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Description
Hello!
My name is Mena, and for thirty years I have lived on this peaceful terrace overlooking Santa Rita beach (Portugal). There is no grid electricity or gas—only a well for water and a few solar panels that I had installed at the beginning. I built every wooden cabin with my own hands, hiding them among the greenery. I protect this land and live in harmony with it. We host friends from all over the world and we enjoy surf or yoga. It’s just me and my son, who helps me keep this place separate from modern life.
We have a couple of tents that we share and some people from all over the world come to enjoy the view and their time off during the holidays. It is my job to manage summer bookings and handle all kinds of request and need of my guests. I run myself this business which is not related to workaway :)
This is a place with strong energy and is not easy to live in: every comfort must be created and rediscovered. We prepare meals that truly nourish and help people reconnect with a part of themselves.
For over thirty years, I studied yoga in India, and now I run this small yoga and meditation retreat where visitors can slow down, practice yoga, and reconnect with nature. I live here alone, tending my small organic vegetable garden every day. I don’t have any permanent pets, but someday I would like to have some.
This place is reserved for independent people who seek an authentic adventure in close contact with the planet—where manual work becomes a form of meditation.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Events & social
Sustainability
Vegetarian or vegan
Culture
Pets
Van life
Farming
Architecture
Gardening
Cooking & food
Art & design
Plant care
Music
Languages
Photography
Performing arts
Drawing & painting
Carpentry
Animals
Adventure sports
Hiking
Beach
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Camping
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
True cultural exchange happens every day as we work together in the garden, share meals, and practice yoga outdoors. Every activity, from harvesting herbs to sharing a meal, to walking together on the beach, is an opportunity to learn from each other, build genuine connections, and celebrate the richness of our differences.
Help
If you choose to stay here the tasks I will need you to do will require about 5 hours a day and 5 days a week.
The help I need essentially involves care of the garden and orchard, as well as the cleaning and organizing of common areas and help in the kitchen. If you feel like you're a handy person, your help will certainly be appreciated in need of small repairs of furnitures and existing facilities. Last but not least, your artistic drive will undoubtedly be an added value. Every year we dedicate ourselves to embellishing and enriching this peaceful place with paintings and drawings, artistic creations and details which add character and personality to this nature reserve where travellers and young explorers can leave their mark.
Languages spoken
Italian: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
English: Intermediate
French: Beginner
Accommodation
• Where You Will Sleep:
You will stay in a comfortable cotton tent (one-and-a-half-person mattress, cotton sheets, and blankets). When available, you might sleep in a small wooden cabin.
Note: There is no grid electricity; we will use a few solar-powered lights in the evening. At night and in winter, you’ll need warm blankets and clothes.
• Bathrooms and Showers:
We have regular bathrooms (cold water) and compost toilets, all built of wood. The shower is almost always cold, but you can heat water on the stove if you prefer warm water.
• Kitchen and Meals:
I prepare three meals a day using produce from my garden and, when possible, fish freshly caught by a friend’s kayak.
The kitchen is in a shared space near the garden. You are welcome to chop vegetables or mix flavors when we cook.
Meals
• Breakfast:
Homemade bread
Homemade jams
Fresh fruit
Herbal teas made with herbs from our garden
Eggs (when available)
• Lunch:
A warm soup or a hearty salad with legumes and seasonal vegetables
Pasta, rice, or grains
• Dinner:
A single-dish meal based on vegetable curry, stewed vegetables, and brown rice, inspired by Indian, Italian, and Portuguese cuisine
We all eat together around a long wooden table: it’s a time for sharing, conversation, and laughter. If you have dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.), let me know in advance and I will do my best to accommodate you.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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