Toca do Coelho

Toca do Coelho is an open community on a mountain near Alferce, in the Algarve. After the 2018 wildfire, the community set out to regenerate the land and rebuild a shared home, using cob, local materials and a food forest of native trees. Four long-term members, known as the Pine Cones, look after the culture, the land and the people. Around them is a non-residential community of about 50 people who visit regularly or stay involved from a distance. Work is shared through circles, each with its own steward. Decisions aim to be “good enough for now, safe enough to try”, and everyone has an equal voice on projects. Every Monday morning the community meets for Sentimentos, its weekly check-in. Trees are at the heart of the work. The community plants and tends them to restore the burnt land and push back against invasive monocultures. A recent land purchase, part of what it calls its reunification project, has made room for new terraces, where the roots also help hold the slopes together. Each November, Toca do Coelho hosts a gathering of music and workshops. Visitors are expected to contribute: pick a project each week, clean up after yourself and speak honestly and early. Box money is €5 a day. Life is simple and close to nature, with shared meals, music and game nights; lively around the November gathering and quieter the rest of the year.