About Us * Core aims + principles * Activities & Sustainability Workshops * Working Holiday Help * Interested in Joining * What to bring and what's provided * Social guidelines * Contact * Travel options

Discovering how to
Live Sustainably

About Arco>

Quinta do Arco-Iris is located between a broad high plateau and the low River Mira floodplain (20mins by foot) not far from the West coast of Alentejo, Portugal.  Our 4 hectares of fertile land are �on the edge of change� ― in nature and between traditional and modern worlds.

We are a fledgling eco-village or "eco-neighbourhood" aiming to combine traditional skills with permaculture and new technology ― to live cooperatively and creatively to establish a footprint for a more sustainable society.

Quinta Arco-Iris is partnered by nearby Quinta Vistosa in offering our international group hosting "Sustainable Living Experience" programme.  Quinta Vistosa also coordinates a social outreach programme working with donkeys: "Amigos dos Burros". 

Our land is diverse with several "rammed-earth" built cottages being restored, two rolling valleys with pine wood, olive and fig trees, a wonderful original spring fed well and dipping pool, natural irrigation system once supplying terraces.

Alentejo is a good teacher for a 'real' life.  Good water, good soil and natural energy help us to be more independent.  Working together is more fun.  Sharing, sometimes exchanging one skill for another complements our economy with the modern way.

Quinta Arco-Iris is part of Rainbow Communities^TM � registered in Portugal as:
ARCO-�RIS � Associa��o de Comunidades para a Vida sustent�vel

About Us>

We are several couples who share common land and have our own dwelling spaces.  Whilst we are beginning to cultivate the land, learning from our neighbours, combining traditional and new ways such as permaculture, we are also creating individual and community livelihoods; see Rainbow Traders. 

Jenny and Jonathan first moved onto the land in Nov.04 and have just vacated their yurt for a part-restored cottage.  They were joined by Alistair + Jo in '06, and this Summer by Jo + Martin and their 5-year old son Gabe.  We often have people, couples and families visiting for short periods.  People can invest in buying land and property via our registered cooperative Association.  Our land is shared and organised along typical eco-village lines.  Others who have less money can also join and working holiday people are also welcome.

�We are mostly vegetarian and do not support unnatural unsustainable practises.  We are part of nature and take our lead as best we can from how we sense life wants us to live.  Our local neighbours show us traditional ways which we value and we invite people to join our workshops and Friends & Family Activity Weeks to learn more about these natural sustainable ways - how nature wants us to live.

Alistair is a creative metal-smith who can make most anything from metal-forging, helping local neighbours with bicycle-ploughs to blow-cart tunnel installations.

Joanne gardens using permaculture methods.

Martin and his partner Jo are offering holistic environmental holidays that retain a living-community feeling with river kayaking, eco-building and practical hands-on activities; fancy a week in a luxurious yurt learning real bread making, hand-spinning or metal working! 

Jonathan is learning to keep bees and bake bread in a wood-fired earth oven.  He facilitates a programme of sustainability workshops, teaches Tai Chi locally, has studied plant spirit medicine and psychosynthesis, and works part-time to install wind and solar energy systems.  He also leads the "Burro-Quest experience", a 5 day walk with donkeys along the old trails of Alentejo.

Jenny hand-spins woollen craft, and organises the gardening and animal care.  She helps run our developing Community Trading Shop and web-catalogue of sustainable products and services.

Core Aims + Principles>

Quinta Arco-Iris aims to become an environmental training centre offering training courses year round for national and international students who want to learn �sustainable life skills� combining traditional heritage and modern techniques.

We aim to demonstrate collectively how sustainable living can be practised, offering an example to people in ways that enhance, the sustainability and natural diversity of our society.

Our core principles as an eco-neighbourhood are free-will, responsible self-reliance, and a cooperative approach that encourages �creative living� and "true-speeking" - good communication being the life-blood of community.  Organising and handling issues are largely group oriented; we often meet in circle, share feelings and needs, sort issues and plans as they arise. Our Shared Values to Live by

 Activities and help needed>

Are you interested in relearning traditional methods using appropriate technology and applying permaculture principles?

Typical work: Rebuilding earth 'taipa' houses, recovering original spring fed water resource, permaculture gardening, tree and animal care.  Permaculture experience useful.   We use mostly hand tools, often get dirty and sometimes use the donkey. 

Programme of Sustainability Workshops in 2007>

Discover How to Live Sustainably - in Alentejo, Portugal.  Enjoy a week learning traditional skills and applied Permaculture with ongoing working holiday opportunities.

We are inviting local experts who retain the knowledge to teach residents and visitor participants traditional skills: rammed-earth �taipa� building, adobe or �baro�, slate wall �xisto� and lime �cal� plaster.  We want to help our eco-village and others starting out to recover these ways we feel are essential for the future.

Workshops + Activity Holidays in 2007 PLUS �

Info + booking: Arco-Iris eco-community by Email 'ola@rainbowcommunities.org'

Interested in Joining> 

Would you like to join an eco-village in the making?

We are looking for self-reliant people � single, couples and families who want to join a cooperative neighbourhood.

There are four traditional �taipa� earth ruins for rebuilding, some new construction possible for houses and low-impact living.  Shared land is available for growing food and creative use. 

Each house is valued at up to �45,000 but can be part-shared.   

Visiting>

Please give two-weeks notice if you want to arrange a visit.  We do not accept visitors unless you have made prior arrangments. 

We have basic facilities as a low-impact community.  There are solar showers, dry toilets, and kitchen.  Plentiful water is solar pumped from a bore hole but the best drinking water comes from the original spring fed font.

Accommodation in a  yurt or geo-dome, in one of the earth houses or in a couple of tents is available.  Or you may prefer to bring your own.  There is also independent secluded space for parking a caravan or camper.

What to bring and what's provided>

You will need a warm sleeping bag.  Some camp beds and ground mattresses are available.  Waterproofs and warm clothes in winter advised.  Please bring working clothes, boots, basic personal survival kit, medicine for first aid, torch all useful., 

On a Work Exchange we provide food and drinks.  You may prefer to arrange your own breakfast.  We don�t encourage alcohol, don�t tolerate drugs.  Meals can be shared and cooked together as needed.  We do our own washing by hand and recycle most everything.  Dogs are not encouraged as we have working animals and neighbour's sheep on our land occassionaly.

A caf�, mini-mercado and Lidl Supermarket are a 10 min walk.  It is a long walk or short bus or car ride into the town of Odemira, by the river.

Join in early morning Tai Chi is a great way to start the day.

Social guidelines>

We encourage people to walk their talk and live by shared values.

Starting out from a survival environment we aim towards a common sustainability of life.

The orientation we encourage you to have with us is to leave each place better than we found it.

We tend not to stay up late and prefer quiet times to be respected.

There is a lock up room available.  A land-line may be used in emergencies.

All our water and energy comes from nature�s supply � use just what you need and no more � then there will be enough for everyone.

Farm house for rebuilding

Solar Water Tower, 
from 100m bore hole

Clearing brush - a perennial favourite!

relaxing under fig trees

Solar showers (3 units), 
twin solar collectors

Land art Labarynth

Donkey racing?

happy days

Our neighbour's land

marking swales

hmm... good place to be!

How to contact us>

Please contact 1 month in advance.

Jonathan or Jenny (permanent residents), Tel: 00351 - 961 252 349
Quinta Arco-Iris, Caixa 6538, Portus Transval, 7630-066 Odemira, PORTUGAL E-MAIL : ola@rainbowcommunities.org

WEB :www.rainbowcommunities.org  

Your Travel Options>

Ferry to Santander or Bilbao (Spain)

Plane to Faro or Lisboa

Car or Bus to ODEMIRA