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Host rating
85 %
Last replied
24 Aug 2025
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92.9 %
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Description
Bom dia! I'm Jonathan, 30 years old, originally from Cape Town, South Africa. I'm a surfer, I love living as healthy as I can, farming, yoga, meditation, music, creating community.
I've travelled to 29 countries and had great experiences with workaway. I've lived in Spain, Costa Rica, England, Hawaii, California, Washington state in the last 10 years. This year I decided to move to the country side of portugal to live off the land as much as possible, as well as find and create community!
I have a beautiful, bare piece of land right on a crystal pure river. The land is not huge, but big enough to keep busy, and there is so much wild space around me. I just started, so don't expect a 5 star hotel, expect a beautiful place for camping by a river and you wont be disappointed. Foxes, wild boars and deer visit the property (no dangerous animals or snakes), beautiful stars at night, the sound of the river to sleep to.
It's very basic, and I'm enjoying it so much! A place to purify and meditate.
It's a super amazing experience to be so connected to the flowing water each day!
My plan is to create a place where people can heal with the river, sun, trees, soil, healthy food, and sharing with people. Detox from the city, recharge batteries, meditate in peace. A place where we drink cacao and play music from the heart, and sit by the fire (not in summer). I'd like to build a native American sauna, or Temazcal by the river and a wooden yoga deck with a view of the mountain, as well as a communal outdoor kitchen out of pallets.
20 minutes walk is the village of Souto da Casa. There are many foreigners living here and i have two incredible neighbours who are involved in my project and who will join for some dinners. There are three cafes, a grocery store and a river beach in the village, and the small city of Fundao is only 12 minutes drive away. Busses from Porto and Lisbon go to Fundao, and then there is a local bus to the village of Souto da Casa. I am also at the base of Serra Gardunha mountain 1200 meters which has beautiful hiking and waterfalls and the trail starts in town!
Volunteers can stay in a tent which I provide with clean sleeping bag, mattress etc. or they are welcome to bring their own tent or van. Help is 3 hours per day in exchange for a breakfast of oats/muesli and fruit, and a big healthy vegetarian lunch. Dinner is not provided, and I can provide transport to the grocery store, I usually eat so much at lunch that for dinner i just have a snack. We share cooking and cleaning tasks by taking turns. Tasks are fun, outdoors, with lots of swimming in the river to cool off in the hottest part of the day.
Drinking water comes from a small clean spring 5 minutes walk away, charging phones with a small solar charger, cooking on a camping stove,
there is a composting toilet, showers are with cold river water (no soap goes in the river), cellphone signal works very well.
I am currently working on clearing some of the plants by the river to make more open spaces, digging holes for fruit trees, cutting thorn bushes away, and hand cutting sharp plants to make nice barefoot walkways. It's all physical tasks, we take our time.
You will have plenty of free time to explore, hang out in the hammock and learn about off grid life im Portugal and what its like to start your own homestead. I want to create community so I am happy to host many volunteers at once! This place is best suited for people who love wild camping and wild places. I am excited to meet you and I welcome you to this beautiful piece of Portugal!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Interests
Farming
Plant care
Yoga / Wellness
Water sports
Nature
Dancing
Camping
Beach
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I am a world traveller and I love sharing stories about the world
Help
Cutting bushes, building stairs to the river, making camp platforms
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Portuguese: BeginnerThis 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
Bring your own tent or I can provide a small two person tent with mattress and sleeping bag
What else ...
This is very rustic camping because it's just getting started, we are building the kitchen and compost toilet
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
Just a place to park, no sewage, water is from the village or the stream
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
