Aterra is set in a valley surrounded by woodlands, fruit trees and grasslands. The land exhibits the Art and Functionality of Permaculture, with Beautiful Gardens amongst a small Working Farm.
Aterra has its own Freshwater Lake with a Private Beach.
We have a Large Shaded Area to host various activities and workshops such as Yoga, Dance and Meditation. We are experienced in organising Special Events such as Weddings, Retreats and Festivals.
ORIGINS
Aterra was initiated and set up by us, Francisco and Claudia Talone de Brion. As a couple that have always liked to welcome friends and family, Aterra is simply an extension of our home and hospitality. We aim to provide guests with a little of the freedom, peace and tranquillity that we are lucky enough to experience here. Come to be treated well in a relaxed ambience, staying in humble luxury, retaining respect for the Earth and all other beings. Taste a bit of quality with good food, beautiful surroundings and at one with nature.
Having lived abroad and travelled widely, Aterra reflects influences and inspirations from different cultures and styles. The resort has a hybrid element combining Portuguese and regional specialties, with other fruits of the world. Due to our Asian connection and affection, a strong essence of Asia can be felt as you enter our tents and as you recline in the Reception.
Francisco’s previous works in gardening, permaculture and ecological construction have given him the skills to design and build all the structures, gardens and furniture at Aterra. His knowledge of building with different materials and his resourcefulness means that most of Aterra’s constructions have been hand crafted using materials sourced from our land or locally.
Claudia’s studies in geography and development gave her the understanding of the fundamental need for taking care of people and our Earth. As a primary school teacher, she worked in many different types of schools and realised the need for children to have a wider education. Claudia is keen to give children this opportunity at Aterra allowing them to have the freedom to explore, play and discover through fun, practical experiences. Aterra thus has a small open farm that not only helps us to be more self-sufficient but also aims to give others, particularly children, contact with animals and nature.
PHILOSOPHY
Aterra aims to show to others that there is a way of living that does not harm the earth but utilizes the potential of your surroundings, working with nature and leaving minimal waste. You can live in an ecological and ethical way and yet still have comfort and a high standard of living. We want you to experience the best of the simple things in life, namely food, drink, company and surroundings. Our belief is in quality, not quantity. We want to produce and provide for our guests as much as we can by ourselves and from the local community.
We believe organic and homemade produce is best, and we support working in a sustainable and ecologically friendly way.
Aterra can be translated as ‘The Land’ or ‘The Earth’. So as the name suggests, Aterra is not just about experiencing what we have on our land but also thinking of the potential we have on this Earth. The art of living in a sustainable, more resourceful and ecological way can be played out in everyone’s situation whether small or large, city or countryside.
Our key principles are aligned with the Permaculture Ethics of: Earth care – Using natural resources respectfully, using outputs from one system as inputs for another;
People care – Caring for individuals in our local community and inviting those from around the world. Promoting self-reliance, co-operation and support for each other and future generations;
Fairshares – Bringing earth and people care together to share, protect and preserve our world and limit our consumption. Working to help people to have access to the fundamental needs of life – clean water, clean air, food, shelter, meaningful employment, and social contact.
Our philosophy of life is to work to live, not to live to work. We always aim to enjoy what we do, making work a pleasure. We believe you have always got to work hard to achieve things but allow things to happen with time, remaining patient, thankful and humble. We believe in making the most of your life, seizing opportunities and focusing on the potential. We try to find solutions to problems, seeing them as challenges not barriers.
We feel very fortunate to have such land and resources and therefore wish to share what we have and what we have learnt. We hope that through our example and through your experience at Aterra, we can give others inspiration and ideas to make more use of what they have. We hope that Aterra is a living example of what can be achieved with this philosophy in mind.
VISION
We believe in the continual yet organic growth of Aterra. We always endeavor to improve and expand our services yet retain our ‘home-grown’, personal touch. We wish to keep the resort as a small enterprise, increasing in quality not quantity. We aim to extend our standards of comfort and range of facilities whilst keeping it affordable and maintaining our clientele. We always invite guests to give us feedback from their experiences and ideas as to how we can improve.
In the future we will develop some structures and improve facilities to provide year round accommodation. We have plans to create an Eco Spa and add a new kids area dedicated to outdoor learning and adventure.
We continue to adhere to the needs of the local community, providing a meeting point for people to get together, connect and have fun experiences.
