Experience a growing non-profit community and help recover from wildfire in Benfeita, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  We are the core community of this special land in Portugal — 11 founders who came together to invest in and care for this land. IT is 2-5 of us living here. Around us, volunteers join for shorter or longer stays, bringing their presence and energy into the flow of life here. This land is both a home and a venue. It’s a place for gatherings, ceremonies, and community living, where people connect with the land, with each other, and with themselves. The setting is beautiful, juicy and rustic, surrounded by rivers, springs, and shist rock formations. At the heart of our project is the vision of creating a living, breathing community that supports transformation, connection, and shared responsibility. Alongside us, there is Jasper, a little black cat that is the true guardian of this land and thief of our hearts. Our farming activities are small-scale and diverse. We care for vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and medicinal plants, while also tending to the land through composting, mulching, and other regenerative practices. Much of our focus is on learning from the land itself — observing water, soil, and plant cycles — and finding ways to live in balance with nature. With volunteers, we’d like to share both the practical side of farming and the spirit behind it: how to plant, harvest, and care for crops, but also how to see farming as a relationship of respect and reciprocity with the earth. We’re especially excited to pass on knowledge about wild plants and how to use them in everyday living. We are a community of digital nomads, facilitators and organisers of yoga, tantra and relationship retreats. We are happy to pass the knowledge and decades of experience in this field too.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Movies & TV

  

  Technology

  

  Sustainability

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Self development

  

  Events & social

  

  Art & design

  

  Music

  

  Plant care

  

  Carpentry

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Beach

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We enjoy creating social moments where Workawayers can feel part of the flow of life here. Sometimes that looks like shared meals, evenings by the fire, music jams, or movie nights. Other times it’s small trips to the nearby villages, local markets, or swimming spots in the river and springs. These moments help everyone connect not only with our core community but also with the wider local area.
  
  In terms of skills, we are happy to share our knowledge of gardening, wild plants, herbal traditions, natural building, and also our experience as facilitators of community living, sacred sexuality, and tantra retreats. Cooking is also a passion here, and there’s always something to learn and share in the kitchen.
  
  From Workawayers, we hope to learn new perspectives, cultural traditions, and practical skills that they bring with them. Hosting people from different backgrounds is enriching for us — it keeps us open, alive, and connected to the world beyond our valley.

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  Help

  Workawayers can expect to do a variety of tasks depending on the season and the needs of the land. Typical activities include:
  • Working in the gardens (planting, weeding, watering, harvesting)
  • Caring for fruit trees and medicinal plants
  • Composting, mulching, and other regenerative land practices
  • Small building and maintenance projects (repairing, painting, simple construction)
  • Helping with food preparation or preservation
  • Supporting community spaces (keeping things tidy, helping with events when they happen)
  
  We like to approach tasks in a flexible and communal way. Sometimes we’ll work together as a group, other times independently, depending on what’s needed. Along the way, there are many opportunities to share skills and learn from each other. For example, some of us have knowledge of permaculture, wild plants, herbal traditions, and natural building, while others bring experience in cooking, community facilitation, or music. We’re always curious about the skills Workawayers bring with them too — it’s a space where everyone can contribute and exchange knowledge.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Croatian: Fluent
  Polish: Fluent

  This 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.
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  Accommodation

  Accommodation is simple, rustic, and cozy. We have houses built with traditional Portuguese stone and wood, offering shared or private rooms depending on availability. Facilities include compost toilets and a few showers on site. In summer, many people also enjoy bathing in the nearby river and natural springs, which are just a short walk away.
  
  The spaces are comfortable and part of the experience of living close to nature. We provide clean bedding, and there are communal areas for cooking, eating, and relaxing together. The atmosphere is warm, communal, and connected to the land.
  
  We provide 3 meals a day. We usually have 1-2 shared meals, but when this is not possible, ingredients are provided for Workawayers to cook for themselves. Workawayers are completely free to provide their own meals if they wish.
  We ask for 9 eur a day to pay for food.

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  What else ...

  In their free time, Workawayers can enjoy the beautiful nature around. There are rivers and natural springs close by for swimming and relaxing, as well as hills and forests perfect for hiking and exploring. Sometimes we organize small trips to nearby villages and local markets for a taste of local culture.
  
  For transport, it’s easiest to come by car, though we also help organize carpooling with our community when possible.
  The land is 2hrs from Porto, and 3hrs from Lisbon.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Digital nomads that stay on the land and work on their own projects only are paying for accommodation and food. Workawayers are not asked to help with preparing and serving either food or drinks to paying costumers.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a flat parking area for 2 campers.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Lucky (1 year)

  Hello my name is Lucky, i am very friendly and playful.

  

  Jasper

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