Wine Grower

Faro

21 • Updated 11 months ago

WINE GROWER CERTIFIED ORGANIC Family Farm located in the West Algarve, 3km from Lagos. Old Algarvian’s farm which reborn in 2000. We produce mostly wine but also almonds We enjoy meeting new people with their own experience and initiative. We like to open our farm to people with true good feelings for nature that love working outside. We are looking for woofers that like teamwork, being autonomous and reliable. We are searching for people who are willing to stay for at least 1 month and that already have experience with construction and/or agricultural backgroung. We only accept volunteers older than 22 years old. Accomodation is very simple and basic. Volunteers sleep in a nice and small house, made from a container and covered in wood. Shower (WITH hot water) has a roof but the walls are very rustic. The toilet is a compost toilet, which means it has no water - it works with wood chips It is a beautiful place full of positive energy and great for people seeking a simple life experience, contact with nature and learning the daily life of a farm. Volunteers are responsible for preparing their own meals. We provide all the ingredients. If you have a special request regarding food, we can talk about it. Internet access near the main house. As we already have 3 dogs - 1 girl and 2 boys - it is not easy to receive a new animal visitor. If you are traveling with your pet friend, please tell us in advance and explain us his characteristics/bahaviour, so we can decide if if we have the conditions to host him/her too. Please bring natural hygiene products, as we don't want to contaminate our water and soil. Thank you! The tasks are always different during the season and depending on the type of growing. We mostly need help for weeding, pruning, bottling, sowing, harvesting and cleaning. Organic methods: Green manure, manual weeding, compost production, etc. Certifications: Sativa

Learning opportunities

Viticulture

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Holistic management

Permaculture

Host type

Production farm

Certified organic

6 Hectares | 14.8 Acres

Accommodation

4+ WWOOFers

Bedroom

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

Over a month

Guillaume

Member since 2017

Languages spoken: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

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Response rate: 76% Response time: typically within 4 days

Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Faro

3 km from Lagos. Train station and bus station in Lagos

My past WWOOFers

Justine

June 2026 • Luxembourg, Belgium

Jeanette

May 2026 • Sligo, Ireland

Federico

March 2026 • Vicenza, Italy

Gabriel

February 2026 • Slovakia

Paul-Louis

January 2026 • Bolzano, Italy

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Feedback

Jeanette

Ireland • April 2026

My experience here was incredibly special and peaceful. My first impression was 'wow this is perfect'. Guillaume came to pick me up and I was welcomed by the wonderful workers and other WWOOFER; Pearla, Jasmin and Odile. I did various jobs spanning from prepping guest breakfasts to training the vines out in the field to wall decorating. I worked at my own pace and always enjoyed it. I am very grateful for this place. What made it even better was the fact that I was given one of Guillaume's bikes to cycle to the beach after work and on the weekends. I will be returning! My final impression: 'still perfect'.

Odile

France • February 2026

J'ai insisté pour être accueillie au vignoble de Monte da Casteleja et bien m'en a pris ! L'activité d'hiver n'est pas si réduite et de nombreuses activités sont possibles pour aider, quand on n'a pas de connaissances de la vigne, comme dans mon cas : désherber autour des ceps, couper les plantes envahissantes, comme le fenouil, ou les arbustes, entre les plants et dans les allées ; ramasser les sarments taillés, puis évacuer tout cela sur les abords... Bien sûr, ceux qui savent tailler sont recherchés mais les p'tites mains ont largement leur place ! Guillaume prépare sa demande de certification en biodynamie et j'ai pu participer à la création de nouveaux espaces verts et leurs plantations, dans le cadre de ce projet. Perspective enthousiaste et interaction créative ! À Monte da Casteleja, on fait aussi équipe avec de nombreuses autres nationalités (wwoofers, salariés ou saisonniers, membres de la famille). Éclectisme joyeux et enrichissant ! Nous avons su nous soutenir les uns les autres dans la succession de tempêtes, de vent et de pluie, traversées... Que de bons souvenirs ! Merci à Guillaume, ses fils Carlos et Diogo, pour leur accueil chaleureux et tous nos partages ! Et surtout, ne pas hésiter à aller donner le coup d'main à Monte da Casteleja où la convivialité sera au rendez-vous, sans nul doute 😉.

Paul-Louis

Italy • January 2026

We stayed two weeks at Casteleja with Guillaume in January because we wanted to get to know winemaking in Portugal. We lived in the cabin that is usually for 4 people and shared the kitchen, compost toilette and outdoor shower with the wonderful Odile, a long time volunteer at Casteleja (she stayed alone in the caravan that’s close to the shared facilities). The water for showering was hot and the cabin was heated so we had it nice and cozy. Sheets and towels were given to us and the kitchen was properly equipped. We helped Monday to Friday from 8 to 13 o’clock with the rest of the team in the vineyards and got pocket money for groceries from Guillaume, there were no shared meals. Non the less we organized nice dinners together with Guillaume and the team and went to the market together. Of course we brought working clothes with us but we didn’t expect it to be this wet and rainy. If you come to help in the winter months bring functional clothing and rubber boots. Guillaume was so kind to equip us with the things we did not have. We had a rented car and this was very helpful to go to the city for everything. But Guillaume has a bike which you can use and there are also buses to take. Monte Da Casteleja is a beautiful place and Guillaume a talented winemaker. We are very sad that we could only spent two weeks there and I think it makes a lot of sense to stay longer to really understand a place and be part of it. We hope to come back next year for pruning.

Lucrezia

Italy • October 2025

A wonderful experience in a magical place. When I arrived, I was looking for a place where I could take a break from my life and be in touch with nature and the sea, and above all, where I could meet new people. All my expectations were met. The people I met in Lagos now have a special place in my heart, the beaches are beautiful, and Guillaume is an excellent host. He is kind and friendly, puts love into everything he does, and you can taste it in the good wine he produces. At the weekend, he took me and other volunteers to some breathtaking beaches that I couldn't have reached by bike. The work, even during the harvest season, is not too hard and is quite varied. The accommodation requires a bit of adaptation on the part of the woofers, some solutions may be a little uncomfortable, but nothing is missing and I would do it all again. I left a piece of my heart at Monte da Casteleja and I may return one day Obrigada por tudo <3 Merci <3

Arianna

Germany • October 2025

I spent a great month at Guillaume's farm, the place is really beautiful and peaceful. I was personally looking for a place where I could give my contribution, learn, being outside and detach from busy life and thus it was perfect for me. Guillaume is veery kind and available, every morning we would meet up and tell us about the plan for the day. We also had some nice outings and lunch/dinners together also with other volunteers and workers that made it nice to connect. September was time of harvesting, but the tasks were different and varied. Some days were a workout :D and some days more chill. Working in the vineyards, picking grapes, working in the winery, cleaning, labeling.. The woofer living area is rustic but organised, with the basics that are needed. I believe is good to be adaptable and expect simple living. Personally I loved waking up and when going outside being so close to the fields and washing my teeth at night while looking at the stars :) Thank you Guillaume, it was a beautiful experience and very important for me to have a glimpse of south Portugal country living :)

Leah

Canada • October 2024

Had a lovely time working Guillame and staying at Monte da Casteleja. I was there at the end of harvest, so was able to take part in the late harvest of a few lines. Other than that I worked harvesting almonds and other jobs on the vines. Fábio was great to work with as well, and so was Charles and Paula. Accommodations are basic but you have everything you need. Weekly laundry, outdoor shower and toilet, and a full kitchen and bedroom. I ended up extending my stay as I really enjoyed my time. The location is just outside of Lagos which is great. Thanks to Guillame and the team!