Family home and perma gardens - rural
Faro
At the moment we have a winter stop. Starting again, planning for March onwards. So non wwoofing in jan/feb.
At our ancient site where both the Romans and the Celts have lived, you find our Quinta Quixote. We have a number of topics, a fruit forest, and some end-of-the-year permaculture, and we strive to optimize biodiversity and ecological landscaping—both Jan and Jeroen are biologists. Jan is also an MD and a yoga/qigong & meditation teacher.
We approach life as a small family, between 3 and 8 people. Mostly 4-5. And with our 21 chickens, check out our chicken project on our Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@ChickenCastleQQ
We have created the most unique rainwater collecting system of 600.000 liters of water- so we are self-sufficient. Since July we have also been self-sufficient in energy via a solar-battery system.
The essence for us is to learn you how to be present as a Steward for our planet. That has something to do with awareness. The Quinta offers a laboratory for that: can you spot what is needed to do? And walk your talk - be conscious and watch - act without orders...but based on the flow!
Farming as meditation
One of our projects is 'Farming as Meditation,' focusses on implementing permaculture—eco-landscaping and meditation in everyday farming-life. Every day there is something to do in the vegetable gardens or on the land, as you can see hereunder! it is important for us that everyone brings awareness into working on the land, in the workshop, and in the kitchen so that we can maintain our fengshui/zen structure.... Clean Kitchen Policy, for instance. Can you see what is needed to stay in the Feng Shui flow?
Current projects:
We always need people how are able and willing to cook and manage the kitchen for the group (2-8).
1. Manage the vegetable beds -getting weeds out- cleaning the beds and bananacircle.
2. Preparing the creek watering system for the winter water supply
3. Eco-landscaping: Creating a flow of paths through the entire property. Create some space between the Mountain roses against wildfires. Get Creepers out of the Trees.
4. Get rid of dead wood and trees to protect the area against flames.
5. Coordinate the kitchen and the cooking.
6. Clean the ancient celtic tomb from weeds - etc
7. Enhance biodiversity by eradicating step by step the Cistus ladanifer (mountain rose, creates toxins in the soil)
Daily Flow at the Quinta
If you like to can join at 7-8 am for one hour of qigong/yoga/musculation* and various meditative techniques. Sometimes people from outside join us at the Magick circle in the hill, facing the rising sun or at the new Yoga Deck facing the ocean. Jan is a certified yoga and meditation teacher and sometimes lead sessions. We also sometimes have (shamanic music) rituals.
At around 8-9 we have joint breakfast and then we start. There is no fixed time schedule, most Wwoofers work for ca 4-6 hours a day, but if you have an off day you work less, and on an 'on' day you may work more. We go with the flow. Around 1 PM we have lunch, and after chill time. Around 3-4 we start again. Joint diner around 7-ish.
If you have a driving license you can make use of our old car to drive around. In the evening we might have sound-healing, shamanic singing, voice liberation workshop, or just chillin at the bigroom with some YinYoga. We have a separate library with a desk and WIFI for those in need to contact with the external world.
Location
The Quinta is located very much in nature, and many sacred places can be found at the property, old trees and old rock circles. In the hill one very special circle used for group meditations. Olive, carobe and pine trees, stone and cork oaks are the dominant trees. Meanwhile 15 tame chickens are happy roaming around.
How to come here? Best is via an Ueber, they are so cheap nowadays, and busses go really slow.
Site and housing
The property is located near Santa Catharine da Fonte do Bispo, in the Hills of Pocilgais at a dirt road - via a small path you can walk to the village in ca 30 minutes.There is a nice bakery, a money machine and a little supermarket.
You will be housed in one of the 2 nice, fresh, upgraded stable rooms, with drinking water available and an organic simple toilet and an outside shower. You can chill at a big terrace looking upon the vegetable garden. And you also have access to all facilities in the Quinta itself, for warm showering and all.
If we have more wwoofers we have a second, cozy room, the 'adega'. An old stone building from 1800, primitive but sufficient and quite romantic...
An art studio is part of the remodeled stable complex, just as a field kitchen and a bedroom. The Geodome is where I do my bodymind work, trauma release work, shamanistic healing sessions, acupuncture, and tantra-massage-sessions. So it is a private space.
Our Aim and Focus
We strive to improve the entire biotope here at our Quinta to improve the biodiversity. Organic farming is not the only thing we do. We improve the landscape by removing uncontrolled bush growth and take care of fire-risk situations. The premises are quite diverse: hills and valleys and creeks. Biotope with oak trees, olive trees, and fields.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Forestry
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Holistic management
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Nonprofit / Community
2.5
Hectares
|
6.2
Acres
Accommodation
Jan
Member since 2020
Languages spoken:
Dutch, English, German, Portuguese
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 98%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Faro
Faro
Reviews
Andrea
Italy
•
September 2025
Great place and amazing people
Kimberly
Canada
•
May 2025
Jan is a lively, intuitive and fun steward of Quinta Quixote - a peaceful sanctuary of gardens, paths, meditation nooks, and even a labyrinth surrounded by beautiful rolling mountain scenery. Quirky and lovely chicken friends are awaiting to get to know you and working mindfully at whatever task you're doing is encouraged!
In the just over two weeks I was there, the tasks I volunteered to take on included: weeding garden beds and planting seeds and seedlings; pruning fruit trees; weeding the labyrinth; weeding the driveway; and preparing either lunch or supper daily and keeping track of food inventory. I also helped to organize and clean the delightful art space available to all.
The accommodations are clean, comfortable, and private sith cozy beds snd bedding fresh off yhe clothesline. The food is delicious, nutritious and abundant. Jans hot chocolate is exquisite! This is a lovely spacious, flowing and creative place to connect with nature, yourself, and others. I hope to return!
Thank you for having me Jan! All thr best to you!
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Amelie
Germany
•
March 2025
Hello,
I had a wonderful stay at Quinta Quioxte! Jan is a very open-minded and generous host. There is a lot of freedom on the farm to get involved with your projects, to learn and discover. I can recommend everyone to visit this great place and get to know all the chickens. Thank you very much, Jan,
I had a lot of fun with the lemons!
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Margo
France
•
March 2025
La Quinta Quixote is a magical place. I stayed for a 2 weeks, helping to cook and participate in various projects on the farm, including a book about chickens! If you come to the Quinta, you'll learn a lot about these fabulous creatures that are chickens, and Jan knows a lot about them. It was a great experience! And the place is absolutely beautiful, it's very rejuvenating.
Margo
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Nathanael
Germany
•
March 2025
Staying at the Quinta was simply amazing. My first wwoofing experience, and it was all the good things I could have imagined: Beautiful nature, diverse and interesting work, amazing food, and just a very welcoming environment. Jan is a very caring host and an extremely knowledgeable person from which one can learn a lot. I can only recommend him as a host and the Quinta as a Wwoofing location.
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Anna
Denmark
•
February 2025
My stay at Quinta Quixote was fantastic!
First of all, I experienced the quinta as a very beautiful and peaceful place to be. The location of Jans quinta is like a dream and the quinta itself is beautiful! Jan is good at welcoming you to the place, and make you feel free and included. He is a very caring
man, and to me, it seemed like he truely was focused on making my stay be as good as possible. I really felt a deep connection to the place, and to the people at the place.
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