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Permaculture food forest and healing community in Portugal

5.0
(3 reviews)3

The experience

Hey! I'm Andrew, 37, from England. I bought a small quinta just over 4 years ago near São Pedro do Sul to start a healing permaculture project with food forest, medicinal plants, and community spirit. We value meditation, yoga, dance, plant medicine, and conscious living in general. Looking for volunteers (min. 2 weeks) to co-create and and grow with us. Spring/ summer 2025: veggie garden, compost toilet, outdoor kitchen & forest magic!

What you offer

22 hours of help per week

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

Kitchen Hand: Help prepare, finish and serve meals.

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Farming: Plant crops, sow seeds and help in outside tasks.

What you get

2 days off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

Tent: You will sleep in a tent at a camping site.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Holistic Therapies: You can take part in any of our therapeutic activities for free.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Beginner English

Between 21 and 51 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Our space is off-grid and still in the early stages, so it's important that volunteers come with a flexible mindset and a proactive attitude. Life here is simple and deeply connected to nature: we use firewood to heat water, have a compost toilet, and limited electricity – perfect for those wanting to disconnect from the rush and reconnect with the earth.

Tasks vary with the seasons and may include gardening, land maintenance, small building projects, and creative work. We truly value knowledge exchange, so if you have experience with natural building, permaculture, art, healing practices, or natural cooking, you’re more than welcome to share!

The vibe here is peaceful, with stunning mountain views and plenty of quiet – ideal for introspection, healing, or creative flow.

Meals are simple and mostly vegetarian, often prepared together. No previous experience is needed, but we ask for responsibility, clear communication, and a respectful, easygoing approach to community living.

Activities & Shift

So there is a wide variety of projects that are just waiting to get underway here. As I am here by myself at the moment, a wide range of skills (and also common sense and a willingness to get involved and put energy in) will be very much appreciated!

Setting up some basics of off-grid living is a priority at the moment, and also getting the terraces ready for planting.

Carpentry and building skills would be most welcome (but not essential).
Projects that I am eager to get going include:
- Constructing a treehouse/ deck
- Building a new improved compost toilet
- Clearing the forest, collecting and organising wood...
- Making the outdoor bathroom beautiful with bamboo and tiles.
- Establishing a little nursery for germinating seedlings and nurturing young plants.
- Sheet mulching and other tasks for the food forest (including planting trees etc)
- If you have skills with building/ furniture making/ engineering of any sort, then just let me know and there is space for
a lot of creativity and freedom!

Accommodation: There are several options here, although I must emphasise that this is not a luxury place.
A nice big tent by the stream, with comfortable mattress +/- blankets if needed.
Comfy campervan, with good gas heater for the winter months (making it warmer than my sleeping space!)
I do have a sheltered communal kitchen area with good cooking facilities just outside the house, where we can hang out, have bonfires, and watch the stars. I even just bought a great electric pizza oven for the summer months when there is an abundance of electricity! I high value good quality and delicious food!