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Learn all about planting and processing cocoa in Ilhabela, SP 🌱

The experience

Located in Veloso, Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil, we are rural producers focused on organic Agroforestry products, with cocoa being our crown jewel. 🌱💎

The farm was founded in 2000, and our brand was launched in 2017. We are a young couple with a little baby and in 2024 we moved permanently from Lisbon to Ilhabela. All fruit and vegetable production is organic and does not use pesticides or agrochemicals.

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

Cleaning: Help clean the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas.

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

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

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

Additional fee required

Amount: R$ 100 Per week

Fee pays for: Benefits for travelers, Materials for volunteer activities, and Donation to project

Description: Pequena ajuda com custos de comida e despesas com eletricidade e gás

What you get

2 days off per week

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

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

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Free Hiking Tours: We’ll take you on excursions and hikes around town. For free!

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.

Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely

Dedicated Workspace: Specific space for you to work remotely

Requirements

Fluent Portuguese or Fluent English

Between 18 and 60 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

Mandatory volunteer introduction video

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

The entire cocoa plantation is in symbiosis with the Atlantic forest, and in addition to cocoa, we produce several types of banana, acerola, açaí, lingonberry, lime, pomegranate, cassava, cupuaçu cocoa, avocado, breadfruit, graveola, coconut, annatto, Sicilian lemon, tangerine, papaya, among other crops. 🍌🍊

We are developing a chocolate factory to process cocoa nibs, and we carry out the entire process of harvesting, stoning, fermenting and drying cocoa beans in an artisanal way. 🍫

Our goal is to demonstrate all these processes and receive help with them, as well as to learn new techniques and new perspectives from the people we welcome here at the farm.

Ilhabela is the largest maritime island in Brazil, full of waterfalls, paradisiacal beaches and trails, with 80% of the island being protected by the Ilhabela State Park. The Caiçara culture is one of the island's strongholds, fishing and the sea are the island's predominant themes. Water sports are also one of the island's attractions, with the International Ocean Sailing Week being one of the highlights of the year, attracting tourists and sportspeople from all over the country and the world.
The island has more than 300 waterfalls, incredible trails, water sports, cultural venues with live music and DJs, restaurants and markets.

The head of the entire project is Fabíola, an architect by training, singer and composer. Her partner is Frederico, who left Lisbon behind to join in the adventure of managing the farm and helping out with whatever is needed; he works as a tour manager in a theater company. Another reason why they decided to leave the city for the Atlantic Forest: Rita, who was born in January 2024 and loves eating cocoa nibs and fruit in general.

Activities & Shift

Our visitors will get to know Brazilian culture and food, and we also have a pizza and bread oven and a wood-burning stove. Next to the farm, there is a beautiful waterfall and trail, the Veloso waterfall. We will organize group activities and family meals, but we will also give them complete freedom to explore the island and take more touristic tours, one of the most famous being the visit to the isolated community of Bonete, a caiçara village that emanates local culture and is one of the most beautiful places on the island.

All the knowledge we have about the cultures and animals that are present in the Atlantic Forest will be passed on to our visitors, as well as learning new techniques and traits of their culture. We will also show some of our favorite places, as well as local restaurants and businesses that focus on organic and native Brazilian products.

The harvesting and processing of cocoa will be our greatest knowledge to share, as well as its health benefits.

We are looking for people with experience in vegetable gardens and greenhouses. One of our focuses is the self-sustainability of food for the site and the sale of the remaining food to promote local products. We are interested in bio-construction, agroforestry techniques, clearing brush, and fruit harvesting. We are looking for proactive people who enjoy nature, animals, and children. The work will be divided and distributed. We also want to leave space and time for people to enjoy the island and the wonders it has to offer. What we are offering is an unusual experience on a cocoa and organic farm, but we are also very open to learning from the experience of the people we will host. In the end, it will be an exchange of knowledge and an experience that we will both take with us for life.

Rules

We will provide some basic cooking products such as rice, pasta, and farm produce, but more specific foods will be the responsibility of the visitors. There are several markets on the island, including in the south of the island where we are located. Depending on the work, the task of cooking will be assigned to the visitors or to us.

We do not allow visitors or overnight stays from anyone other than our guests.
We do not have parties here.
We have dogs on the property, and other animals such as chickens.