Profile information
Host is looking for help immediately
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
23 Apr 2025
Feedback
42
Email verified
Host offers payment
Badges (3)
Details
Description
Hi, I’m Giel! My entire life I lived in the Netherlands but I’ve always had the dream to leave it all behind and start a new life abroad. In 2019 my dream came through when I bought a piece of land in central Portugal.
Since then my dog Máka and I live in Sao Pedro do Sul. Here, we live and work together with my girlfriend Karin, friends and workaway'ers. On average four people are here at all times but this changes from time to time depending on the amount of work that needs to be done. From the start we’ve been working with workaway'ers and friends and now also with the help of Workaway.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
As a builder I like sharing my knowledge with people who are eager to learn new things. It is a place where you don't have to be anything, but together we can do and learn anything.
It gives you an opportunity to learn in several ways. The eco-friendly building, gardening and house work with me or other workaway'ers will probably give you an opportunity to grow in different areas. The feedback we got from workaway'ers is that it's also educational and a valuable experience to live together as a group. Furthermore, the serenity and calmness that this land and the surroundings have to offer will hopefully give you space and time to just be.Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage
This host offers accommodation and payment.
Help
Activities where the workawayers are in participating are; construction/renovation of ruins, maintaining the land, such as the veggie garden, choirs in the household, walking the dog and helping with the free festivities that we are hosting with other communities for the locals.
At our farm we have a guesthouse for family and friends when they come over for visits. Unoccasionally we rent out the guesthouse for paying guest.
The workawayers are not involved in activities with these minor business purposes.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Beginner
Portuguese: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
On the property we have one fully equipped house. In this house we have two bedrooms. One of these bedrooms is for workaway'ers or friends. In this room there are two single beds. Between these beds we have a curtain, which gives some extra privacy. Each workaway'er has their own closet, so they can store all their belongings. The rest of the house we share; living room, outside living room, kitchen and the bathroom.
In Summer we’ll also have small private tents (with a real mattress) for workaway'ers.
There will always be plenty of fresh food available. We make three vegetarian meals a day. Whoever feels like cooking can prepare the meal. Most of the time we eat together. However, if someone feels the need to eat alone, that’s no problem.
What else ...
This place lies in the mountains near Sao Pedro do Sul. It's in the Portugese district Viseu, in the centre of Portugal. There's no public transport to our place, but there's public transport that will get you into the village. I'll be able to pick you up. Also, I'm always happy to give you a ride to the village any time.
In the weekends we often plan day-trips. Some days we go to the beach for a nice surf. Other days we go for a hike in the mountains behind us or visit the waterfalls. Also local friends of ours come by on a regular basis to have drinks and dinner together. At least once a week we go to yoga class. Since October 2024 we are in the position to also provide financial compensation for the work that has been done. The amount that we offer is based and in line with the Portugese minimum wage. For more questions about the wage, feel free to contact us. We will provide and help you with the paperwork.
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.
Can possibly accept pets
We have a big dog that loves to play and a puppy of 5 months, so dogs are welcome (if they are suited for playing with Máka)
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (28)
veel mensen (vrienden) leren kennen daar ik heb voorderest en een onvergetelijke tijd gehad
Karin je bent de beste !
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(5.0)
veel mensen (vrienden) leren kennen daar ik heb voorderest en een onvergetelijke tijd gehad
Karin je bent de beste !
From the moment Giel picked me up from the bus station I felt at ease and very comfortable.
Time there moves strangely, after a week I felt like I had been there for a month (in the best way).
Karin & Giel are great communicators, leaders and… read more
This cool chick stayed with us for a month but we would have loved having her around all summer.
She is a funny, intelligent and social person, easy to talk to and to make fun with. Always in for a conversation, she is very interested in other people and this makes her a lovely conversation partner.
She is a good cook and… read more
A very nice guy and great to be around. Handy, funny, social, good mood and always in for a chat. A great add to the group! 100% recommended:)
Hope to see again dude!!
Xx
Giel is for 100 procent good in communicating. They make it very clear from the beginning that you can tell and ask them anything. My arrival was really one of the most heart-warming ones. Its a workaway where you share a lot (not to say almost everything) which made it a crazy… read more
Giel and Karin share their place with you in such a way that you never feel like a guest, but as a member of their, ever changing, team. And that is a very privileged place to be… read more
there is noting this girl can not do! But foremost and for us the most important is that Clauda is a smart, independent and warm-hearted person. She sees the work and without asking she also helps you with the little stuff in and around the house. She is inventive and came up with some very good ideas for… read more
First of all , I miss you all a lot ~
Being a part of the family was the best gift for my 32th birthday .
This was my second workaway experience , and I think it will be my favorite one forever .
I stayed for a month and words would not be enough to express how amazing this… read more
Giel and Karin are kind, patient, generous and great workers, always setting the example.
The land is beautiful and full of different spaces to relax after work, meditate, do yoga, exercise, chill and have fun.
For work there were all the tools needed for every task, the… read more
My aim was to learn something new, and I learned so much! I stayed at Karin and Giel's place for 17 days and I had the opportunity to spend my birthday there. Couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate! I love it!!!
My activities were… read more
Quite late but here I am.
I can start saying I was suppose to spend 2 weeks to 20 days at Giels but it ended up 45 days later I was there yet. That can give an idea of how welcomed and home I felt. Waking up with a nice smile or a kind and loving good morning, a great and I mean great breakfast… read more
Where should I start…
This place has been almost unimaginably special to me, randomly stumbling upon workaway planned to stay for 2 weeks, lol. from the very first weekend we went freeclimbing in the magic mountains till our cosy goodbye diner 12 weeks later, i feel so blessed to have met all these incredibly beautiful… read more
We had a lot of fun with them and the group and are very grateful of you staying relaxed under our time
Also, Vicky became a… read more
We loved having this one around for 6 weeks and were sad when she was leaving.
Maria is very energetic, funny and social and helped us in many ways. She is good with dogs and very open and honest.
We both felt like we made a new friend. Know that you are always welcome here, Amiga! Love you ♥️
Would love to… read more
amazing people ! They really make you feel like a part of the familly :) The work is always different, Giel take the time to show you what you have to do and even teach you what he know if you need. The fact that they host a lot of workawayer make this place like a little community where everyone is… read more
I feel super blessed to have been able to stay for 1 month with Giel and Karin, and the other great workawayers that I was really lucky to share my experience with ❤️ The best crazy-crew! 😎
Giel and Karin are really amazing people, and staying with them has the only downside that you don't want to go away or you… read more
If you are looking for a super sweet, social and responsible person to help you out, this is your girl.
She stayed with us for almost 2 months and helped us with carpentry around our tiny house, gardening, cooking (great cook she is 😍), household (neater than Susanna you won’t find) and taking care of our 2 dogs Máka and Sjakie,… read more
Giel and Karin made me feel part of the family from the first day. Giel is a very nice, positive, funny and open-minded person who is passionate about building.
He did with the help of friends and family… read more
This sweet, free spirit left a few days ago after staying with us for 6 weeks. She was an amazing support; super social, honest, open, funny, conscious, great cook, good with people and animals, nice conversations, yogaclasses and beautiful photography & video. She helped us on many levels.
We are so happy that you stayed a bit longer… read more
I stayed there in December 2020 and I had a great time with a lot of laughter, a nice working atmosphere, a lot of things to learn, many adventures to live, lovely company and delicious, healthy and vegetarian food. Not to forget: always a big furbag to cuddle ;)
Giel and Karin are super… read more
She helped us finishing our first tiny house; some woodwork, sanding and painting.
Thank you dear Alice and good luck on your travels 💛
Raul stayed with us for over 9 months. He came in the beginning of our project and contributed a lot during the process of it all. He was a great help in renovating the house, maintaining the garden, finding creative solutions for decorating and creating pieces of art. He has an eye for detail and a loooot of… read more
These two were the best hosts that I could have wished for as my first workaway experience!!
She loooves her coffee in the morning and makes the most awesome food.
She helped us with creating the new shed, our outside living space, pruning the vineyard, painting, cleaning, (giving tips about) gardening and entertaining :)
She has a lot of knowledge about loads if things,… read more
He helped us with the construction of our first tiny house and was eager to do the work and learn more about it. He even taught a yoga class when our own teacher was… read more
He helped us with the construction of our first tiny house, with the new shed and outside chill area and even fixed the laptop (still works 😁, yay!)
He also surprised us with his cooking skills. Unfortunately we didn’t get the chance to enjoy his dj-ing skills, but the… read more
True to what their description says, this is a place that will let you (and teach you how to) collaborate in a rich variety of ways.
Located in a beautiful stretch of land on the side of a valley, the place has an incredible view, and you'll be surrounded by… read more
Every morning we had a nice breakfast together. The work was really nice, since I like building. He is great builder, so you can learn a lot, but he is also open for other people's opinion, which I think is a really nice quality.
After work we had a beer and made food (he and… read more
He is the breakfast master and a walking jukebox with tons of different genres in his pocket.
It was great having him around and we miss him already.
Thanks for joining our crew, Robert ;p and see you very very soon? Xx
I already miss your crazy dutch slang and at the bonfire to hang.
It was my first Workaway stop with enough wood to chop, all day good music, no Hip Hop.
Work doesn’t feel like work when it’s fun. Even when Giel chased me with his Gun.
But don’t worry guys you will beat him at exploding kittens in an one-on-one.
See… read more
