Finally, there have been a few pieces of land to view! Having explored extensively in the Mogadouro area where I live, and drawn a blank, I had to get over the fact that I would need to focus my efforts further afield. And if I found land further away, that I might have to rent or sell the house I bought just five months ago, and relocate.

In the last few months, I have driven all over the Braganca region (in the north east part of Portugal) dropping leaflets into cafes, though more recently (as some of you will know from my audio posts), my strategy has become even more ‘up close and personal’. Armed with a translation device, I have taken to collaring people in local villages as they go about their business - driving tractors, talking to their neighbours, sitting outside their houses, harvesting almond, chestnut and olive trees in their orchards, and tending animals. I have also talked to cafe owners (again!) and put leaflets on tractors parked in farm yards. The exercise has been challenging, as the old folk living in these remote semi-derelict villages are mostly illiterate (or semi-literate, at best) and have no concept of speaking into a device when I point it at them. Even so, the experience has been educational, funny at times, and yielded a few pieces of land to view though sadly, nothing suitable yet.

Having tested the new marketing strategy locally, I resolved to do the same further afield. So, last week, I did two days driving routes I had researched online, visiting 15 to 20 villages a day. Several people I met said they had land and would send me the required information (exact location and a boundary map) though, based on experience, I am not holding my breath. Later, I received messages from two estate agents who saw my leaflets in the villages where they live, both of whom said they are taking on new lands which might be suitable. This was a pleasant surprise, as the reason I am doing such a ‘hands on’ approach, is that very little land is advertised. Encouragingly, I had a better response from the longer-range ‘scouting’ missions than from my efforts locally. It was this area that I was initially attracted to. I just couldn’t find anywhere to live there, hence ending up over an hour away. But no experience is wasted. I have had a major immersion into traditional Portuguese life in the village where I live - the good, the bad and the ugly!

Tomorrow, I am viewing several pieces of land owned by a man I met a few weeks ago, when I viewed another of his properties. I quite liked the property but it was problematic from a planning perspective. He didn’t think to tell me at the time, he had other lands (30 to be precise) in a nearby village. Having contacted him again, to ask if he knew anyone else selling in the area, he volunteered this information. Portugal is not a logical country (or maybe it has its own logic that I don’t yet understand), so you have to take things as they come.

The north of Braganca region, where I am now focused, is exceptionally beautiful (as is the whole of region, in fact) but, if truth be told, it is probably more suitable for the Earth Collective project than Mogadouro. Less steep, less stony, more indigenous trees (in fact, more trees full stop, compared to Mogadouro, where much of the natural vegetation has been cut down to make way for olive and nut orchards. It also has the most astonishing vistas (again a feature of the whole region). If you would like to see for yourself, here are some of the villages I visited recently. Put the village name into Google Maps, then a comma, then ‘Braganca’ (as in Portugal they use the same village names over and over again, so you have to specify the region). Then use ‘street view’ to see the scenery from the roads leading to and from the villages: Parada; Freixedelo; Coelhoso; Paradinha Nova; Calvelhe; Carocedo; Grijode Parada.

In case you are wondering why it is such a challenge to find land, I will explain. One issue is that the old people who own most of the land, by and large, don’t want to sell. Their parents and grandparents spent their lives buying up small plots (called ‘articles’) to create viable pieces of land to farm. It was a question of survival, as the region is extremely poor. Consequently, even when the owners are too old and worn out to continue farming, and their children have migrated to the cities or abroad, they still cannot bear to part with their land. The sensible few who might be interested in cashing in to fund their final years, don’t use the internet due to lack of literacy. The paltry amount of land that ends up with estate agents, has been difficult terrain (pun unintended) for me to navigate. Scant information (2 or 3 sentences at best), limited photos (usually one or two from the road-side), sometimes none at all. And almost always, zero response to online inquiries. Phoning the agents is not a viable option as I don’t speak Portuguese, and they tend not to speak English. The few times I tried, the process is as follows: I sit at my computer and type in English into a translation platform, then play an audio of the Portuguese out of the speakers to my phone. A one-way conversation and very tedious indeed!

Another issue is that my requirements are fairly exacting. I don’t want to hear road noise, church bells or barking dogs. I don’t want to see electricity pylons, wind turbines or telecoms masts. I don’t want to be in a high fire risk zone, or in a lithium prospecting or mining area (and the north of Portugal is littered with them). I do want undulating terrain, views, good access and water. Plus, I am looking for a relatively large piece of land in Portuguese terms (between 5 and 15 ha, approximately 12 to 35 acres).

Then there are the planning rules. Oh dear! Layers upon layers of rules. Utterly archaic, with regional variations too. Thankfully, a year ago, I met an ecologically-minded architect (who has since become a friend) and she has educated me in this department. She checks the classification of each piece of land I find, so we are aware of the planning constraints. Then I can make an objective decision as to whether or not I view. I thank my lucky stars for the marvelous Odete. This process has helped us formulate the most suitable planning strategy for the Earth Collective project. One important consideration is that, in Portugal, there is no concept of, or structure for co-living. So, a good deal of creative thought was required to come up with a plan to establish a community that is legal. Sadly, I have heard too many stories of community projects that have come to grief because the founders bought land they fell in love with, without knowing about the planning rules.

For examples, for my project, the land must be accessible by a public road or track. If I want to use different parts of the land for different purposes, then each part must have public access. Nearly all land is in some type of conservation zone, whether agricultural, ecological, forestry, or a variant of, or a combination of some or all. This means planning has to be approved, not only by the local municipality but by the conservation body or bodies as well, increasing the complication (each body has additional restrictions) and adding time and cost. In most areas, you can’t build within 50 metres of a neighbour’s land or the road (a fire rule). And conversely, you can’t build further than 50 to 100 metres into your land from the road or track. So, I can’t build my house in the centre of my land, which is a bummer! Also, you are obliged to connect to mains electricity (even if you are miles from the nearest connection point and are planning to live off-grid. That, I will be protesting - loudly! And in some zones, such as proximity to a river, you cannot build at all. Constructing a ‘farmer house’ on agricultural land requires a minimum size plot, usually 1 to 2 hectares (per house). Multiply this by the number of participants in the project to give the size of land required. Then add some, to allow for no-build areas within your land (there are bound to be some). I could go on, but you get the idea. Furthermore, the local authorities are disinclined towards natural building, which is intrinsic to the Earth Collective project, because it doesn’t fit the rules or protocols. ‘Sustainable’, ‘renewable’ and ‘regenerative’ may be global headline rhetoric, but it doesn’t necessarily (or often) translate into legislation at a country level. In short, the whole process is a total nightmare.

……..Breathe!

All that said, I remain hopeful. As I walk, cycle and drive around the countryside ogling at the endless stunning vistas, I cannot believe there isn’t a small piece of paradise there for me.

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