Whether you are dreaming, transitioning, building, or simply searching for a more meaningful way of living…
few weeks or some months on the farm can become a turning point.

Maybe lately - something feels off.... even though, from the outside, everything looks fine.

Maybe lately - you have noticed a quiet discomfort with the way you live, even though materially you have everything you could wish for.

And yet - something is missing.

And you can’t quite ignore it anymore.

But maybe - you’re already in transition.

Or - you’re dreaming of quitting corporate life in search of something meaningful to you and your family.

Eventually - you want to live more sustainably but have no clue where to start.

Perhaps - you have a renovation or building project and want to turn it into your eco-dream home… but right now it feels like a jungle of questions and choice of materials and ask yourselves “where do we even begin?”

And sometimes - you simply need time out and you’re craving to get your hands into real, living soil. If any of this resonates with you then you’re in the right place.

At Illa do Artes, we invite you to come learn with us — through hands-on experience, shared meals, muddy boots, honest conversations, and the kind of inspiration that doesn’t disappear when you go back home.

Because sometimes all it takes is a few days in the right place… for a small seed to land. 🌱

Price per person (minimum 15 nights - all inclusive, only available 01.09 to 30.06 each year)

€135/ night incl tax - private en-suite forest lodge

€100 / night incl tax - shared room and bathroom

And most importantly, we share what we wish someone had told us when we started.

So that you don’t repeat our mistakes.
So that your path becomes clearer, more grounded, and more joyful.
So that you leave not just inspired — but orientated and focused.

What we offer

You stay with us and during this time, we take you through all the stations — the beautiful ones, the challenging ones and the ones nobody talks about on Instagram.

This is not a course in a classroom. It’s real life, shared.

You will dive into permaculture as a way of thinking and living, not just gardening:

  • observing land, water, wind, soil and microclimates

  • growing food in regenerative, low-input systems

  • composting, soil building, seed saving, and closed cycles

  • working with nature instead of constantly fighting it

You’ll learn about building and renovating the ecological way:

  • how to plan an eco-renovation from the very beginning

  • natural materials, healthy interiors, and common pitfalls

  • what we would do differently today — and why

  • how to avoid expensive mistakes that cost time, money, and energy

You’ll experience daily life on an eco-project:

  • rhythms, routines, and realistic workloads

  • decision-making as a family and as a project

  • balancing ideals with budgets, energy, and real constraints

  • the emotional side of transition — doubts, courage, clarity

Why we do this

We’ve been there.
Literally — and figuratively.

We spent years searching, experimenting, building, failing, rebuilding, questioning everything.
From the dry, sun-burnt landscapes of the Algarve to the lush green abundance of Galicia, we have lived the dream, the illusion, the hard work, and the deep joy of creating a life closer to nature.

We made mistakes.

  • Expensive ones

  • Time-consuming ones

  • Energy-draining ones

And at some point we realised:
If someone had walked us through the whole process back then, our path would have been very different.

That’s why we open our lives, our project, and our experience to others.
Not as gurus.
But as people who are walking this path — with muddy boots, open hearts, and a lot of lessons learned.

Our intention is simple:
to plant a small seed that keeps growing long after you leave.

Who this is for

This month is for you if:

  • you feel something is missing, even though “everything looks fine

  • you are in transition — or feel one approaching

  • you want to leave corporate life (or already have) and search for meaning

  • you dream of living more sustainably but don’t know where to start

  • you plan to renovate or build an eco-home and want to do it right

  • you learn best by doing, not by sitting in a classroom

  • you want honesty, depth, and real-life experience

Who this is not for if:

  • you prefer theory over real life

  • you’re not ready to question your habits, rhythms, and assumptions

What’s included:

When you stay with us, you are not just booking a place — you are becoming part of our everyday life.

Accommodation

You’ll live in one of our beautiful, cozy wooden or stone lodges, surrounded by nature, warm, natural, and intentionally uncomplicated — a place to rest, reflect, and breathe.

Food

All meals are included and mostly come directly from the land, depending on the season. Fresh vegetables, preserved foods, shared cooking, long tables, healthy and nourishing meals. You’ll taste what it means to eat with the seasons.

Learning by living

This is the heart of it all. You learn continuously — through doing, observing, asking, and reflecting:

  • permaculture & regenerative growing

  • eco-renovation & natural materials

  • daily rhythms of a living project

  • decision-making, planning, and real-life problem solving

There is no rigid schedule. Learning happens in the field, in the kitchen, during work, and around the table in the evening.

Shared experience

Time, space, conversations, laughter, doubts, ideas, and inspiration. The kind of learning that doesn’t end when the month is over.