Encosta do Paço

Encosta do Paço is a permaculture project taking root on a 5-hectare hillside within Quinta do Casal do Paço, an organic and biodynamic wine estate located in Padreiro, near Arcos de Valdevez, close to the Peneda-Gerês region in northern Portugal. Conceived as a project of environmental education and a centre for education and retreats, it emerged from the union of sustainable viticulture with permaculture design principles applied to the surrounding landscape. The initiative is best known for hosting Permaculture Design Courses (PDC), certified trainings held on-site with international facilitators such as Silvia Floresta and Yassine Benderra. These courses, delivered over roughly two weeks in August, invite participants to bring their families and immerse themselves fully in permaculture theory and practice within the estate's biodynamic vineyard setting. Course themes documented from the project's activity include organic agriculture, biodynamics, and permaculture design methodology. Beyond the structured courses, Encosta do Paço functions as a gathering point for people exploring alternative, land-based and ecologically-minded lifestyles in the Minho region. Its location, a short drive from Arcos de Valdevez and the Gerês mountains, situates it within a broader network of permaculture and intentional-living projects documented in academic research on lifestyle migration in Portugal. The project is coordinated by Diogo Azevedo, who can be reached via the project's email for enquiries about courses, visits or collaboration. While detailed information about current activities is limited, the site continues to be referenced as an established permaculture education venue with a track record dating back to at least 2014.