Established permaculture farm in Europe

Permaculture Design Certificate Portugal

Learn permaculture by living it! Join the 2-week immersive Permaculture Design Course (PDC) on our off-grid permaculture farm in Central Portugal and be empowered to create sustainable, regenerative systems in your own life and community. Keela Permaculture Farm has been teaching Permaculture courses since 2016

Get full Course info

For last-minute offers, course schedules, and more information on the course, please register your interest here.

Permaculture Design Course Portugal

Over 2 weeks, you will learn how to grow food, manage land, and create sustainable systems, while living in community, connecting with nature, and experiencing off-grid living. 

The course covers the standard 72-hour permaculture design syllabus.

On completion of the course, you will receive a PDC certificate from the Permaculture Association (Britain).

Includes:

  •  Daily theory and hands-on practical classes
  • Real experience on a working permaculture farm
  • Farm-to-table meals
  • Yoga or movement sessions
  • Off-grid communal living

Permaculture Design Course Portugal

This course is for you if you:?

Want to start or improve your own land, garden, or homesteading project

Want to know what permaculture is all about

Are seeking practical, real-world land-based and homesteading skills

Feel drawn to a more self-sufficient, nature-based lifestyle

Are looking for clarity about your next step or direction in life

Prefer learning by doing, not just sitting in a classroom

This is not a retreat or eco-holiday. It’s a real experience of living, studying and working within an off-grid permaculture system.

Some participants come with years of experience, others with none. What matters most is curiosity, openness, and willingness to participate.

1st- 14th November 2026

Followed by  – Food Forest Course : 15th – 22nd Nov

12th-25th April 2027

Followed by – Permaculture Gardening Course : 27th April – 3rd May

Permaculture Design Course Dates

All our PDCs are followed by a one week specialist course. Join the PDC or specialist course alone or since you are already travelling all this way why not stay for both courses and get the combo course discount.

For more info on the specialist course click on the specialist course below

Reserve your place with a €100 deposit. The balance is payable before you arrive. Click here for our refund policy

6th - 19th June 2027

Followed by  – No specialist course

25th July - 7th August 2027

Followed by  – Natural Building Course : 9th – 15th August 2027 

13th - 26th September 2027

Followed by  – Food Forest Course 28th Sept – 4th Oct 2027

31st Oct- 13th November 2027

Followed by Land Restoration Course – 15th – 21st November 2027

This course is certified by the Permaculture Association UK

Video from our Summer 2023 PDC

Permaculture Design Course Portugal

Your Permaculture Design Course hosts and Teachers

Laurence Manchee

PDC Lead Teacher

Co-founder of Keela Permaculture Farm. Laurence is certified by the Permaculture Association to teach certified PDCs. An author in Permaculture Magazine and teacher of Agroforestry, Permaculture Design and Natural Building Courses. Laurence will be the lead teacher on all courses. Laurence has lived a permaculture life at Keela since 2016. He is a farmer, shepherd, gardener, builder and homesteader. 

Eric Conrath - Soap Maker

Eric Conrath

Soap Making

Eric from Germany has been a professional soap maker since 2012 and has a shop in our local town where he both makes and sells many products including hand made soap, lip balm, moisturiser, shampoo and many other products.  Visit his website

Jonathan Ives

Forester

Jonathan has lived in Portugal for nearly 5 years. He has worked in the forest industry at all levels for 30 years. Jonathan is especially interested in sustainable forest management and rewilding projects.

Assisting the teachers

We will have a new teaching apprentice on the farm who is learning how to become a permaculture teacher. Usually these are graduates of Keela’s Permaculture courses. Apprentices will assist the teachers with their classes and help manage the farm while Laurence is busy teaching.

Helping run the farm and course

We will have a team of volunteers who want to experience living on a permaculture farm for a longer period. They help the chefs with cooking, help with harvesting food, cleaning and garden work.

 

Prices & travel information

Course costs

  • Full PDC Course: €1,045.50 all in (2 weeks of teaching, all meals, free camping and your certificate). Price includes VAT: €850 + VAT.
  • PDC + Specialist Course package: €1,449 (save €150). 3 weeks of learning with all meals included.
  • Specialist course on its own: €553.50 including food and VAT (€450 + VAT)
  • For extra nights please book a farm stay (including food): €65 per night
  • Camping is free, or you can rent accommodation

Discounts available

  • €75 per week for Portuguese residents
  • €75 per week for volunteering during the course 
  • €150 if joining the following specialist course
  • €50 off each when two people book together

Accommodation rental

  • Onsite accommodation (more info and photos)
    • Your tent or Caravan (free)
    • Private Caravan €100 per week 
    • Tent with bedding €75 per week 
  • Offsite accommodation
    • Glamping tent with bedding: €200 per week

    • Farmhouse room: €300 per week (car required)

    • Your own campervan or caravan at our offsite partner (dog owners welcome): €150 per week

Traveling to Keela Permaculture Farm

Keela is based in the village of Mata da Rainha near Fundão in Central Portugal
  1. Fly to either Lisbon or Porto Airport.
  2. Take a coach or Train to Fundão Station
  3. Arrive by group taxi from Fundão station to the farm

Click here for full information about arriving

What to expect?

  • Check out the photos from the September 2023 Permaculture Design Course – click here
  • This permaculture design course will teach you about permaculture philosophy, ecological foundations, design methodologies, and real-world applications.
  • You will get your hands dirty during practical classes on 10 of the following practicals (dependent on the season) vegetable gardens, composting systems, worm farming, propagation of plants, natural building, fermenting, chicken systems, soap making, food forests, silvopasture, appropriate technology systems, and managed woodlands on an established 18-hectare site. These are around 3-hour practical sessions to allow you to use all the tools, give you a taste of what it is like to live sustainably and steward land.
  • This will be a communal living experience, and you will be expected to
    • Cook one shared meal with support from the chef. This will be with another guest and will most likely be one dinner per week and one per weekend. Food is central to what we do on the farm – you will experience the full cycle from growing, harvesting, and cooking with what we have or from the local area. 
    • Washing your own dishes, tidying shared spaces, and returning tools and equipment after use.
    • Opportunities to host an evening activity such as games, music, workshops, talks, movement sessions, or film nights.
    • Shared spaces for eating, relaxing, and connecting with others.
    • Learning how to live closely with others — supporting each other while also respecting personal space.
  • This course will suit you if you are thinking of applying permaculture in your own life by setting up or joining your own land-based project.
  • It also works well for people seeking ideas, skills and inspiration to embark on a more fulfilling path in life and make positive contributions to the state of the world.
  • The course is certified by the Permaculture Association (Britain), it offers a foundation to further your permaculture journey via the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design or other advanced training.

What our past students have to say

Google Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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All bedding is provided in the caravan and tents. However, from November to February, you may want to bring an additional sleeping bag and a hot water bottle, as the nights can be colder. However we also can lend you one of those. Please check out our accommodation options here.

Yes we have good electricity from our solar system, wifi is available on the farm from Starlink, and we have good signals for phones. There is no electricity in your accomodaton

No, Keela Permaculture Farm cannot assist with visas for entry into Portugal or extending your stay beyond what your passport permits?

Due to the presence of many animals and pets on our farm, we cannot accept visiting dogs. We've made numerous attempts in the past when people assured us their dogs were well-behaved, but we've encountered issues each time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding.

The courses are quite intensive, and we do not recommend working more than 2 hours per weekday remotely. If you need to work more hours, you may miss some classes. You will also have weekends off, giving you the opportunity to work additional hours then.

Fly to Lisbon or Porto and then take a bus.

Please visit our arrival page for information about travelling.

Please visit our arrival information page for more information

We can provide a tax receipt. All our courses already include 23% VAT.

Please include your full address and tax number when booking.

We prefer that guests arrive on the designated arrival date. However, we understand that this may not always be possible.

For volunteer positions, it is essential to arrive on the specified date, as the following day includes a full-day induction with the new group that you must attend.

If you wish to join earlier, you can see the prices and book on our farm stay page

Many of our guests are vegetarian or vegan, so all the food provided will be suitable for vegans. However, items like eggs from our chickens and cheese will also be available for vegetarians. We suggest that vegans bring additional snacks, such as nuts or other necessary items for their diet, as we primarily provide whole foods from the farm.

If there is enough demand, we offer a meat option sourced from our farm once a week.

Items often wanted that we do not provide include nuts, plant-based milk, peanut butter and honey. However they are available from our shop-

During the weekends, there are no classes in our courses. The time is yours to do as you like. However:

  • If you remain on the farm, you will cook/wash up together with other guests on a rotation basis. Dont worry if you're not confident, you can assist someone who is and learn.
  • There is often an organised (but optional) farm visit or community work day at another farm
  • The guests usually self-organise a visit to a lake, a hike or a local mountain.

Note. Sometimes the days off dont fall on a weekend. Usually, there are 5 days of course followed by 2 or 3 days off.

Great, we would love the help.

Please check out the info on the following page:

Volunteer during our courses

All our courses are taught in English; however, Portuguese translation is possible, but usually most students come from the UK, Europe and beyond.

Everyone usually arrives at around the same time between 4 and 5pm on the start day of the course or volunteer period. For more info on arriving please check this weblink.

https://www.keelayogafarm.com/yoga-permaculture-portugal/arrival-instructions/

Departure for all guests is always by 11am.

If you are on a residential course:

  • There are no classes on the departure day. Guests usually share a taxi to fundao.
  • Usually guests book their return journey when they are here, so they can share a taxi and travel to lisbon or porto together.

All our courses are suitable for both beginners and advance students.

We will take every class from the beginning and assume everyone has no knowledge. however classes will also have sone advance information and you will take in what you take in. B

More info

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills needed to create sustainable systems that benefit both people and the environment. Register now and start your journey towards becoming a permaculture designer! Click here to secure your spot.

Please sign up here to get more info