Eco-build volunteer
Pallets, stone and timber — learn natural building by doing.
Volunteer, learn and build
Volunteer, Learn and Build With Us in Portugal
Help hand-build a small eco-retreat in the green hills of Northern Portugal — and be part of the documentary. Three focused weeks, real skills, mountains, rivers and good people.
- 3-week build sprint
- Filmed documentary
- Bed + meals
- 18+
- Safety-first
Project stage: we're securing our land for the September 2026 sprint right now. Register your interest below and we'll personally confirm the exact dates and location with you before anything is fixed — no commitment on either side yet.
What we are building
A retreat, built by hand, in one sprint
Over a 3-week sprint (1–21 September 2026) we turn raw land near Braga into a regenerative eco-retreat: a permaculture garden and food forest, a natural pond, a wood-fired sauna, an outdoor gym, pallet and stone structures, water systems and paths — and the story of it all, on camera.
Who we're looking for
Available roles
Garden / permaculture
Swales, beds and a food forest. Grow food, hands in the soil.
Outdoor gym · pond · sauna
DIY wellness builds. High-risk tasks under competent supervision.
Content creator / film
Capture the build for our documentary — footage and credits.
Skilled mentor
Retired tradesperson? Guide our crew and keep the build safe.
Digital volunteer
Website, infographics and research — remote, flexible.
What volunteers receive
An honest, generous exchange
- A bed (caravan / tent / shared) and meals during your stay
- Hands-on skills: natural building, permaculture, filming
- Photos and footage for your portfolio
- A reference letter / certificate on request
- Credit on our website and in the documentary
- Time in nature: Gerês, rivers and Guimarães nearby
- Community, connection and a genuinely good time
This is a volunteer / learning exchange — not paid employment.
Safety & expectations
We're honest about the work
- ~4–5 hours of work per day, ~5 days a week, with rest days
- A safety briefing before any work; PPE provided for relevant tasks
- Higher-risk work (tools, structure, water, roofs, machinery, electrics) is always done under competent supervision
- You must be 18 or over
- Bring your own travel/health insurance (EHIC/GHIC for EU/UK)
- A “STOP” rule: anyone can pause work if something feels unsafe
Apply to volunteer
Tell us your dates and the role that excites you
We reply personally. Filmed project — by applying you understand participants appear on camera and sign a simple image release.
FAQ
Good to know
- Do I need experience?
- No — many tasks are beginner-friendly. Higher-risk tasks (tools, structure, water, electrics, machinery) are always supervised.
- Is it paid?
- No. This is a volunteer / learning exchange — bed, meals and skills, not wages.
- Is it really filmed?
- Yes. The build is documented for a TV/online series, so you may appear on camera. You sign a simple participant & image release, and we keep an off-camera option.
- Can under-18s join?
- Only within a formal school + guardian + safeguarding framework. Otherwise participants must be 18+.
- What should I bring?
- Work boots, gloves, weather gear, a sleeping bag and a reusable bottle.
- Insurance?
- Please hold your own travel/health cover (EHIC/GHIC for EU/UK). We run safety-first on-site.
Disclaimer & consent
Lusitano Retreat offers volunteer and learning-exchange experiences, not paid employment. Participation is voluntary and unremunerated. Some activities carry inherent risk and require competent supervision; participants follow all safety instructions and take part within our safety framework. Participants must be 18+. We document the build with photo and video; participants may appear in our content and sign a written photo/video release on arrival, with a “no-photo” option. Drone footage follows ANAC/EASA rules. This page is not a contract; specific terms are confirmed on acceptance.
Lusitano Retreat
Come build something real
The more hands, the better. Apply with your dates and what you'd love to learn — we'll reply personally.