much around a shared table or in the fields as it does in a studio or during a performance. It becomes an ongoing dialogue between making, thinking, and living together.
As a costume designer, my practice is closely connected to materials, bodies, and storytelling. I also study and work with scientific drawing, with a focus on botanical subjects and birds. I offer drawing and painting sessions, including watercolour techniques, as well as nature and observational drawing that engage closely with the surrounding landscape. I can also teach sewing and basic textile skills, from making and mending to exploring how garments can carry identity, memory, and expression.
Beyond the space itself, travellers can connect with the wider local culture. During the summer months, nearby villages celebrate traditional religious festivals, often with evening dances, live music, and communal meals. These gatherings bring together people of all generations and are a vital expression of local identity and community life.
Help
We are looking for someone who would enjoy being part of our little rural life, for small periods of time, and helping out with daily tasks around the land and the animals.
There’s always something happening here, from setting up fences and creating shelters for the animals, (actually we need to build a chicken coop) to small agricultural tasks and caring for the space. We are also slowly restoring parts of the houses, so if you enjoy hands-on projects and learning by doing, you’ll feel at home.
We’re really interested in learning about permaculture and non-convencional forms of agriculture and would love exchanging knowledge, so it means a lot to us to host people who are open to sharing ideas, experiences, and ways of living.
Sometimes we need to leave for work, so we’re especially grateful for someone who feels at ease with animals, particularly horses , and can take care of them with confidence and care when needed.
More than anything, we’re looking for someone kind, responsible, and happy to be part of a simple, shared rhythm of life.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
Accommodation
Our home is an old limestone stone house with three floors, full of character. In the attic is our bedroom. On the first floor, there are two bedroom, one for our son and a guest room, along with a large living space and a bathroom with a shower. The ground floor has a spacious open room with a kitchen and a second bathroom (toilet and sink).
We have fiber optic Wi-Fi available.
Next door, there is a separate house with a studio space for artists. It can also be used for sleeping, offering a more independent space, although it doesn’t have a bathroom. We also have a tent available for those who enjoy being closer to nature.
Our place is not especially quiet, there are dogs around, and we tend to have an active social life. We enjoy evenings with friends, shared dinners, music, and sometimes late nights. It’s a lively and welcoming environment, so it suits people who enjoy being around others and don’t mind a bit of noise and movement.
Being dog lovers is very important.
We will offer your own bed room and all the meals.
I m a smoker and a night person.
What else ...
In your free time, there are many small villages nearby to explore, especially during the summer months when local religious festivals and community dances take place. These are lively and meaningful moments of local culture, with music, food, and gatherings that often go on into the night.
We are located about 20 minutes from Coimbra, a historic university city with cafés, cultural events, and a vibrant atmosphere. There are also several river beaches (praias fluviais) nearby, perfect for relaxing and swimming in nature. The ocean is about a 40-minute drive away, offering easy access to the coast.
Public transport is limited, so having your own car is helpful, but not essential, we can sometimes help with lifts depending on our schedule.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have optical fibre internet that works very well.
Can possibly accept pets
Workawayers travelling with pets are welcome, but we have 4 male dogs that can be a bit territorial, but they get used to others dogs after a period of adaptation. Workawayers dogs must be comfortable around cats.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Benjamim (16 years)
Benjamim is a 25-year-old horse who was well trained in the past. He has been with us since 2022, after his previous owner could no longer keep him. He used to live in a stable, but now he moves freely around our small land.
He is very happy here, loves people, and gets along well with the goats. He is a large horse (around 500 kg) and quite tall. At the moment, he does not want to be ridden, and we respect that, also has some sensitivities when it comes to feeding and can be prone to esophageal blockages, so there are specific procedures that need to be followed when feeding him.
Amarelo (5 years)
Dr Sardinha (4 years)
Dr Sardinha is the sweetest cat
Iris
Iris is the only daughter of Mina. She's a very nice bad tempered cat . No touching allowed.
Mina
Mina is our oldest cat. When we arrived here 6 years ago she was still a baby and she decided to live with us. She was very shy but now she rules
Bode and Bodinho
Bode and Bodinho are both sons of Bel de Zebu
bel de zebu
Bel de Zebu is an amazing male goat, that speaks to you all the time. He is very friendly.
Mãe and Olivia
Mãe and Olivia the two female goats
Pantufa
Pantufa, the white fluffy in the picture, is our's neighbour dog, but he lives mostly at our house
Moura
She has a strong alpha personality and has recently joined our home, because her owner had to move away. She used to live in Lisbon and is now settling in with us and she's very happy
bobi (8 years)
Bobi is a very sweet dog. He used to sleep on bare cement without even a blanket, even during winter. Now he enjoys sleeping on all the sofas in the house.
Medronho
Medronho is a Portuguese Podengo. He was once a hunting dog who had been abandoned. He arrived at our place two years ago, very thin and in poor condition. We later found out he has leishmaniasis, so he needs to take medication twice a day, every day. He’s now part of the family, and we take good care of him.
Blacky truffini (15 years)
He is the alpha of the group and can be a bit sensitive about being touched on his legs, so it’s best to respect his boundaries.He can growl to show discomfort, but he doesn’t bite.
