Willkommen bei Quinta do Vale da Lama

Quinta do Vale da Lama is an oasis of sustainable living in the touristic Algarve. We are situated in the small town of Odiaxere, amidst of a protected natural park between Lagos and Portimão, 3km from the beautiful beach of Meia Praia.

The functions and activities of the site are divided into three main areas:

- Permaculture institute where we host courses, workshops and internship programs about permaculture and sustainability, as well as crafts, plants, animal husbandry, bio construction etc;
- permaculture farm, that supports our aims for maximum food self sufficiency and most holistic way of farming, including food forests, orchards, vineyard, vegetable gardens, donkeys and chicken, aquaponics and other systems designed and managed by permaculture principles; and
- summer camp of the non-profit organisation Projecto Novas Descobertas for educating kids on where their food comes from and how a farm works. There are also many sports activities at PND, especially during the summer, including archery, swimming, hiking and cycling.

In the main house hosting the institute, staff and volunteers we have facilities for hosting up to 40 people. During courses and workshops the kitchen is run by our amazing chefs, and outside courses the staff and volunteers take turns preparing lunch and dinner. The food on the farm is mainly vegetarian, and most special diets can be catered for. We offer accommdation in the dormitories or camping in tents we provide, depending on the availability of space in each moment. Solar heated showers are provided both in the main house as well as at the campsite of PND.

Wwoofers are asked to do 6 hours work, 5 days a week (Monday to Friday) and the work varies depending on the need of the farm. Staff and volunteers living on the farm also collectively participate the rotation of cleaning and other housekeeping chores. Jobs usually take place outdoors in the garden, orchards or food forests and provides hands on opportunities for learning about everyday care of these systems.

The farm is located about 30 minute walk from the village of Odiaxere with some shops, cafes etc. and the farm has bicycles for moving around more fluently. There's a swimming pool at the main house for taking a refreshing dip on the breaks, and the beautiful beach of Meia Praia is also just a walking distance away from us. We are a joyful community of approximately ten permanent or long term staff and volunteers, complemented with wwoofers and students at the institute, up to 40 people at a time. If you feel inspired to join us and share the life and work on the farm, we're waiting for your application!