Educational Centre for Integrative Medicine, Eco Retreat, Organic Farm
Coimbra
Loural Village, Soft Opening. Final opening in 2024.
Relating ecology, permaculture, collective intelligence, alternative pedagogies and training in integrative therapies.
What is Loural EcoVillage Portugal?
Loural EcoVillage Portugal is a transdisciplinary research and experimentation center for the evolution of new forms of therapy and collective intelligence. On 30 hectares of land in the mountains, we as a collective propose to protect and improve the ecosystem by practising responsible agriculture and producing green energy, we are working towards being almost fully autonomous regarding food and energy.
In parallel with this attitude, the collective is developing an activity oriented towards training and the practice of integrative medicine and well-being, with 5 schools to be built.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE WWOOFER:
- Work 5 hours per day, 6 days a week
- Stay for at least 4 weeks
- Physically in shape
- Responsible
- Willingness to learn and develop together
- 18 yrs or older
- Personal health insurance
You will be asked to sign the Wwoofer Agreement (as provided by Wwoof Portugal)
WHAT WE OFFER:
- Accommodation in a tent provided by us onsite.
- Food vegetarian
- Wi-Fi access
- Sharing of experiences
- Direct contact with life in countryside
We regularly have quite exciting works ongoing!
TASKS - WHAT WE NEED HELP WITH :
In the garden :
- Creation of a new vegetable permaculture garden
- Transformation of the old Permaculture veg garden into a forest garden
- Tree trimming and cutting
- Wood chopping
- Watering young trees
- Spraying young trees with neem oil, stinging nettle tea, etc
- Composting trees or berry bushes
- Gardening
- Forestry
- Planting seedlings
- Watering seedlings
- Weeding of beds
- Cutting grass/ferns and use it for mulching
Outdoor work:
- Maintenance work, machinery, electricity, etc
- River cleaning and arranging
- Assisting in activities related to hosting guests
- Projects (depending of the time of year you come we might have quite a few projects going on which you could be a part of)
Stone work:
- Old dry stone steps repair
- Old dry stone wall repair
- River bed repair
- Creation of small river dam for a mini natural pool
Practical work:
- Kitchen help and cooking
- Cleaning work
FOR AN INITIAL CONTACT - PLEASE INCLUDE :
- Name
- Age
- Contact information (e.g. mobile phone, e-mail, other)
- Dates you would be available (start and end dates)
- Photo of yourself
- Why Loural appeals to you
- What skills and knowledge you could offer **
- What you would most enjoy doing
- Whether you have a tent or will need a bed in the house
- Dietary constraints
- References of past experiences as a Wwoofer or in relevant jobs
** Any skills or experience you may bring with you are a welcome bonus, certainly not an expectation.
WHAT TO BRING:
- Energy and enthusiasm
- Sturdy boots and work clothes
- Swim gear
- Sun protection/hat
- Rain gear+boots - as we can also work outside when it rains!
OTHER:
For your mobility, you can bring your own car if you have one.
We Share cooking with the site manager(s) and other Wwoofers
Please keep your space/room clean; at the end of your stay you will do a thorough clean for the next Wwoofer
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Flower farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Holistic management
Permaculture
Host type
Nonprofit / Community
30
Hectares
|
74.1
Acres
Dimitri
Member since 2016
Languages spoken:
English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 79%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Coimbra
Please contact us for any travel itineraries, we will be more than happy to help you organise your trip to arrive here.
Reviews
Niamh
United Kingdom
•
October 2025
My time at Loural Village will always stand out as a truly special chapter in my life. A real, deep refreshing breath. Dimitri is a kind and knowledgeable individual who has created a safe haven tucked away in the Portuguese mountains.
What makes Loural so unique is Dimitri’s thoughtful approach. He takes a genuine interest in what you’d like to learn and the skills you want to build upon, creating opportunities for you to become immersed in this slice of magic. He has a wonderful way of supporting from a distance — giving you space to figure things out for yourself while offering the guidance and opportunities you need to flourish.
In my case, I was particularly interested in permaculture and in working as a kitchen host for retreats. Dimitri’s 'no pressure, give it a go' attitude made it such a warm and encouraging environment to be part of. It’s a true slow-travel experience, one where you can explore the local food markets, connect with the surrounding nature, and really get to know the area.
I’d also like to give special thanks to everyone else who helps make Loural the magical place it is — Catherine, Pedro, Chiara, and so many others.
I would wholeheartedly recommend Loural Village to anyone who is open to meeting wonderful people, connecting with the land, and embracing a hands-on, heart-centered experience.
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Jade
United Kingdom
•
July 2025
My experience at Loural was life changing. Not only were the people amazing, the retreats and connections I made, but also the mountains and the valleys are bursting with life. Very pure water and food and so much to learn about the medicinal plants that grow there. Dimitri manages everything with a lot of love, has a wealth of knowledge to share and is an incredibly inspiring person, as is his very wise and kind son Zen (who makes the best tiramisu I’ve ever had outside of Italy 🤌🏻) The work is nourishing and was suited around my interests and rhythms (wherever possible). We ate delicious vegetarian meals every night and I went to sleep to the sound of a waterfall. This was my first volunteering experience and I feel very lucky. Go to Loural! You will not regret it.
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Caroline
France
•
October 2024
Loural est un site incroyable où naturellement la Vie se déroule comme sur des roulettes ! La vie est courte, il faut profiter de ces moments de Plaisir !
Aveline
Netherlands
•
October 2024
I stayed at Loural for about a month and enjoyed my time. Beautiful, peaceful place with a cold waterfall inviting you for a refreshment. I liked the approach Dimitri takes on assigning the work; asking for what a volunteer would like to learn or explore and giving space to this accordingly. I helped with the permaculture garden, cooking and the restoration of a ruin. Thank you Loural for having me!
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Chi
United States
•
October 2024
The time at Loural was magical. The land has a soul and is only the second place on earth where I could drink directly from the stream. Dmitri was a great host, always curious about what I wanted to learn and pairing work projects to suit my passions. He was also conscientious not to give too much work, for a sane balance.
Petra
Portugal
•
August 2024
My stay at Loural was a very rich experience! During retreats the place gets busy and wwoofers give a helping hand and sometimes are allowed to participate in a session. The whole ambiance melts in to a big community - guests, , facilitators, residents and wwoofers & the animals (chicken, ducks, dogs and cats). The work is attributed by tasks and I was given a lot of freedom and self-responsibility on how to complete it. There was space to take proper initiative and willingness to contribute where help is needed. The kitchen is a busy place and I was active in keeping it, the food storage and meal area clean and tidy. There is also time to pick things you are passionate about or might discover your passion. I discovered my love for permaculture where I spent a lot of time in the garden to learn as much as possible. I made lots of apple compote to process the harvest, repurposed the collected lavender and dried lime verbena for herbal infusions.
Accommodation is in a spacious shared tent with real beds and bedding in the area where there is a little stream flowing through and a waterfall that is perfect to take a refreshing shower on a hot day.
The bathroom facilities are simple but very functional. The view when brushing your teeth is hard to beat. The compost toilets work really well and showers have hot water. I am so grateful for this first wwoofing experience. Thank you Dimitri and Emilie you are beautiful people. Thank you to all the other people I met at Loural!
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