Terramada’s Story
Once upon a time…
Guy and Genieve in Their Recent Built Eco Dome
The story began with a trip, a sailing boat and a love story that wanted to conquer the world. Genieve and Guy were in their twenties when then they felt destiny wanted them to find each other, in the bask city of Bidart. France
Not long after they met the idea of leaving their jobs and building a boat become real. They collected the materials and began the long task of construction, Building a home with its own bedroom and galley, a place to stay upon the waters of the Mediterranean. Putting their hands to work, they were fearless of difficulties or the unknown future. Determined to Go with the wind and the tides. For 7 years the boat remained their home as they sailed the Med.
In 1987 permaculture entered their lives. Fukuoka, Bill Mollison, books and movies – were studied: They quickly came to the conclusion that they must return to the land. Arriving in the south of Portugal, near Vila Real de Santo António they began looking for a piece of land to settle on. Searching around the lakes and the mountains, they found, one rainy wind blown afternoon, this ruined house on the bank of Beliche’s lake.
In January of 1987 they stepped onto, for the first time, the land that would become so loved. ….hectres of earth sited along the northern banks of Lake Beliche.
Genieve and Guy put all their love and enthusiasm into their project. “We only knew that we wanted to live from the land, with nature, all in harmony. “
In the ensuing years life and the land took shape : 1988 they planted the first of many trees that are, to this day, giving fruits to Terramada. In 1991 the vegetable garden was established using the principles of permaculture.
On the 17th April from 1995 the first child was born in Terramada. What a wonderful day that was. On the 25th November of 2003 They, with the help of their growing circle of friends, created The Association. A group of like minded people who developed training programs, group days living and began living on the
”We thought: if the land is giving fruits, if children can be born and growing up with such joy, if all of us can live here in peace with nature, other families could do it too!”
The idea of an eco-village was born . A project that is still brewing in this story, inspired by deep permacultural ethics.
This story is a tale and it’s also a warm invitation to become part of this project and continuing story…
20 Years Ago
and same place today
If you would like to live within an ecological village, with like minded neighbours, on the banks of Lake Beliche. Portugal. Why not fill in the contact form and tell us. You could talk, or come and stay a while and see whether this is meant to be your next home too.
Our “History” gallery
