J'ai passé 3 semaines à EcoCaminhos. C'était une expérience très enrichissante aussi bien au niveau de la permaculture, l'agroforesterie et la bioconstruction mais aussi humainement parlant. J'ai fais des rencontres incroyables ! Les quelques activités organisées sont top pour découvrir la région, la nature et créer des liens. Je recommande à 100% et remercie toutes les personnes qui participent à EcoCaminhos et dont j'ai croisé le chemin.

My two weeks during the month of June at EcoCaminhos were focused on becoming familiar and implementing basic concepts in agroforestry and bioconstruction with like minded individuals. I’m a psychotherapist and social worker in the U.S. and decided to share some time with EcoCaminhos as part of my vacation/self-assigned professional development. Prior to arriving I had little experience with either agroforestry or bioconstruction, outside of some loose early childhood exposure offered by family members. I did spend a few hours learning about various applications of permaculture, agroforestry, and bioconstruction before making the trip. By the time I arrived at EcoCaminhos I had minimal experience with speaking Portuguese with the exception of some DuoLingo lessons. All of my expectations for the experience at EcoCaminhos were met and exceeded. I highly recommend a stay at EcoCaminhos. Bart, the founder of EcoCaminhos, has created an amazingly flexible and fertile environment for learning about and becoming familiar with eco farming. I had a great experience during my two week stay at the EcoLodge. There was a fair amount of flexibility for volunteers to engage with areas of the farm that are of interest to them. I was set up for 3 days of active volunteering (i.e. Mon/Wed/Fri) starting at 7am and ending around 4pm that included coffee and lunch breaks; other packages are offered. The free days were made available for individual or group activities and or time for yourself, which was a healthy balance for me. A typical day of agroforestry included some light or more formal introduction to the work that is the vision of the ecofarm. The remainder of the time was spent putting the theory into practice. For me that included identifying maturing or decaying plant systems or crops that were the focus of a given line, then pruning, planting seeds, distributing biomass, and asking a good amount of questions along the way. Days focused on bioconstruction were similar in approach. I learned a bit about the methods used to construct the buildings situated on the farm alongside other volunteers. I was invited to participate in everything from the mixing of the materials, to applying them to bamboo and wood structures with an adequate amount of guidance. Bart, or a knowledgeable volunteer, was always available during the day to ask questions and contribute to a sense of active learning. They helped me become more familiar with systems in each area of the farm, and helped navigate understanding them from above and below the ground. With that, there was some freedom to make a few independent decisions about how human hands can guide what will happen next to enhance nature’s process without introducing harmful entities into the ecosystems. Bart’s approach with volunteers was both compassionate and direct in a way that demonstrated genuine care for the health of participants and the farm. I sought out EcoCaminhos as a means to re-experience life and revisit healthy living that resonates with me. What I got was a bath for my body and my senses. Starting the day with the coolness of the mountain air, choosing to embrace a breathtaking walk up the hill to begin the work, and using the time on the farm to settle into some meditative routines were experiences I allowed myself to embrace. For me it was visually appealing to be among an abundance of green hills, a scattering of rock formations, and mountains in the distance. At certain times being able to hear the water making its way down the hill offered me some space to imagine. Having the opportunity to eat food grown where I’d planted myself for the day was its own delicious experience. I felt great within moments of arriving. The rotating group of volunteers was a unique factor and was great for socializing. All of the staff, from the less experienced to the permanent personnel, were incredibly helpful and supportive for my time on the farm. I highly recommend EcoCaminhos for persons open to cultivating parts of themselves and making a positive impact in a relaxed environment.

I spent the better part of a year here - what a beautiful experience! The opportunities to learn and see with a new perspective the forests and food systems around you are endless. Beautiful people, beautiful mindset, beautiful forests! Thank you!

A MODEL OF PERMACULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY Eco Caminhos is an authentic ecofarm where one can actually learn, in a very hands-on and realistic manner, the true sense of permaculture and the lifestyle of a truly sustainable farm. One can learn quite quickly whether one does, or does not, have what it takes to seriously learn and put into practice such principles. At a minumum one can, with conscientious intent and effort, discover more about one's self, one's priorities, and, thereby, become much more truly self-aware. The community of Eco Caminhos is best helped and best appreciated if one comes here for the right reasons. The reason for the two star review of the room is purely due to the fact that so much depends on the quality of people one shares a living situation with and the fact the new accommodations already in progress have yet to be finished. The review of the service is simply due to the cellphone accessibility, or lack there of, when it comes to the options of providers.

Foi uma experiência maravilhosa poder passar 6 dias na Fazenda Eco Caminho. Fui com minhas duas filhas, de 16 e 12 anos. Saindo da nossa vida de cidade grande, pudemos imergir em problemas e soluções para nosso mundo de agora, guiadas pelos ensinamentos adquiridos em nossa estadia. Bart foi especialmente cuidadoso com o medo de cachorros que nossa pequena tinha. Em 6 dias conseguiu superá-lo! Ficamos muito impressionados com a beleza do local, com o cuidado para conosco, pela proposição de atividades totalmente adequadas à nossa família. Super recomendamos!!!!!

Lugar muito bonito, agradável, recomendo.

Cinco estrelas é pouco nun lugar onde a estrela brilha em todo o lugar. Lugar incrível, projeto sério comandando por pessoas sériae comprometidas com o ser humano e a natureza!