Information for participants

In 2024, we bought two plots of land near Penamacor in Portugal. One part is open countryside with a small lake in the middle and some 70 mature olive trees (Lago). The other part is 2/3 feral forest with cork oak, olive and lots of gorse and 1/3 arable land (Floresta). There is no building or ruin on the land, no electricity connection and no running water. In short, it is pure nature and we want to keep it that way as much as possible.

Florago is an oasis of peace in one of the last quiet areas in Europe. We want both ourselves and the Florago participants to enjoy this meditative silence, nature and the views of the surroundings and the Estrelas Mountains. From Florago you can do great hiking and MTB cycling in an undiscovered area. After the hike, you can take a dip in the small lake on the land or in the stream a little further away.

Travel a little further and visit beautiful authentic mountain villages like Montsanto and Penamacor. And within an hour’s drive you are in the high mountains of the Estrelas, Portugal’s highest mountains with numerous hiking trails.

We are developing the land at Florago based on the principles of permaculture design and organic farming. So working with nature instead of against nature and no use of synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. We are creating a diverse food forest with fruits, nuts, berries and herbs. Every year, we plant about 200 more trees and shrubs. So once the food forest becomes productive, we can all enjoy these yields. By eating them directly or if the production is high enough, by preserving them together for later use. Last autumn, we harvested and preserved our first olives and they are amazing.

Accommodation at Florago is currently on a wild camping basis but we plan to make some platforms with tents for participants. There is a composting toilet available but otherwise you have to be self-sufficient. We ourselves use a converted campervan combined with solar for electricity, cook on an outdoor gas kitchen, get water from the spring near the village and shower with a camping shower bag.

We are looking for longer-term participants who want to join us in enjoying this great place in nature and also put their energy and creativity into developing and preserving it. We are present in Portugal part of the year. During these periods, we can meet prospective participants on the land and show them around. After that, you can stay on the land independently or with other participants throughout the year. If you are retired or on a sabbatical, you can also live on the land the whole year. The aim is for you to feel at home on the land and enjoy it to the full.

During your stay do expect some commitment on the land, such as:

• Watering the trees and shrubs in the dry summer period
• Pruning trees and bushes
• Planting new trees, berry bushes and herbs

In addition, in the coming years, we would like to work on fencing around the grounds, covered outdoor kitchen for common use and a shed for tools and equipment. It is an advantage if you have some job experience or are handy.

The Florago project is funded by donations that are used to purchase trees, tools and building materials.

If you are interested, please contact us on info@florago.org and we can set up on online meeting to get to know each other.