Location
  • Brazil
    • Rio de Janeiro
Length
1 to 52 weeks

Program Details

Language
Portuguese
Age Min.
18
Age Max
99
Timeframe
Short Term Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse Host Family
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)

Pricing

Starting Price
$329 USD
Price Details
Cost covers food, Wifi, accommodation, utility bills, Portuguese lessons, 24/7 support, workshops, and orientation and also go towards projects and community development programs.
Attention: These prices are only for our Short-term program, ask us about our other programs.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Some Activities Airfare Airport Transfers SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa
Sep 17, 2020
Oct 30, 2019

About Program

Do you want to live sustainably and learn how to build your own house via natural building (bioconstruction) techniques? Here at Eco Caminhos we truly believe in getting your hands dirty and letting you have a completely hands-on experience.

We want to give you, the volunteer, an experience that you will take away with you for a lifetime. Therefore our program is completely unique and completely customizable.

We tailor-make a schedule for each volunteer so they truly get the experience they want and need.

For 3 days of the week, you will gain knowledge and hands-on experience in sustainable living & technology, bio-construction, and organic farming at Eco Caminhos. The other 2 days of the week, Will be your days off, many of our volunteers choose to learn Portuguese, travel into Rio, or make a splash into the many activities like hiking and many more.

This gives you the chance to really feel part of the Brazillian culture and explore Brazil in whichever way you want.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Hands on Bio Construction Work with induction & expert guidance
  • All meals will be provided. Please note you may have to cook the meals, we find this is a great way to bond with fellow volunteers and eat together in true Brazillian fashion.
  • Portuguese Lessons, We feel its important to become as integrated into the culture as possible and a 'bom dia' a day goes a long way! We will provide one hour of free portuguese lessons from native portuguese speakers for every week you stay with us.
  • Support & Activities, Our support team will be there for you every step of the way, from your flights & visas to organising your weekends. We also schedule weekly activities such as hiking, football, workshops, park visits and much more!
  • Many people rediscover themselves. People find their connection with nature.

Program Impact

Welcome to Eco Caminhos a self-sustaining Eco Farm situated in the beautiful Atlantic Forest mountain region in Brazil. We invite people from across the globe to join us and experience our simplistic lifestyle in a peaceful setting disconnected from the hectic world. At the farm, we follow the permaculture principals and you can learn about and practice bioconstruction (natural building), agroforestry ( syntrophic farming), and renewable energy. In your free time, you can share a nice healthy meal at a campfire, go hiking or do horseback riding in the mountains, jump under one of the amazing waterfalls or do a nice board game with the other residents. We offer you Portuguese classes and the possibility to live at the farm with other residents or submerge yourself in the local culture and language by doing a homestay with local families.

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Program Reviews

9.83 Rating
based on 6 reviews
  • 9-10 rating 100%
  • 7-8 rating 0%
  • 5-6 rating 0%
  • 3-4 rating 0%
  • 1-2 rating 0%
  • Impact 9.7
  • Support 9.7
  • Fun 9.5
  • Value 9.5
  • Safety 9.2
Showing 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Default avatar
Harmen
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Building a house from cob

I'm staying at Eco Caminhos for roughly 5 months to complete my internship for Environmental Sciences, focusing on bioconstruction research. I think that Eco Caminhos is a good place for anybody that wants to learn the basics of permaculture, bioconstruction or agroforestry. All the people that work at Eco Caminhos are very open to share their knowledge on different topics, meaning that if you ask the right questions you'll be able to soak up a lot of information. I think what has been to most important thing for me at Eco Caminhos is my journey towards happiness and peace. If you have the right attitude, this place is perfect for self-improvement, due to the like-minded people that are willing to share their stories and knowledge. I think this is a good place for those who want to learn how to become more disciplined, more independent, more mature and maybe even more happy. What you give is what you get.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Keep in mind that you can not always pick the jobs you like most, because these jobs might not correspond with the farm's priorities. This place is good for those who are independent, but maybe not so good for those who need a lot of assistance or attention, simply because you are expected to take responsibility of your own life here. This means that if you are lazy and/or uninterested, you'll get way less out of this program than if you have a proactive and independent attitude. Just something to keep in mind :)
14 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mark
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

It's a beauty

The conditions are ripe for anyone who is looking to sink their teeth into hands-on work. I believe that the best way to learn something new is to do it, plain and simple. There are many opportunities to learn bioconstruction, agro-forestry, and permaculture. There are beautiful gardens that provide fresh food, there are trees growing that will eventually cover the landscape with fruits and berries, and there is a high standard of building prowess that is rarely seen in the field of bioconstruction.

As a carpenter, I'm obviously most familiar with the construction and maintenance of homes. I live in a cold climate (Canada), which volleys between hot, humid summers, and frozen, bone-chilling winters. We need to build to a high standard in order to make through the year alive. Seeing the importance placed on a professional approach to building is inspiring, to say the least. I applaud the effort to find a way to build beautiful, expansive, and creative homes that boast practicality, modernity, and forward-thinking.

There are wide variety of volunteers from all over the world, so in addition to learning to speak Portuguese, and absorbing the Brazilian culture, we are all able to share our own humble corner of the world with others we would not have otherwise met. I truly enjoy my time here, and look forward to seeing the completion of the projects I am now contributing a small amount towards.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would have asked if there were any tools I could bring from Canada that directly help the building process. We need chisels, auger drill bits, and a few simple hand tools that I could have easily brought with me if I knew.
11 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jori
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Eco Caminhos life experience

I was at Eco Caminhos two years ago and stayed there for 9 months together. During my time I learned a lot about naturel building and perma culture. Especially the building program was very interesting. But the most important thing for me personal was to became myself again. I couldn't find my way in the Netherlands - I had an depression - and stepping out of my comfort zone was the best decision I could make. When I was in holland I never had the feeling to talk about all my problems - the people had constantly an jugde about me what makes me feel very frustrated. Brasil teached me to be more open minded and the people there are very relaxed. I made a lot of new friends who I am still in contact nowadays. This place and the nature are just fantastic and it will refresh your mind!!

What would you improve about this program?
I think during the week everything was pretty good organized. But in my opinion the weekends could be better - more activities for people.
13 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Reinder
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Building towards sustainability

I've came to Eco Caminhos in the fall of 2017 and stayed for three months. I would have stayed longer if the visum had permitted it! During this time I've learned a lot about eco-contruction and permaculture, I made new friends, took in the smashing surroundings and generally had a blast!

For me, going back to a more basic form of life has really done me well. It helped me reconnect to the things in life that are really important to me. Meeting people, social interaction without a social media interaction layer in between ;). You could say it helped me realise that in life, we get surrounded with a lot of useless and pointless extra bagage and luxery we really don't need, and actually don't want for the most part. It was refreshing and inspiring to spend my energy on concrete and meaningfull activities like working on building our eco guest lodge, working in the gardens to grow our own food etc. Being out in nature, taking in the smashing views while working with your hands, really helps to clear the mind and just enjoy the moment. Hiking in the beautiful surroundings was ammazing aswell and worthwhile cities to visit like Rio the Janeiro, Búzios etc. are all in reach with decently organised public transportation.

My goal was to have a break of my regular job in health care, experience something new and learn new things like eco building techniques. During my stay I got so excited about the work, I decided to change things around when i'd go back to Holland. And so i did. I decided to take on a new career and am now working in construction, planning to steer my newfounded company in the direction of some form of eco construction!

I havent had much experiences like this that really set me on a new path, I guese you could say the experience has been life changing for me!

What would you improve about this program?
There is always ways to improve, I couldn't really say what needs work at the moment. Sure, I ran in to stuff at times but on the whole don't think these were things that could have been solved with a different planning for instance. During my stay I experienced a willingness to improve and listen, I really loved that open form of discussion and openeness to input.
12 people found this review helpful.
Giuliana
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing people and view!

A place to (re) connect with yourself, nature and like-minded people. Waking up early, eating tasty and healthy food, working among nature, having a stunning view everywhere you look this is how your days will be like. Needless to say it is a life changing experience and a great opportunity to grow and develop yourself. I've also learnt a lot about sustainability, bioconstruction and organic farming. :)

But the highlight is definitely the time spent with other volunteers, will take this memories with me forever.

13 people found this review helpful.
Nathaniel
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience with Eco Caminhos

As soon as I arrived at Eco Caminhos, I was welcomed with open arms and smiles all around. Whether during day to day work or during hikes, camping and tours, the team were eager show me around, teach me new things and make sure I settled in as comfortably as possible.
It's been a fantastic experience meeting faces from different corners of the globe, sharing cultures, ideas and growing together.

14 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers