Experience Life at a small family homestead in the Green Hills of Alto Minho, Portugal

Infos

• 

  Description

  Hi there! 😊
  
  We are an Iberian family of three: Carmen from Spain, João from Portugal, and our daughter Mafi.
  
  A few years ago, we found this old quinta in the green hills of Alto Minho and decided to make it our home. Since then, we’ve been slowly bringing it back to life — growing food, looking after animals, restoring old spaces and learning as we go.
  
  It’s a small, lively family homestead: horses in the fields, chickens wandering around, vegetables growing when the season allows, and always something that needs doing. We love the idea of sharing this place with someone who enjoys nature, practical work, slow living and discovering a different side of Portugal.
  
  We’re now looking for **one person** who would enjoy becoming part of this rhythm for a while. Ideally, someone who works remotely and would like a peaceful rural base in Portugal for a few months.
  
  You would spend a few hours helping around the homestead, then have the rest of the day for your own work, exploring, hiking, reading or simply enjoying the countryside.
  
  ### What kind of help?
  
  There is always a mix of things to do, depending on the season and the weather: helping in the vegetable garden, preparing seedlings, watering and tending plants, keeping things tidy and in good order, small DIY or maintenance jobs, and helping with the animals.
  
  The animals are an important part of everyday life here, so you should be comfortable around horses and happy with the simple routines that come with having animals around — checking water, topping up food, cleaning when needed, collecting eggs and generally making sure everyone is fine.
  
  Previous experience isn’t essential — you don’t need to be an experienced farmer or gardener. What matters to us is being practical, responsible and willing to learn. We’ll show you how things work here, and as you become familiar with the routines, we appreciate someone who naturally begins to take initiative and anticipate what needs to be done, while being mindful of the animals’ routines and wellbeing.
  
  The kind of help naturally changes with the seasons. As a general guideline, we’re talking about around **3–4 hours a day**, but we prefer a flexible approach rather than watching the clock. What matters most to us is that the agreed responsibilities are properly taken care of.
  
  ### Where will you stay?
  
  You’ll have your own little place to live.
  
  The studio occupies one end of our traditional family home. It has its own private entrance, patio and living space, so it feels like a separate little home while still being part of the original house.
  
  It was originally the **old bakehouse**, where bread was once baked. We have restored it into a cosy **tiny-home-style studio** with a mezzanine

• 

  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage d'entretien

  Aide dans une ferme

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Petits travaux d'entretien
• 

  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Culture

  

  Films et télé

  

  Vie en van

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Politique/justice sociale

  

  Événements/vie sociale

  

  Ferme

  

  Écriture

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Musique

  

  Auto-stop

  

  Langues

  

  Histoire

  

  Jardinage

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Art et design

  

  Animaux

  

  Plage

  

  Nature

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Yoga / bien-être
• 

  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Living here means experiencing a little of both sides of the Iberian Peninsula. Carmen is from Spain and João is Portuguese, so everyday life at Casa da Quinta naturally brings together both cultures, languages, food and ways of doing things.
  
  There’s also plenty to discover beyond the farm. The Alto Minho is a region where rural traditions are still very much part of everyday life, from local markets and food to village festivals, traditional crafts and the way people work the land.
  
  During your stay, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn about the everyday life of a small family homestead — from growing vegetables and caring for animals to seasonal tasks and the practical work involved in looking after a piece of land.
  
  And of course, we’re happy to share the places we love around here: the Coura River and its swimming spots, forests and walking trails, small villages, local markets and historic towns, as well as nearby Tui, Vigo, Ponte de Lima and the Atlantic coast.
  
  We don’t have a programme of organised activities — part of the experience is simply living here for a while, sharing some moments with us and discovering the region at your own pace. We also love learning from the people who come here, so the exchange goes both ways.

• 

  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

• 

  Aide

  We’re looking for practical help around our small family homestead. Depending on the season, this may include gardening and preparing seedlings, watering and tending plants, general tidying and small maintenance or DIY projects, as well as helping with the animals — checking water and food, cleaning when needed, collecting eggs and making sure everyone is doing well.
  
  The kind of help naturally changes with the seasons and weather, and we’re happy to show you our routines and teach you what you need to know. Once you’re familiar with things, we appreciate someone who can take initiative and get on with the agreed tasks independently.

• 

  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Espagnol: Courant
  Portugais: Courant
  Galician: Intermédiaire

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
• 

  Hébergement

  A cosy, private tiny-home-style studio with its own entrance and outdoor space. It occupies one end of our traditional family home and has its own living area, private bathroom and kitchenette, giving you the feeling of having a little home of your own.
  It was originally the old bakehouse, which we have restored into a comfortable little space with a mezzanine sleeping area, heating and fast Wi-Fi.

• 

  Autres infos...

  We are a bike ride away from the main village: Paredes de Coura (less than 2 km) there is some supermarkets, shops, cafes , restaurants, and a little bus station.
  
  We are a 25' bus ride away from Valença-Tui (PT-SP border) which has a railway station that serves regional and long-distance trains as well as connecting local services across the border to Galicia.
  
  Another bus ride will take you to Ponte de lima (the oldest town in Portugal, which has almost 900 years of history.)
  
  We are about 40 minutes away by car from Vigo Airport and 1.10h from Porto Airport.
  
  Big cities like Braga and Vigo are 50 min drive
  
  The final stage of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago is not far from here, and Santiago de compostela is about 150 kilometers away.

• 

  Informations complémentaires

  • 

    Accès Internet

  • 

    Accès Internet limité

  • 

    Nous avons des animaux

  • 

    Nous sommes fumeurs

  • 

    Familles bienvenues

• 

  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  The studio is a private, self-contained space, so you can work comfortably from your own accommodation without needing to share a workspace with the family. It has a small desk/work area and fast Wi-Fi suitable for remote work, video calls and everyday online work.

• 

  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Un

• 

  Mes animaux

  Mica

Sécurité du site