Building a Farmstay, Growing a Food Forest, Living Off-Grid – Join Our Journey!
In the valley of Serra da Estrela, we are building on our dream—a fully off-grid farmstay where nature, freedom, and sustainability come together. We are creating a home, a food forest, and a place where animals roam happily. A place where we live by our own principles, in harmony with the land and in the peace of nature.
This is not just our dream—it’s an experience we want to share! In the future, our farmstay will welcome travelers seeking a unique escape. And right now, we welcome volunteers to join us in this adventure, to help, learn, and grow together.
ABOUT US
Lars & Ayla Bellekom
Hey there! 👋 We’re Lars and Ayla, a Dutch couple who traded the Netherlands for a new life in Portugal. Since 2022, we’ve been building our off-grid farm in the stunning Serra da Estrela region.
Our dream is far from complete! 🌱 With 4.5 hectares of land, we’re now focusing on creating a sustainable farm. We’ve already planted a food forest 🌳 and vegetable garden 🥕, and coming season, we’ll be welcoming chickens 🐔, ducks 🦆, bees 🐝 and pigs 🐖 to help us maintain the land, enrich the soil and to help us become more self-sustainable.
In 2026 we will start the renovations of the farmstay, two rental studio’s equipped with a kitchen and bathroom. 🏠
VOLUNTEER AT OASIS
We are looking for volunteers
We both love to meet new people and want to share this beautiful place with people from all over the world. With volunteers or guests.
Volunteers will experience a self—sustainable project from the very beginning. How do you start and what do you need to become self-sufficient? Maybe this gives you the inspiration and the tools to start your own project one day.
We ask for a minimum of 4 hours of work for 5 days a week. In exchange, you get accommodation, food, drinks, and probably some new friends, including our furry companions Athos 🐕 and Fransje 🐈.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK
Mountain of stars
The Serra da Estrela (mountain of stars), with the highest peak of Portugal, the “Torre”, measures 1993 meters. This is a region with beautiful landscapes and impressively steep slopes.
Come to admire the surroundings, watch the varied vegetation, the birds, or shepherds with their sheep guarded by the typical sheepdogs of the area. In this mountain region and it’s valleys, you’ll find authentic Portugal life. At night, settle down to admire the clear stars in the sky to see why it’s called the mountain of stars.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“They are one of the loveliest people we have ever met—fun, kind and really friendly. They are both passionate about the project. We cannot recommend visiting them enough, and we can’t wait to visit them again in the future.”
– Hubert & Milena (Workaway)
STAY UP TO DATE
Follow us on Instagram, view our Workaway page or sign up for the newsletter.
Oasis das Estrelas 