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Host is looking for help immediately
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
14 Apr 2026
Reply rate
75.0 %
Usually responds within 30 days
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Details
Description
We are Emily (34), James (37), our daughter Delma (6) and our son Reuben (3 months)
We live in a peaceful valley 20 minutes from Monchique, completely surrounded by nature with our dog & 2 cats on a 1.8 hectare plot of mountain land.
Ideally we are looking for a couple or family to come and help us from May until July. James goes away to work from mid June until the end of July so we are looking for people who can be supportive while he is away. The help will be relaxed during this time... looking after our veggie garden, some land clearing (we always need to be on top of keeping the land clear in case of fires!) + any other little jobs that pop up and maybe some house work.
For the right match we'd be open to longer stays.
From July onwards Delma will be on summer holidays and it would be lovely if she had some friends to play with and enjoy the summer days together on our land by the river.
Before having Reuben, Emily worked as an alternative practitioner giving reiki and massage treatments locally as well as online embodiment sessions for women. She is passionate about healing and loves to connect heart~fully and honestly with others.
James is a trained carpenter. He works hard and is productive most days either for clients or on the land. He loves to take his dirt bike out when he can, enjoys a beer and a good conversation.
We are both creative souls, we met almost 13 years ago at art school... although we haven't had much time for creating the last year's, we hope to reconnect with that part of ourselves!
We enjoy sharing meals together with volunteers, and we also appreciate our private time and respect it in volunteers also.
We're open to different work time agreements. If you'd like to volunteer less and provide your own food that's fine. Equally we can provide the food if you'd like to do the full 4/5 hours a day.
We are in a high fire risk area and we already devastatingly lost our home in the fire once. So it's important for us to have responsible volunteers who feel capable living in nature far from the local town.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
House & pet sitting
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will experience what it's like to live semi self-sufficiently in nature. We can share our experience of living here for the past 9 years ~ the challenges and the joys.
And you may experience being part of a small mountain town community.
We've had a long period of more intense activity... building our homes and cultivating the land. We are currently in a more gentle phase after finishing our family home, wanting to turn our energy back to the land, the vegetable garden and quality family time.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Watering, caring for and maybe expanding the veggie garden.
Generally keeping the land clean and clear.
Cooking shared meals.
Contributing to the harmonious flow of family life 🧡 Some days will be more relaxed, others we may have a project to work on together or for you alone.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
We'd love to improve our Portuguese!
Accommodation
We have a private tiny (stone & cob) home for volunteers with it's own bathroom and kitchen. We lived there as a family of 3 for many years. It's small but comfortable.
What else ...
Plenty of beautiful walks through the valley.
Good mountain cycle tracks.
Monchique town is a 20 minutes drive away where there are cafes & shops.
West coast is a 60 minute drive, beautiful beaches, cliffs, surf, more walking.
South coast is 45 minute drive, beaches, caves, cliff jumping, large towns to explore, restaurants.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have space for you to park your campervan on the other side of the river so you'll have plenty of privacy. You can use our bathroom (it's a little walk away up the hillside), or there's a basic compost toilet.
Can possibly accept pets
Dogs are welcome as long as they don't kill our cats 🙈 Our dog is very friendly.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (3)
They did a brilliant volunteering clearing one of our tracks, helped prepare vegetable beds and hoed up loads of bramble roots...even in the rain when I said they could stay in by the fire! They enjoyed helping, had tonnes of motivation and liked to see… read more
They are so much fun to have around and brilliant help! Jack is full of enthusiasm and energy to dive into all sorts of projects and get things done! He loves solving problems and is brilliant at finding creative solutions. He's a lovely positive soul, always whittling spoons :blush: Emily is a beautifully compassionate,… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
They did a brilliant volunteering clearing one of our tracks, helped prepare vegetable beds and hoed up loads of bramble roots...even in the rain when I said they could stay in by the fire! They enjoyed helping, had tonnes of motivation and liked to see… read more
They are so much fun to have around and brilliant help! Jack is full of enthusiasm and energy to dive into all sorts of projects and get things done! He loves solving problems and is brilliant at finding creative solutions. He's a lovely positive soul, always whittling spoons :blush: Emily is a beautifully compassionate,… read more
