Profile information
Host rating
90 %
Last replied
11 Jun 2026
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
20
ID verified
Email verified
Country info
Badges (4)
Details
Description
Hello, I am Mark, Dutch but living close to Monchique. 9 years ago I started doing workaway myself in order to find a place where I felt home. I had 3 workaway experiences in Portugal which I enjoyed a lot. Finally, I ended up in Monchique which I fell in love with. After settling down for 2 years and searching for the right land, I bought a ruin with a hectare of land. Since then I have put my efforts in converting this place into a small paradise. The ruin is now a proper (small) house where i live with my south korean partner and the cat "Soup", and the last years i have been working on lemon trees on the terraces and mountain. The trees take long to grow but as they say in Portugal Tudo com calma.
In the old days i was into the arts and professionally I have experience in the commercial sector as well as cultural sector. The last years I helped people with gardening and DIY help. I don't have education in the latter, but believe in learning by doing and sharing knowledge and experiences. For the people who are into surfing, the west coast is 30 minutes away.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I believe Monchique is a beautiful, relaxing place. I am not a workshop space or have an expertise in a specific thing. I am an allrounder and definitely hope to learn from you too. I am Dutch but speak Spanish, English, German, Portuguese on a good level and a bit of French.
Help
I have 2 hectares of land to take care off, there is always something to do in the household or land. Fixing broking things, improving, vegie garden, putting manure at plants, weeding, pruning, making storage.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Portuguese: Intermediate
Accommodation
Unfortunately the folding trailer on the picture blew away. Instead i have bought a small bell tent for one couple with electricity, dry toilet and hot shower. I can also host campers on a beautiful spot. Of course all with a beautiful sea view :-)
Bedlinnen, food etc. is of course provided but you have to prepare it yourself, washing machine and there can be cooked in the (outside) kitchen.
What else ...
On 5 min there is a bus stop but the schedule is a bit poor. The best would be if you have your own transportation and if not you should not mind to stay a bit around the house too. Hitchhiking works also very fine here in the Algarve. If you have questions, please ask.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
campervans or caravans can be parked on beautiful spots on my land. Can arrange electricity and water/shower/washing machine.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (11)
My climbing condition has improved a lot. It was wonderful to prune and tie up the lemon trees in peace and tidy up the greenhouse. I spent some hours under the veranda with a 5 star view of the coast, breathtakingly beautiful.
Mark let me get on with my work, made sure there was good food and I felt free to… read more
And she did! She pruned all my small lemon trees on the land and helped me even on the last day of her stay with my first harvest of lemon verbena. She is as she describes in her profile and I found… read more
Thank you Maria for your support, you made me feel that we… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.5)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(4.6)
My climbing condition has improved a lot. It was wonderful to prune and tie up the lemon trees in peace and tidy up the greenhouse. I spent some hours under the veranda with a 5 star view of the coast, breathtakingly beautiful.
Mark let me get on with my work, made sure there was good food and I felt free to… read more
And she did! She pruned all my small lemon trees on the land and helped me even on the last day of her stay with my first harvest of lemon verbena. She is as she describes in her profile and I found… read more
Thank you Maria for your support, you made me feel that we… read more
We can recommend Mark with a very clear… read more
I had fun, good laugh, learned a lot, learned more about woodwork, even more about the importance of proportions and details, had some nice excursions, talks and so on.
I think i should be Mark very grateful for the amazing commitment he had to help me with building… read more
Wishing you all the best with fulfilling your dreams,… read more
The work did, like in his profile mentioned, vary between light and "heavy". Sometimes there were things to be done in the household and garden, other times I was digging, getting concrete off a water tank or passing tools.
I did learn a fair bit in my time there and felt… read more
