Set in a beautiful hillside location overlooking the river Zezere, Fonte de Baixo is a small quinta with a friendly gentle feel where people come to retreat temporarily from the busy world. It is the perfect environment in which to re-connect with themselves and nature and discover what makes them truly feel alive. Living in a quiet environment close to nature raises our awareness of who we really are and where we want to go. We want to offer you a space to breathe and reconnect with the abundance of life.

You can enjoy a mixture of relaxation, good company, gardens or nature walks, meditation, yoga and massages coupled with home grown wholesome organic vegetarian food and the exceptional tranquillity and beauty of this lovely part of Central Portugal.

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The name Ahimsa is an ancient Sanskrit term meaning non-harming, but its implications are far wider; it is more than an attitude, it is a whole way of life. Fonte de Baixo is a place for the promotion of peace and environmental sustainability. Throughout the year we are running workshops in eco-therapy, permaculture, vegetarian cooking, animal care, natural building methods, Ayurveda and Thai Yoga Massage. 

You can experience first hand life on a smallholding, how to incorporate meditation and yoga into your daily routine. There are a range of alternative therapies, crafts and psychotherapy upon request. We are strict vegetarians and can provide home grown organic vegetarian food or you can self-cater using our outdoor kitchen. We offer a range of comfortable yurts and spacious canvas tents with solar heated showers and facilities.

If you are interested you can join in some of the daily tasks, and it gives you the opportunity to learn new skills, e.g. shepherding and milking the goats, making cheese, looking after the gardens or tending to the beehives.

When I was a boy in the countryside about fifty years ago more people gardened for self-sufficiency, for it would not have occurred to them to do otherwise. People were self-reliant because they had to be: it was a way of life. They were doing what generations had done before them; simply carrying on a traditional way of life. Money was a rare commodity: far too valuable to be spent on things you could grow or make yourself. It was spent on tools or fabric for clothes or luxury foods like tea or coffee. They would have laughed at a diet of store-bought foods (they may still laugh if we don't change our ways "and learn to look after our resources“ these are my words).

We have written a short account of our year here at Fonte de Baixo, so apart from visiting our blog you can follow our adventure from the 'Year in Fonte de Baixo' which is on our 'About Us' page.