Regenerating an abandonned farm and establishing a permaculture and natural healing space in Tripeiro, Portugal

Infos

• 

  Description

  Our Quinta is an old schist-stone farmhouse in the foothills of the Gardunha mountains, central Portugal — abandoned for 30 years before we started renovating in 2021. We also restored the former winemaking ruin into "the tiny wine house." That’s where we live now. The property includes 0.5 ha of terraced land with ancient olive trees, cork oaks, figs and fruit trees. In 2022 we added a 1-acre horta with 4 ancient stone water wells, where we launched our permaculture food forest project.
  
  The farm sits on a hilltop overlooking a village of 38 inhabitants. A municipal river beach is 5 minutes by car; the main town 35 minutes. Several secluded river beaches are within walking distance of our farm.
  
  We are Jeroen (54) and Paul (55), a Dutch male couple together 25 years, living between Amsterdam and Portugal. Jeroen worked before as an artist, video editor and massage/bodywork therapist, before founding a natural healing centre in Amsterdam in 2011 that is still going strong with currently over 10 therapists working there. Paul worked as a documentary photographer, a mechanical special effects maker and currently works at the VU Amsterdam in movement studies dept. We live with our dogs MaryLou & HeyHey.
  
  Our farm's name comes from the Tzolkin calendar: we were both born on a Blue Hand day, a symbol for everything understood, made and healed through the hands.
  
  In 2026 we begin artisanal essential oil and hydrosol production using a copper alambic. Jeroen plans to host a nature coaching retreat and an olive harvest retreat in autumn 2026.

• 

  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Aide dans une ferme

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général

  Aide informatique/internet

  Garde de maison et d'animaux
• 

  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Vidéographie

  

  Événements/vie sociale

  

  LGBT+

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Animaux de compagnie

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Ferme

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Musique

  

  Histoire

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Livres

  

  Art et design

  

  Photographie

  

  Jardinage

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Architecture

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Animaux

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Montagne

  

  Danse

  

  Plage

  

  Sports nautiques

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Randonnée

  

  Cyclisme
• 

  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
• 

  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  - Permaculture combined with traditional Portuguese (and Moorish) small-scale agriculture
  - Life in a centuries-old traditional European village culture
  - Harvesting plant material and making essential oils
  -Olive oil production as a living tradition
  -Working with natural stone / clay and lime but also cement/concrete mixing

• 

  Aide

  We ask for 4 hours of help per day, Monday–Friday, 09:00–13:00. Breakfast at 08:00–08:30, daily work meeting at 08:30–08:45. Lunch is the main meal at 13:00; siesta 13:30–15:00. We cook and do dishes in turns.
  
  During the hot months we shift to early morning hours (07:00–09:00) and the late afternoon shade (17:00-19:00) to avoid the heat, with a cooling swim at a nearby river beach or mountain lake
  
  **Minimum stay:** 10 working days (within 2 weeks). **Maximum:** 8 weeks.
  We offer car transfer from Castelo Branco or Fundão station (±40 min) — let us know your arrival in advance as we prefer one trip to town per week.
  
  **Possible tasks in 2026:** making garden paths, chainsaw/axe work, firewood stacking, producing biochar, - bringing sand, clay, pebbles and cement downhill with the wheelbarrow, making essential oil/hydrosol, pouring a cement floor in the traditional bread oven space , re-installing outdoor kitchen outdoor hot shower for 2026 volunteers season, painting wood, soil improvement, weeding, mulching, planting, watering, harvesting, pruning (vegetables, grapes, olives), cooking, dishes, building herbal steam sauna /camper platform during autumn.
  
  **Paid work in 2026** (experienced carpenter/furniture maker with detailed visual portfolio of finished projects): making wooden kitchen and veranda balustrade for the tiny wine house.

• 

  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Intermédiaire
  Allemand: Débutant
  Portugais: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  We are practicing portugese, can exchange in dutch, english and french
• 

  Hébergement

  - **Camper:** spot on the hilltop with drinking water tap and great views over the valley and green hills.
  - **Tent:** terraces in the olive grove (March–September)- Bring your own warm sleeping bag
  - In 2026 we'll set up a large 10×5m army tent as communal space — allowing up to 6–10 guests (previously max. 2) Here we will install this years outdoor kitchen. (since bread oven is under construction)
  - Sleeping inside the farmhouse is currently not possible(may change after summer 2026)
  - Cold running water, electricity.
  - Cold outdoor shower in summer; hot shower in tiny wine house bathroom in winter
  - Starlink wifi around farmhouse + 4G/5G at camper spot
  - Billions of stars at night; very hot in July–August; mild and sunny in march-may and sept-oct, with occasional very heavy rain
  
  **House rules:** non-smoking preferred (smoke only at your camper, away from buildings, garden and dogs). Phones/tablets off during meals, work meetings and working hours. Natural medicinal herbs welcome; hard drugs not tolerated. A glass of wine with bread, olive oil and goat cheese in the evening is very much part of our lifestyle here.

• 

  Autres infos...

  We're open to shared yoga, meditation, bodywork, music, singing and dancing. Board games welcome.
  
  We go to town roughly once a week (supermarket, farmers market, building supplies, restaurants). Daily swims at river beaches on hot days. Hiking in the hills and the Gardunha mountain range is on the doorstep.
  
  
  ---

• 

  Informations complémentaires

  • 

    Accès Internet

  • 

    Accès Internet limité

  • 

    Nous avons des animaux

  • 

    Nous sommes fumeurs

  • 

    Familles bienvenues

• 

  Espace pour garer des vans

  Tarmac road + 200m dirt track (no 4×4 needed). Hilltop spot with panoramic views over valley and green hills, drinking water tap, outdoor shower, compost toilet access. solar panel with big battery available for charging phone/tablet/laptop.

• 

  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  a dog that enjoys to play with other dogs. cats only if they are used to be carefull when village dogs are around

• 

  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

• 

  Mes animaux

  MaryLou (3 ans)

  HeyHey

Sécurité du site

Discutez avec des workawayers qui ont séjourné chez cet hôte

Feedback (1)