There is a fascinating ecovillage quite close to where I live, which I had the opportunity to visit, albeit very briefly, recently and I thought you'd like to know about it.
Their website is
https://spiralaecovillage.com/ and the following information is taken directly from their site...
Spirala Ecovillage
Spirala is a project dedicated to soil regeneration, human connection, and co-creation.
It began in 2019, initiated by a group of friends with the dream of co-creating an ecovillage.
In 2024, the project was reborn with a new focus — to become a hands-on hub for land care, ecological infrastructure, and a uniquely rooted campsite and gathering space.
We are still a young project, and sometimes we call Spirala an experiment because we are learning by doing, building in real time, and inviting new ways of working and living to emerge with honesty and care.
At our core, we are making a sincere effort to offer an alternative to fast, hyper-individual, and disconnected lifestyles. We aim to reconnect to ourselves, to each other, and to nature — not as something outside of us, but as something we are part of.
Our Vision
Spirala EcoVillage is a camping site & experimental hub located in Castelo Branco District, Portugal,. Initiated by a group of friends, dreaming of a grounded, conscious venue, Spirala is envisioned as a multicultural space that strengthens connections between ourselves, each other, and to nature. Inspired by the slower pace of countryside life in inland Portugal, we aim to offer guests a space to slow down, reconnect, and explore life at a more thoughtful, deliberate rhythm.
Our vision is to create an international community that fosters deep connections and provides a space for personal and collective recovery and engagement with nature. Spirala offers individuals and groups the opportunity to experience peace, reflect on relationships, and enjoy philosophical questions.
Our Mission
Spirala is a young community, dealing daily with questions such as how to live ecologically, what does community mean, and how to act with fairness & kindness toward people and nature and how to interact and be part of the local (portuguese) society. We are a non-profit-driven organisation; instead, a large part of Spirala’s revenue is reinvested into the land, preserving and regenerating the surrounding environment and its biodiversity.
Our 10.4 hectares of land feature eco-friendly facilities that we built, including dry toilets, outdoor showers, and a communal kitchen, all designed to support a low-impact, sustainable lifestyle. While operating relatively off-grid, we provide some modern conveniences, such as electricity, drinking water, and Wi-Fi, ensuring a balanced experience of nature and comfort. Our land is home to a natural swimming pond, which serves as a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife, including snakes, turtles, frogs, and fish. Spirala offers from time to time different bodily and movement practices like Qi-Gong Ecstatic Dance and Yoga, providing guests with opportunities for deeper physical and emotional engagement with the space.
Since 2024, Spirala has hosted events like a music MUD festival, a natural-building seminar, and a Syntropic Agroforestry workshop. These activities align with our belief in the importance of living in harmony with nature, and with the content that we ourselves want to be inspired by and learn.
Spirala’s community consists of 15 households, from which 5 are permanent residents of the land and 10 others that take part and support the project from abroad. We invite people to stay with us on land and enjoy a never-boring, inspiring journey. We are open and excited about people coming to stay long term, and definitely looking to expand our community with several more inspiring, earthy and lovely people & families..
I had to smile listening to that video as I kept getting distracted by hearing that fig-napping golden oriole bird announcing to the world that the figs are nearly ready...
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