Tea Plantation near the Atlantic Ocean
Azores
*** Holistic – sustainable – community-based ***
Become part of an exciting project to build an organic tea farm on the volcanic island of São Miguel – the main island of the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the mid-Atlantic. Started seven years ago, the project now has a solid infrastructure: fertile land by the sea, our first tea plants ready for harvest, and a well-stocked nursery full of young plants ready to go into the fields. Two renovated houses – one on the plantation and one nearby – offer space for our team and guests.
The project follows a holistic approach, combining ecological, social, and economic sustainability. Our goal is to create a living, mostly self-sufficient example that grows through practical action – in line with the principle of “learning by doing.” Consumption and expectations take a back seat, while experience, community, and growth come first.
Our core team includes four local employees and two project leaders. Together, we are developing the farm: right now, we are working on a new dryer, to dry our harvest - which should just run with sun energy and the heat generating by composting. Also, we are setting up a new nursery with around 10.000 tea plants and as soon as possible, we will also create a nursery for other trees, which will become our windbreaks.
What to expect:
Bring your ideas and energy! Help us with diverse tasks like weeding, planting, building paths, and caring for the plants. You’ll work three days a week (Monday–Wednesday) for 8 hours/day - it could be also five days a week, fewer hours per day. We are flexible :) What will be included, is a freshly cooked vegetarian/vegan meal.
Living & Lifestyle:
The guesthouse has three private bedrooms – you're welcome to come with a partner or friend. It also includes a kitchen with dining area, two bathrooms, a garden with terrace, and a rooftop, where you can enjoy the sunrise and sunset. Washing machine and dryer are available. And of course, we have WiFi as well ;)
You can reach the plantation by foot (40 mins), rental car/scooter/bike, or catch a ride with a team member. But we would recommend, to rent a car or a scooter - some people were disappointed without having a car - they couldn't see much from the island.
Our daily life is vibrant and diverse. We love cooking with local ingredients, baking bread in a wood-fired oven, and preserving vegetables – feel free to join in and get inspired!
If you're interested, send us a introduction with your skills, interests, and preferred dates. We prefer volunteers, which stay at least six weeks or longer - it greats a stronger relationship :)
If you have read so far, please add to your message the word "butterfly"
We look forward to meeting you!
Warm greetings,
Gloria & Martin
!!! Don´t worry, it takes me some time (3-10 days) to answer your message.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Renewable energy production
Food justice / sovereignty
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Production farm
7
Hectares
|
17.3
Acres
Gloria
Member since 2025
Languages spoken:
English, German, Portuguese
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 95%
Response time: typically within 8 days
Azores
Ponta Delgada - Airport
Reviews
Silvestro
France
•
December 2025
I spent 5 weeks at the plantation and it was my first WWOOFing experience.
The tasks were differents, I planted and harvest seeds, mulched the existing plants.
Working with this view is very pleasant. I organised with Gloria my working day and worked with the nice locals.
During our lunch I had really interesting conversation with Martin and Gloria about agricolture, locals and other topics.
During my stay I even visited 2 other islands thanks to Gloria's flexibility I could have an even longer weekend.
Two things I wish I'd considered before coming:
- Maia is pretty remote and on Saturday and Sunday there are just 2 buses to get back home from Ponta Delgada.
- In October it rains pretty much with strong winds so be equipped if you want to travel.
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Bridget
United States
•
October 2025
Spent the month of August here with a friend and we were so welcomed by Gloria and Martin! . I felt that we had a lot of say in which tasks we got to do which was wonderful. The more time you’re able to stay, the more involved you’re able to be in the tea harvesting process itself. The plantation is so beautiful and of course there’s plenty of time to explore outside of it as well. However, I would say it’s necessary to rent a car or scooter if youre interested in spending time outside of Maia, especially in the offseason. Thanks for hosting us!
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Maya
Germany
•
October 2025
Meine erste Wwoofing-Erfahrung war einfach großartig! Gloria und Martin haben mich super herzlich aufgenommen und waren immer für Fragen da. Die Arbeit war total vielseitig – von Unkraut jäten, Tee, Tomaten und Paprika ernten, Tee abwiegen und verpacken, bis hin zum Bau eines kleinen Teiches. Sogar beim Kochen fürs Mittagessen konnte man sich einbringen, wenn man Lust hatte.
Ich habe mich die ganze Zeit über sehr willkommen und wertgeschätzt gefühlt. Es gab immer Raum für Pausen, gute Gespräche und die Arbeit wurde flexibel angepasst, wenn man mal k.o. war.
Danke für diese tolle und bereichernde Zeit !!
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Patrick
Netherlands
•
September 2025
Ik heb 3 weken gewerkt op de theeplantage. Het was mijn 1ste Wwoofer ervaring en gelijk een geweldige ervaring. Vanaf het begin voelde ik me al welkom. De werkzaamheden zijn afwisselend en het word ook heel erg afgestemd met je. Heel veel geleerd over de thee planten. En hoe moeilijke planten het zijn. We waren met 3 lokale werkers, een aantal vrijwilligers en Martin en Gloria. Dus social ook veel geleerd van iedereen. Om 12.00 uur was de gezamelijke lunch en daar keek ik ook iedere keer naar uit. Echt heerlijk. Ook het vele eten wat ze ons veel al uit eigen groente tuin mee gegeven was echt heel goed verzorgd. De accomodatie waren we sliepen was ook perfect .Vooral je eigen kamer vond ik echt heel fijn. Kort samengevat: het was een geweldige en leerzame ervaring die ik niet snel meer zal vergeten. Martin en Gloria zijn echt hele lieve mensen met een hart van goud.
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Stef
Netherlands
•
September 2025
This was my first farm volunteering experience and for me it was really great. The operation isn't very expansive yet (e.g. compared to the big plantations like Cha Gorreana), but there are a lot of different projects going on (obviously the tea, but also a big vegetable garden, flowers, and more). This meant that there was a lot to discover, and I really appreciated that Gloria was so supportive and flexible in discussing tasks that also fit our interests or abilities. This meant that everyday looked different. So if you work well with variety and flexibility, this will be a good place for you. I also really appreciated our daily communal lunches during the work days as a nice moment to touch base and have a good hearty meal. Gloria and Martin are very kind people so I wish them and the plantation all the best!
Two things I wish I'd considered before coming:
- Maia is pretty remote and public transport on the island is bad, so make sure to arrange transport if you value mobility. I ended up renting a scooter which was great! You can contact companies and arrange a discount if you stay for longer.
- Sao Miguel has amazing produce, but generally they don't have a lot of international food options or big variety (also not in supermarkets). I cook mostly Asian foods so I struggled a lot food wise. So if you cook with a lot of spices or condiments (especially Asian ones), make sure to bring them with you!
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Julie
Czechia
•
July 2025
My stay at the Atlantic Plantation was really nice, I learnt so much from Gloria and all the workers at the farm, they were all really nice with me and helpfull. I 100% recommend this project, for me it was my first WWOOF experience and I couldn't choose better. I had an amazing time there.
