Essência

^{Eco-Village · Aljezur, Portugal} Life, slowed down and rewilded.

An off-grid community by the coast, built around presence, care, and the rhythm of the land.

^{Who We Are} About Essência

Essência is an off-grid eco-village, healing center and retreat venue on the wild coast of Aljezur. We're a community who believe life can be lived differently — slower, closer to the earth, more connected to ourselves and to each other. Six residents call this land home today, with room and intention to grow toward 22; many more come to rest, heal, learn, or lend a hand. Every one of you is welcome.

Our Intentions

We felt called to create a safe, sacred space — and found it on this rich, peaceful stretch of coast, where the ocean opens hearts and the people move slowly and kindly.

Our Purpose

A slower, more conscious life in nature — for us, and for our children to grow up in. To restore peace, harmony and natural joy.

Our Vision

A world of unity and belonging — a home where people share, sing, dance, and grow into their fullest health and potential.

Our Mission

To hold safe, heart-centred spaces where we and our children can purify, regenerate and grow joyfully — together, on this land.

^{For Harmony & Peace} Golden Agreements

How we cultivate a healing environment, together.

Honesty

Open, sincere communication — everything can be said.

Ahimsa

No harm, to ourselves, each other, or the earth — we grow and eat organic, plant-based food as medicine.

Benevolent Communication

We speak to each other with care, even in disagreement.

Glorify Your Space

Wherever you are, here and now — make it sacred, beautiful and cared for.

High on Life

A substance-free community — high instead on gratitude, health and full potential.

Self Expression

Be authentic, vulnerable, and unapologetically yourself.

The Heart Path

Choose love, breath by breath.

Radical Ownership

Take responsibility for your actions, emotions and impact — we each co-create this place.

^{How We're Structured} The Cooperativa

Essência is more than a place to stay — it's a cooperative. We founded it so that the land and the life we're building here can one day be held by the community that lives and cares for it. The land isn't the cooperative's yet; taking it over is what we're working towards.

Residents share in the responsibility — and the decisions — that shape our common home, from the projects we take on in the garden to the direction the village grows in next. It's a slower, more collective way of building something, and we think that's the point.

6

residents living on the land today

22

our goal as the cooperative grows

^{Living Off-Grid} What "Off-Grid" Actually Means

There's no electric grid connection out here — every drop of water and every watt of power is something we generate, manage and take responsibility for ourselves.

Power

Our electricity comes from solar power, backed up by a diesel generator for the days the sun doesn't cooperate. It's honest, imperfect infrastructure — and we're working to make it cleaner.

One project we're actively raising funds for is a small hydro generator, powered by the stream on our land, to reduce our reliance on diesel altogether. Help fund it →.

Water

Drawn from our own borehole, straight from the ground beneath us. Since pumping it up depends entirely on electricity, water and power are tied together here — one more reason we use both with real intention.

Toilets

Compost toilets are the heart of our approach — dry separation, water-free, and returned to the soil as compost. Not every build has one: our guest house has regular flush toilets, with wastewater collected in a tank on site.

Waste

We're working toward zero — or at least low — waste. In practice, that means buying unpackaged or in bulk wherever we can, so there's simply less to throw away in the first place.

What waste we do produce doesn't disappear easily out here: there's no local collection, so it still has to be sorted and driven to recycling ourselves. It's part of why we try to avoid creating it at all.

^{Around the Land} The Eco Village

^{Yoga & Ceremony} The Shala

Open on one side to the forest, the Shala is where the community's day begins — morning meditation, breathwork, movement and yoga, held with the birds and the light. It's also home to the ceremonies, chanting and dance that mark our evenings and gatherings.

Morning practices — Yoga — Ceremony — Sound & chanting

See upcoming events

^{Our Guest House} Farmhouse

Six lovingly designed guest rooms, each with a private bathroom, floor-to-ceiling windows and a terrace with a view. Guests share an open kitchen and a cosy living room with fireplace — heated by solar-thermal and the fire, powered by our own solar panels and battery, with Starlink Wi-Fi throughout.

See rooms & book

^{Focus & Fast Wifi} The Hive

A quiet co-working space with a fast Starlink connection — for the days you need to focus, take a call, or simply get things done. The Hive is where we as community also meet to co-create, evolve and plan our moon calendar & events.

^{Rest & Release} Forest SPA

Sauna at sunset, a warm hot tub under the stars, and a natural pond for cold plunges — our open-air spa is where the week softens. Every Thursday it opens to everyone for SPArkling Night.

More about our SPArkling Night

^{Grown, Not Bought} The Garden

Much of what lands on our table is grown just steps away. The garden is tended collectively — residents, volunteers and visiting hands all take a turn in the soil, especially on Thursdays, when Community Day gathers everyone for a shared morning of planting, weeding and permaculture.

Become a volunteer Check in for community day

^{Nourishment, Shared} Soul Food Kitchen

Our open-air community kitchen turns the day's harvest into simple, plant-based meals shared at the food circle — organic, seasonal, and always enough for one more plate.

Cook with us as volunteer

^{For Ages 2–10} Kids Temple

A forest-school inspired space where children play, explore and grow at their own pace — building confidence, connection and curiosity among the trees. Open weekday mornings, with a rhythm built around wonder rather than a strict schedule.

More about the Kids Temple

^{Curious to See It Yourself?} Come stay a while.

See where to stay Join Essência

Eco-Village · Aljezur, Portugal Life, slowed down and rewilded.

Who We Are About Essência