Algarve yoga and surf eco retreat, Portugal

Planet

The apartments are part of the eco retreat and inspiration land. As well as staying in accommodation full of natural materials, you will get to enjoy a 100% ecological vacation experience. Not only does the retreat harness its energy from sun and wind, but we also source our own water, treat our own drainage and produce a lot of our own food.

The retreat features a bio-dynamic farm which creates great natural produce for you to enjoy, if you so wish, and we have lots of delicious, home-made products available to you. The farm contains various animals; we have chickens, ducks, cats, dogs and donkeys, that all play their part in helping us sustain this rewarding lifestyle – both as committed co-workers and as domestic companions.

We recycle our glass, plastic, paper, metal and food and, because we produce our own renewable energy, we operate with a very low carbon output and minimal waste. Consequently, you can relax, safe in the knowledge that your vacation is putting no additional strain on the planet. Of course, we ask our workers, visitors and guests to help us adhere to this low-impact ethos.

Since we acquire most of our energy from the sun, our supply is limited to what nature gives us. As such, we must ask everyone to be kind to our system; heavy electricity usage and the use of high-consumption appliances – such as irons, hair dryers, etc. – will quickly drain our power supply. If you require the use of such items, we have special, low energy appliances we can provide on request. Of course, this doesn’t mean to say you’ll be sat in the dark if the sun isn’t out; we will always provide energy, but it’s part of the experience to be conscious of your usage. The same goes for water.

Since you are staying at a retreat we provide more than just the apartment; you can come and see, first-hand, what eco living means. We give tours, host workshops and organise excursions, all related to ecology, relaxation, creativity, and connecting with nature.

Both professionally and personally, we live ecologically and ethically as pure as possible. This is how we live our life.

People

In creating this project we have hired only local people and companies to support the local community. We try to buy as much possible from local suppliers and all products from the season and avoid larger chain supermarkets.
The building materials are selected on basis of their embedded energy. We have used many renewable materials such as cork and straw which are evident when wondering through the buildings. Further have built a lot with lime, hemp, clay, clay paints, and so on that are 100% sourced locally.
Recently, we have realized that self-sustainability is not necessarily about doing everything yourself. For us it means to focus your energy at what you're good at and trade with the local community with goods or services that they are good at. For example, we are very successful with tomatoes, strawberries and salads and have found many locals that are happy to trade goods such as their honey, potatoes, etc in return. We hope to continue these transactions in the future.

We further receive help from volunteers that, whilst staying with us, are being exposed to ecological values. Involving this community provides education on sustainability while helping us maintain this project. So although not all volunteers are local, our volunteers will transmit this ecological message all over the planet as well as helping to support local businesses as they explore the area.

Last but not least, this project is humanitarian in nature, and profits are put toward , humanitarian projects. We aim to support local and global projects – both financially and with hands-on help. In this way we can do our bit to help those who devote their lives to aiding others: humans or animals in need.