Vale Ondula

Vale Ondula is a permaculture living lab and eco-community located in Sande, Northern Portugal, where two families — Luana, Dennis and Inti, and Sophia, Sasja, Lamar and Xavi — have joined forces to steward 3.6 hectares of forest filled with fruit and nut trees, streams, and water basins. Together, they are building a regenerative ecosystem where nature and community thrive side by side. The project focuses on reimagining food systems, water management, and energy resilience, while cultivating a culture rooted in lifelong learning, sustainable living, and mutual care. Vale Ondula envisions becoming, within ten years, a flourishing hub within a regional network of permaculture projects and communities. The space is intended to be open to individuals and families seeking a community and support system — sharing childcare, education, skills, harvests, and celebration. Seasonal activities include forest management, land stewardship for fire safety and ecological health, water system rehabilitation, gardening, natural and upcycled structure building, and community living. Volunteers are warmly welcomed and offered accommodation in tents or camping facilities, shared communal spaces, three vegetarian meals per day (full-board exchange), and rich learning opportunities in permaculture, eco-building, and water management. A minimum two-week stay is required. Regular community events — including monthly Forest Care Days and Community Pizza Parties & Open Days — bring together the broader community for hands-on learning, connection, and celebration. Vale Ondula is part of a growing regional permaculture network dedicated to creating a more resilient and inclusive sustainable future.