Petsitting in beautiful house & gardens in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  pet sitting- from mid-November 2026
  We are hoping to travel from 14th November 2026 to 25th November 2026.
  
  Hi,
  
  We are looking for a fabulous person to look after our family of cats, goats, chickens, a horse and carp whilst we are on holiday. The candidate must have experience with horses and their upkeep and be able to manage a menagerie of four cats, two goats, together with the horse and the fish. The position would suit a single person but you will be alone whilst we are away. We will also consider couples with experience. You would also ideally have your own transport as you will have more opportunities if you have transport. We live in a rural setting which is quiet but not isolated. There are buses to the local town but not at convenient times.
  
  Ideally you would arrive a few days before we leave so that I can spend time with you so that you get used to the daily routine with the animals. You will have an opportunity to work in the garden as well if you would like to as most students normally help with the garden but you will have to work on your own and be familiar with gardening.
  
  You will live in our home and have your own bedroom and bathroom. The home is modern & very comfortable, benefitting from underfloor heating in all rooms. It is based on a roman villa with landscaped gardens and a pool. The pool is not heated.
  
  We live a few minutes walk to the Obidos lagoon and less than 5 minutes drive to the ocean. The location is rural and we have one neighbour who can help in emergencies. It takes 10 minutes drive to get into our local town and enjoy the facilities there.
  
  The house has forest on one side and open views all around. There are fantastic walks on your doorstep and you can cycle easily to the beach and enjoy the scenery. You can also walk to the local restaurant. When you are at home here you are in the midst of nature but not isolated.
  
  If this opportunity interests you, please get in touch!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Pets

  

  Plant care

  

  Books

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Animals

  

  Cycling

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Fitness

  

  Outdoor activities
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are both from the UK. John used to work in the engineering field and I did office work in a legal capacity. I also trained in gardening. I can speak Portuguese but some additional help would be good and I can also speak French although I have not used it for a while. We are active members of a pro-Palestinian group and you are welcome to come to meetings with us and support this cause. John is adept at managing his koi pond and the landscaping projects in the garden. We have no family here but you will meet our neighbours who are young and very kind. There are many activities going on in the local town which is a centre for ceramics, sport and folklore. I love African drumming and percussion instruments. I also play the ukulele in a group and attend practises every week.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We need help with hardscaping in the garden; mainly the construction of paths, walls, digging, weeding, moving heavy loads of manure, watering (if dry). Pruning but I will always be on hand if you need help. I may ask you to help with jobs indoors like hoovering or sweeping, cleaning windows or help with meals. You can also help with the animals especially if you are used to horses.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I would like to speak more Portuguese and more French! In return we can speak English.
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  Accommodation

  I will provide all meals. Accommodation can either be indoors in your own bedroom with bathroom and there is also access to a van where you can sleep. If you are sleeping in the van then we have toilet facilities available outside and you can use the shower indoors or there is a shower outside for use in warmer weather. We also have a swimming pool.

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  What else ...

  We are a quiet couple! We regularly go into our local town, Caldas da Rainha to shop and visit cafes/restaurants, gym or museums. Caldas has everything you could want. There are excellent bus connections direct to Lisbon and the rest of Portugal. We are ten minutes from Obidos fortified town.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  You may not be able to get a good network signal outside of the house.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  You can park easily and have access to outside water and toilet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  My animals / pets

  Goats

  I have two goats, Durma & Eunice

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