Enjoy a beautiful stay with our animals off-grid in a tiny home near Luadas, Portugal

Detalles

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  Descripción

  We’re a Belgian/UK couple who live here in central Portugal and enjoy a busy, off-grid life, on our little quinta near Coja, Arganil.
  
  We’ve been turning a wild piece of land and an old ruin into our home, gradually creating gardens, clearing areas, planting and experimenting with what we can grow and build. We live simply, love being outdoors and there is an amazing local and international community around us.
  
  We’re now heading off on a different adventure for a year, from October 2026 to November 2027. We would love to give one person or, ideally, a couple the chance to make our little off-grid home their home! We want to give the opportunity to truly experience off grid living and life in the mountains to someone who has been dreaming of this kind of opportunity!
  
  We also have two amazing cats who will stay at the quinta and are an important part of this opportunity, they need to be looked after, fed, cuddled and generally cared for while we are away. We are looking for genuine animal lovers!! They are really outdoors boys, who often take themselves off for adventures, but they also love their dinner and lounging around by the fire in the winter!
  
  We’re looking for people who are independent, practical and genuinely excited by alternative living, nature and the adventure of doing something completely different for a year.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Jardinería básica

  Cuidado de animales

  Ayuda en una granja

  Mantenimiento básico

  Cuidado de casas y mascotas
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  Intereses

  

  Mascotas

  

  Cuidado de plantas

  

  Cocina y alimentación

  

  Carpintería

  

  Animales

  

  Yoga / bienestar

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Ciclismo

  

  Senderismo

  

  Montaña

  

  Baile
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Living here, you’ll have the chance to learn about:
  
  * Genuine off-grid living- solar power, spring water, wood heating and adapting to the seasons.
  * Growing your own food - take over the vegetable garden, grow winter and summer crops and learn what works in the Portuguese climate.
  * Rural quinta life - land care, fire prevention, seasonal maintenance and practical outdoor skills.
  * Living more sustainably - using less, wasting less and becoming more self-sufficient.
  * Portuguese rural life - village traditions, markets, local food and the rhythms of the seasons.
  * Alternative ways of living - there are lots of inspiring projects and people in the area experimenting with different ways of living, growing and working.
  
  There is also a wonderful international community around us, with people from many different countries who have chosen to build an alternative life in central Portugal. There are often shared meals, projects, gatherings, music, parties and events, so there is plenty of opportunity to meet people and become part of the community.
  
  We'd love this to be a genuine exchange of knowledge and experience. You’ll bring your own skills, ideas and perspective, and hopefully leave with some new ones too.

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  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

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  Ayuda

  Our aim is to give someone the opportunity to experience a completely different way of life for a year, with the freedom to make the quinta their home and really immerse themselves in off-grid living.
  
  With that comes the reality of having a quinta! There are always little things to keep an eye on and seasonal jobs that come with living this way. Here are some of the practical things involved in looking after the home, land and animals for a year.
  
  Cats
  * Feed and look after our two cats.
  * Give them company and affection.
  * Keep an eye on them and let us know if anything seems wrong.
  NOTE: We will provide ALL food and flea treatments for the time we are away, any issues with animals we will cover all costs.
  
  Looking after the tiny house
  * From around November/December through February, the wood-burning stove needs lighting morning and evening to keep the house warm for you and the cats
  * For 2 months, there is limited to no sun directly on the house as we are at 660 meters high in a valley.
  * As it is an old stone house, it needs to be kept warm, dry and well ventilated.
  * When the weather allows, open the windows to air the house.
  * It's a tiny house, so it's easy to keep clean, we simply ask that it is looked after and kept tidy, as you would your own home!
  
  Solar & water
  * The house runs on a solar power system.
  * During winter, battery levels need checking regularly using the solar app so you can keep an eye on available power and manage usage accordingly.
  * Water comes from a natural spring.
  * Occasionally the spring can become blocked and needs clearing — we'll show you how the system works.
  
  Land & vegetable garden
  * The land is relatively low-maintenance through winter.
  * From spring onwards, there will be some strimming, cutting back and general clearing, as everything starts growing.
  * There is approximately 50m² of vegetable garden, for you to take over and make your own if you wish.
  * You can start planting winter vegetables straight away and gradually create a really productive, self-sufficient garden.
  * Fruit trees need watering daily during the summer.
  * If you love growing and keeping things, you're even welcome to have chickens, while you're here!
  
  Practical skills
  * Confidence using a strimmer/brush cutter is a big plus.
  * We're looking for someone practical, responsible and happy to take initiative.
  
  *This is not a full-time Workaway placement.** The exchange is having a home for the year, caring for the cats and taking responsibility for the quinta. We want you to enjoy the land, garden and lifestyle while keeping the place cared for.

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  Idiomas hablados

  Inglés: Fluido
  Holandés: Fluido
  Portugués: Fluido
  Francés: Intermedio

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  Alojamiento

  You’ll have your own tiny, fully furnished off-grid home, with plenty of privacy and your own outdoor space.
  
  It is small but cosy, comfortable and beautifully simple, a real opportunity to experience off-grid living rather than just visiting it.
  
  Your home
  * Fully furnished tiny house.
  * Comfortable living/sleeping space with amazing views and functional kitchen.
  * Wood-burning stove for heating.
  * Gas cooker
  * Large fridge/freezer - which you may have to turn off in winter depending on solar levels.
  * Solar electricity.
  * Water from our natural spring.
  * Your own outdoor space overlooking the quinta.
  
  Bathroom
  * Private enclosed outdoor shower.
  * Private enclosed outdoor flushing toilet.
  * During winter, water for washing and showering is heated on the wood-burning stove.
  * There is also an indoor potty for nighttime use if you don't fancy going outside!
  
  Outside
  * Space to enjoy the quinta and vegetable garden.
  * Peace, nature and views all around.
  * Plenty of opportunity to make the garden productive and create your own little projects during your year here.
  
  The house is genuinely off-grid, so this is a chance to experience a very different way of living while still having a cosy, private home of your own.
  
  It is a 10 min walk to the local village with a super friendly cafe, which is nice to interact with locals and neighbours. The cafe has incredible views, and the best toasted sandwich around!

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  Algo más...

  The Area
  We're in the Luadas / Coja / Arganil area of central Portugal, surrounded by mountains, forests, river valleys and beautiful villages.
  *Luadas is around a 10-minute walk from the quinta, with a small local community and the friendliest village life, not forgetting the view at the cafe!
  *Coja is approximately 15 minutes by car or around 30 minutes by bus, and is the main nearby village for cafés, restaurants, shops, markets and everyday essentials.
  
  Getting Around
  Having access to a car makes it much easier to explore the surrounding villages, river beaches and mountains and to get further afield, but we can also help you understand the local transport options.
  Our Quinta is 10 min walk UP a track - its a wide and fairly flat track which a normal car can manage.
  To be able to really enjoy life here, having your own car would be a HUGE benefit, so you can go to Coja and enjoy the various markets and river beaches and so much more!
  
  River beaches & nature
  * Some of central Portugal's most lovely river beaches (praias fluviais) are nearby.
  * Beautiful countryside, viewpoints, forests, rivers and walking routes surround us.
  * Plenty of opportunities for swimming, hiking, exploring and simply enjoying nature.
  
  Markets, Festivals & Community
  There is much more happening in the area than you might expect from rural Portugal.
  Throughout the year there are local markets, village festas, music, gatherings, community events and parties, particularly during spring and summer.
  
  You can be as social or as private as you like.
  
  THIS IS YOUR YEAR!!
  You can spend your time gardening, swimming, hiking, working remotely, reading, creating your own projects, meeting people, joining local events or simply enjoying the peace and space. But we just ask, you stay at the house and look after the cats and home for the whole duration.
  
  We really want the person or couple who comes here to love the opportunity and experience, and to have a chance to make some of your dreams come true, as we have been so lucky to do here!

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  There is normal phone signal at the house, intermittently sometimes. Generally pretty good. Some of our neighbours have a Star link router, but we do not. You could of course arrange your own Starlink internet while staying if this was important for you. We choose to live without the distractions of Wifi and enjoy the land and nature around us instead. We also download films to a hard drive for the darker winter evenings! But this is personal preference!

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  Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas

  There is space to park up a camper, but we want the house to be lived in. If the camper is your transport this is fine. However we want someone to really live at our home, not be off in the camper all the time leaving the house and cats.

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  Podría aceptar mascotas

  The main priority is finding loving caretakers for our gorgeous cats. So while we would discuss possibly 1 dog who is very animal friendly, it would be much preferred if you just LOVE our cats while we are away and all your animal love goes on them!

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Dos

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  Mis animales / mascotas

  

  Benoit

  Our little Ginger boy, who we rescued last Summer just as the fires were passing by here. So he is our little miracle

  

  Jacque

  Our Big Fluffy, adventurous and fairly self sufficient King Jacque - he is the king of the mountain cats! Loves a treat and a cuddle.

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