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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
10 Feb 2025
Reply rate
98.7 %
Usually responds within 7 days
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Description
***UPDATE JANUARY 2025***
Loooking for someone who knows about permaculture/gardening/land maintenance to help us preparing the vegetable garden, pruning, shredding woods etc
Between now on and March 2025.
Hello, I'm Julien, I'm French, I was born in 1979. I studied and used to work in Paris until I decided it wasn’t fun enough.
On November 2010 I took the road to Portugal, driving my old German ambulance with my dream project of guests rooms in the nature.
The land is 5Ha and it's just 2,5km from the charm full village of Penela with a nice old fort seating on top, 25km South of Coimbra.
The touristic season starts slowly in April and ends in October. Meaning the work is very guests focused for that time of the year.
And then from October until May, I work on new projects like the vegetable garden, renovation of the old houses, or construction of new tiny houses for the next touristic season.
You'll have your own space, most likely a caravan with electricity.
Otherwise I have 2 campers I use to host you my dear helpers.Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I'll be happy to tell you all about my experience, my biggest mistakes included!
Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage
This host offers accommodation and payment.
Help
I'm setting more accommodations on land. There's plenty to do with clearing and making the land look nice. It goes from taking care of my chickens to put a fence up, chopping wood, digging steps to give better accesses, and paths to reach the tents and caravans. We are fixing the dirt track that got damaged by the heavy rains in the winter. I want to build another two decks to set two more tents, and a plateforme to be able host yoga or meditation retreats.
And now I want to build more tiny houses but with no wheels, I call them cabins. The first one is ready, the seconde is coming along nicely.
In the summer, I'm hiring a couple of people to help me running the activity. I'll be looking for people in charge of cleaning and preparing the accommodations, keeping the bar nice and tidy, same goes for the outdoor kitchen and bathroom facilities. These are all full-time and paid positions.Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Portuguese: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
The most used language here is English, then a lot of the guests are from Netherland, Germany, France and Portugal.Accommodation
You'll be hosted in a vintage caravan or in my van, I'll provide you warm duvets if you don't have a sleeping bag in your backpack.
For the bathroom, you'll have access to the brand new bathroom building with permanent hot water. It's the bathroom the guests use in the summer.
The bar has been running for 6 seasons now, so that we have a place to hang out all together at the end of the day. There is a kitchen and a wood stove to keep us warm and cosy in the evening. It’s where internet is as well.What else ...
I'm asking for a maximum of 25 hours of help in the wild per week, and you'll have two days off to go explore the surroundings. The bus can take you to Coimbra for a day and I'm always happy to go to the river in the mountains, there are a few natural swimming pools within 20km distance.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Yes you can work online as a digital nomade from my place.
Space for parking camper vans
I have plenty Space for you to Park And live in your own Campervan at my place.
Can possibly accept pets
Yes
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (68)
Julien is a very good host. He let me feel at home from the beginning. It was also very interesting to hear his experiences about living in… read more
Vanessa is very responsible, super handy with good work ethics.
She is strong and has plenty energy with good ideas.
On top if it all, a well built head!
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(4.7)
Julien is a very good host. He let me feel at home from the beginning. It was also very interesting to hear his experiences about living in… read more
Vanessa is very responsible, super handy with good work ethics.
She is strong and has plenty energy with good ideas.
On top if it all, a well built head!
I definitely recommend Max, he's very good help, he'll bring joy and freshness to your place.
The work was cool, mostly outside and not too hard, a good opportunity to learn… read more
We also worked together before I left for holidays, and after my return, and again, great helpers! Always… read more
I’ll definitely host her again. Thanks.
I stayed in the house with one other girl. The house is basic, but I had everything I need. There is also a terrace which belongs to… read more
Very polite, smooth and good fun, easy going and low… read more
I highly recommend her to any host, really!
I felt I had a lot of freedom while working at Julien's place. I could start my work at 7 in the morning until 11 or 12 o'clock. The work I did was mainly collecting the cut grass and bringing it to the compost heap, bringing pruned branches to the goats and weeding in and… read more
Julien is a very kind person, helpful and so flexible. Thanks Julien for this great experience!
I hope see you again!!
I spent about 3 weeks and enjoyed it very much- the food, the walks and talks with Workawayers and everyone who came by.
Julien is very easy going and easy to work and be with. He is a smart guy with a lot of knowledge on many topics and one can learn a lot from him how… read more
This place and its surroundings are wonderful. The initial 2 weeks stay turned into a 6 weeks one as we enjoyed the place so much. We had our own little house with a warm stove for the cold winter nights. We were involved into various tasks (cooking meals / construction/ gardening / goat feeding and many more). Julien is… read more
Thank you Julien for the good stay.
Thanks again Juri!
We believe that Julien's story of building his beautiful place makes him unique and made us want to stay and return.
It was my second workaway experience and the first of Tati. She was thrilled with each goodbye, after all, there were many people who passed by the place during… read more
Tati is queen at keeping the place super clean And tidy, Cesar is calm And serious, he will do his best To do things as you want them to be done. On top of it, they are good fun, always relaxed And they cook amazing dishes… read more
Thank you so much Guilia!
I stayed at this project for one month and I really loved it. I didn't want to come back to Italy after my previous workaway and he was brave enough to host an Italian girl during coronavirus (believe me, it has been har to find a place)
I've been so lucky: I always wanted a goat as a friend, and 3 baby goats were… read more
My kitchen was impeccable every evening because he likes to keep it nice, clean And super… read more
Julien created it with his own hands and it inspires! Everything is done and thought out with great love.
There is a garden, pets and unfaithful species. This place is very suitable for peace and solitude.
Julien makes you feel that you are part of his team, gives you time to adapt and is very… read more
Le site est rééllement enchanteur ; beaucoup de balades à pied à faire, il nous a donné les possibilités pour découvrir la région.
Julien nous a fait confiance , il est très ouvert, a… read more
Best wishes for your adventures!
It was rather cold and rainy for that time, but luckily Julien saved me with some boots and waterproof clothes.
He turned me into a kind of professional olive harvester, as this was my work for about 2 1/2 weeks which was a nice outdoor work with tree climbing included. It was cool to… read more
Julien is super laid back but hard working.
The place is wonderful, surrounded by nature and most of the time no sounds but the wind in the trees and a dogs barking echo across the valley.
We will truly cherish the time we had there.
He is a great host and very understanding and… read more
Thanks for all your delicious dishes we had for dinner. BuyADonkey ;)
It was a winderful experience, stunning nature, helping Julien with preparing for the touristic season and a couple of other odd jobs. There were enough to do and I never had a boring day.
Julien was… read more
She has a lot of energy and power, never afraid of the task, she's built me the best flower bed out of rocks against the wall of my house, I had tried and given up. She decided to give it a go and succeded!
But then comes another giant… read more
I spent a little less than a month at Juliens and never wanted to leave. There is always something to do around the land, and everything is connected and so important… read more
I was very happy to get so much freedom to decide when I should start and finish to work, how well my tasks have to be done, to explore a cute Penela's village (with impressive Christmas market in this period). Also it was interesting to meet and work with other volunteers. All the time was… read more
Thanks a lot Gaja! I wish you all the best in your adventures, I'm going to enjoy a big… read more
My work contained daily tasks, such as feeding the chickens,… read more
I hope that I can come back one day to see how the place changed.
I miss the hulla hoop!
Thank you julien for the nice workaway expierence.
Aga is very independant, not demanding at all and she would always ask for anything… read more
The vegetable garden was barely… read more
Thank you very much for the experience Julien! Wish you the best… read more
They are true hardworkers, thanks again Pauline and… read more
Thanks Marinella!
They are true hardworkers, thanks again Pauline and… read more
I always try to do my best to make the volunteers feel at ease and have a joyful time while helping out here.
As I put all my sweat, blood and tears in this project of my dreams, my expectations can be high.
In the end, I'm grateful for the honest review, so that I can learn from it.… read more
See you at the end of the month or so ;)
Thanks again for the super nice flyer you did for us
About Julien just can say good words! He teached me a lot! Not just about the place or the work also the english and more! He would be there… read more
Hanna has shines positivity and sings and dances. Nele is… read more
What can we say about our month or so here..
It is a very nice place to get away...as a guest or volunteer. Different caravans, tents and hills make you feel like you are in little camp village. And if you are lucky you will make very lovely new friends there.
Big thank you for that first workaway experience Julien. We couldn’t be… read more
I'm really happy I met you, and I'm glad you enjoyed your stay here. I miss your cooking skills, your observations on life, your smile and your hair dancing in the wind hahahah!
Thanks for the amazing pictures you took of my… read more
As well as it turned out that Julien amazingly… read more
She got along very nicely with Hanna who was already here when she arrived.
All the best to you Petra!
I fall in love with this place. It is really magical. If you want to clear your head, thats the best place for it. I stayed for two weeks and i am not afraid of darkness anymore !!! :D
You will love the atmosphere here..the tents and caravans are simply amazing and nature is all the time around you. Work is not hard, i am… read more
If only there could be more Paulas on Earth...
I had my first workaway experience here and I could not have chosen better place!
The place is simply magical - being in the middle of nature and sleeping in "my own" caravan was a great experience. I have so many beautiful memories!
The work is really relaxed and fun, I had plenty of time to chill out over there. I… read more
I had good laughs, she has an amazing sense of Belgium humour, she is a… read more
LOVED every. single. bit. of my stay. Julien, you are a wonderful, intelligent, hardworking, charming and interesting man and your place is pure #paradise!! Couldn't agree more with Ciprian's words about your project, dito. Just adoring the chickens, the garden, the land, the mountains, the… read more
Let him cook! He is good in the kitchen.
We'll definitely keep in touch, all the best to you!
Sofy is very organized, really good with colours and smart!!!!
All the best for your adventures on the road ;)
Loved every minute of volunteering at your beautiful vintage wonderland! You made me feel so welcome and part of a great little team. (Jenny included in this!) thank you guys! Loved having my own little slice of paradise up in my own caravan, I even enjoyed all the bloomin raking
Julien is an excellent host too, he was all the time around working with us, not only overseeing us. We spent some wonderful time… read more
Beautiful energy!!
We'll meet again!
I can truly only say that it was amazing! I was there together with another volunteer and the 3 of us had the best time ever. Sleeping in the caravans, working… read more
Thank you again, come… read more
Julien is endearing, very nice, so funny and easy-going. He will make sure you are happy and you will quickly feel at home.
So many beautiful souvenirs there that I just want to go back. You will meet his lovely little funny cat Banane, you will eat too many nice meals,… read more