Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
30 Jun 2025
Reply rate
95.8 %
Usually responds within 6 days
Feedback
36
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Email verified
Badges (5)
Details
Description
Olá, we are Ale and Tissy.
In 2020 we left the crazy life of São Paulo in search of something more. We found a special place, in the middle of the Mantiqueira mountains, in a small village in Monteiro Lobato, and started building our little piece of paradise: a permacultural yoga retreat center.
We fell in love with the amazing views, the civilization is distant, and we appreciate the silence. We've been planting a lot of native trees and gardens to bring back the biodiversity that belongs here. We love our community, our neighbors are mainly artists and organic farmers.
We love making things. Creating, drawing and building. We have been on this journey for 5 years almost non-stop. Our main goal is to materialize places where people can connect with themselves, others and with nature.
Throughout our projects we really connected with bioconstruction and building with wood. We builted two geodesic domes, one being a yoga hall, also a COB house, and we love doing green roofs. We are currently building a small COB cabin, using only scrap materials that is designed to host more volunteers.
One of our many favorite activities here is to walk on the hikes inside the farm, bathe on the waterfalls, and be amazed by the flying toucans at sunset.
Today the farm hosts yoga and meditation retreats once a month, we also have ongoing construction projects, we have a garden and a lot of fruit trees to take care.
We put our hearts in this place everyday and welcome those who are open to joins us on this journey.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Interests
Yoga / Wellness
Vegetarian or vegan
Plant care
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Carpentry
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Throughout the last years we accumulated knowledge and experience on buildings (specially bioconstruction), maintenance and water systems.
Also restoring the land, planting trees, and food, identification of eatable plants. An ongoing challenge is to always test new preserving food techniques with our crops.
Help
We will be focusing on COB structures to host more volunteers. A little cozy house with a simple project that uses only materials that we already have or are abundant locally. Bioconstruction is a lot of fun, and very empowering because we reconnect with the tradition of centuries of communities building their own houses. It will be extra special for the volunteers to build the house for the next volunteers.
We love working with creative, committed and communicative people.
Let us know if you have experience working with power tools.
And if you are looking for a quiet place, in the middle of nature, to learn new skills, you are welcome to join us!
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Accommodation
The volunteers are hosted at the same rooms that we host our retreat guests.
We provide rooms with amazing hot shower, a lot of personal space and also a stunning view of the mountains. It's a great place to connect, rest and restore.
Since we are in the mountains, the village is 40 minutes walking, the place is more suited for quiet and chilled activities such as reading, resting, writing and contemplating.
What else ...
Some important rules are that we have a veggie space and no alcohol or drugs of any kind are allowed in our land.
We are currently 2h15 away from São Paulo center, and 2h away from Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). It's easy to get an UBER directly to our farm (we have some good contacts that we recommend). Also, it's possible to come by bus, from the city of São José dos Campos to Monteiro Lobato center. From there you can take a taxi from the bus station of Monteiro Lobato depending on the time you arrive (20 min from our land), or if we're already there, we can give you a ride.
Our volunteers work for 5 hours per day, 5 days a week. We really like to start early to finish the working day by lunchtime.
We'll provide all ingredients for you to take care of your meals.
Let us know if you know good vegan recipes! :)
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Internet connection is good and easy to do conference calls. It may vary depending on the day, but it's mostly quite reliable.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Mia
Feedback (17)
Besides from the plot being very quiet and peaceful, my room was also squeaky clean.
Just keep an eye on Ale when he is working, as he always wants to cut corners at the price… read more
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Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.9)
Besides from the plot being very quiet and peaceful, my room was also squeaky clean.
Just keep an eye on Ale when he is working, as he always wants to cut corners at the price… read more
We thank her openness to change plans and accommodate our needs, and her collaboration with other volunteers. We hope only the best things for her next adventures!
Also such amazing people, I will never forget my time with them there and… read more
Azi has an amazing estethic sense for decorations, interior design… read more
Ale and Tissy are great resources to learn about Brazil, culture and to talk about travel plans. They gave us amazing suggestions… read more
Ale and Tissy,, we're so thankful for all those days together! it felt like a real home and a safe family to be with. As a first voluntarily experience we can call it "perfect"😍 we hope others come… read more
Tissy and Ale are making the place even better with agroforestry and sustainable housing projects.
They are very nice and can cook delicious vegan food!
vegana. La cocinera (otra voluntaria) preparó una variedad de comida muy rica y… read more
