Pedro Santos

No thanks needed. I'll send you some contacts via PM that will be useful for sure. There are several great pieces of land for sale around our parts (Sobral do Campo) that are not on internet that I can send some info and get you in touch with the owners if you're interested.
In the meantime check out our project on facebook if you want. It's Quinta do Vale Escondido (Hidden Valley Farm because it's in a wonderful secluded valley).

Daniel Miller wrote:Hi Pedro Santos,

Me and my girlfriend are interested in buying land in Castelo Branco. We have spotted many potential plots which we think would perfect for permaculture and sustainable living.

Do you have any idea how the local government feel about people living off-grid in yurts on their own land? Are many people doing it in your area?

Thanks,

Dan

Hello Dan.

Good for you, CB is a great choice for what you want.
There are a lot of people living in different types of accommodations, tents, tee pees, caravans, sheds, you name it, and I can introduce you to some of them.
Honestly the local government doesn't really care and the people around here are really welcoming and willing to help.
So, as long as you don't step on anybody's toes you'll be fine.
Are you looking for land on the internet or personally? Please beware of real estate agencies. Also what's on the internet is 1% of what's actually available and most cases a lot more expensive.

Hello Senthil.

Were I am, in Castelo Branco, Portugal, the prices are very cheap (that's why I bought here), but it all depends, it's just a matter of searching.

Regarding your question, it has more to do with what you do with the land. Iberia is not comparable to Jordan because Jordan get's very little rainfall, we don't. It's very hot and dry here in the Summer that is true, but it also rains a lot every Winter and Spring (it's June and it's been raining almost every day since February) so it's more about water management and storage than water scarcity.

Most pieces of land here will have a well or a spring or both. I only have a well and it has water all year round. Right now I'm building a water tank and a pond to store more water and I've also done swales. I'm trying to create a forest garden and, as trees get bigger my land will have more shade and more mulch making it a lot cooler and more moist.

There are a lot abandoned and neglected farms around here with lots of fruit trees and plants heavy with fruit and nobody waters them for years and they still thrive, and I'm not talking about cactus but apples, citrus, figs, pears, cherries, grapes, etc.

Hello Mark. You are right, it can become a bit of a nightmare, but don't give up, it'll work itself out. Other people are doing it, why wouldn't you be able to do it also?

William is also right, it requires a lot of research, and the broader your search area the worse it gets. Portugal, Spain and France have different regulations and those change with the area you are searching in each country. For me the first thing would be where would you like to live? Is there a country you feel more close to or a particular area? How are people there doing things? Do you have friends that are living the way you'd like to? Are there any plots of land near them so you'd be part of a community instead of going at it alone?

I'll give you my own case as an example. My wife and I searched from north to south in Portugal (we had decided we wouldn't leave our country). We saw many pieces of land, many towns and villages, all beautiful. But it was when we started talking to locals, instead of searching online, that we really got somewhere. First of all we got to know people, most really nice and willing to help. We finally started focusing in a particular part of the country, Castelo Branco (mainly because land is so cheap here), and more specifically Sobral do Campo, where the people were so nice and willing to go out of their way to help you out. We decided it was here we wanted to spend the rest of our lives, inf this beautiful area with these great people.

They actually searched for land for sale for us, asking friends and family and neighbours and very quickly we found the perfect spot for us. We realized that the most important thing in this type of project/life is community. Being able to rely on people around you and they on you.

When you find a place you feel like this about, spend some time there, talk to people. Then it's just a matter of choosing a piece of land for sale, research a bit about it (eg: is it in an ecological reserve and thus may have restrictions on building) and not rushing into it before you are sure.

Hi Cori. The area looks very nice. Regarding you question, I think any area with trees is good for other trees (eg. Fungi rich soil vs bacterial), it's probably just a matter of choosing the right trees. What trees do people in the area traditionally plant? You can ask around and chances are those varieties are traditionally planted in the area because the suit the conditions.

Hi all. Glad to know things are going well Ayalah. Honestly I think it'll all work itself out once you're here and start to know people. You'll be amazed with the sense of community there.

Not living there yet Andre but I'll be there next weekend from the 13 to the 15th. We can meet for sure.

Hi. Sorry, my bad.

He is asking 18.000€ but will negotiate. I know it's a bit pricey but there is a lot of work done and will leave a lot of stuff, like a complete drip system in place.

No house though.

Hi. This is from a friend of mine:


6.250 m2 near Povoa de Rio de Moinhos, just north of Castelo Branco, Portugal.

There is a spring on the property from where the water is sourced but also grid water, drip irrigation with filter and pump included. Fruit trees, chestnuts, cork oaks, berries...

Proper papers in order. Tarmac road access. He will negotiate the price a bit.

Yuriy 926 472 917

We also have a friend selling some nice land. I'll get tge details and post it here somewhere.

Hi all. My wife and I just bought a small piece of land in Sobral do Campo, 20 minutes drive north of Castelo Branco. We are really sick of the city life in Lisbon.
We looked around with real estate agents and got nowhere. It was only when we started taking to people from the local communities that we really got moving. People will do a lot to help you if you give them a chance. Community is everithing!
For now we are there only for a weekend a month, next is 13 to 15 August, then the first weekend of September. We,d love to meet other people in the area.