Gandum Village project

Gandum Village is an eco-village located in Montemor-o-Novo, in the region of Alentejo, south of Portugal.

What Martina and Joao, the founders, wanted to create is not only an eco-hotel where travellers can enjoy a peaceful stay but also a place to honour, connect and live harmoniously with local nature.

Gandum Village offers rooms and housing options, a restaurant that works with local products, a co-working space and a variety of outdoor experiences to enjoy the village's surroundings.

Sustainability is their main driver. They offer their customers sustainable solutions for daily challenges, from the food they produce and eat, to the architecture and energy used in the village. All generating the lowest impact possible.

To build this, Gandum has put a lot of effort into regenerating the 14-hectare farm. They are planting and maintaining three agroforests that will provide the village with nutritious food while boosting biodiversity and making the whole ecosystem more resilient and healthy.

Gandum Village & Life Terra

Life Terra has helped the eco-village to make the farm's regeneration a reality.

We have planted more than 20,000 trees together in different spots on the farm, putting a strong focus on biodiversity and using more than 80 species to help boost local flora, attract pollinators and fauna and increase soil regeneration.

The farm uses syntropic agriculture to, as they say, "work with nature and not against it". In syntropic agriculture, plants are strategically arranged to mimic the structure and functions of a natural forest.

They planted different species of trees, mixing fruit trees, vegetables and shrubs, creating an ecosystem in which element collaborates with each other and is more resilient to pests and diseases.

Plot and tree information

Gandum Village is located in Montemor-o-Novo, in the region of Alentejo. The climate in Alentejo is typically Mediterranean, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild winters. Rainfall is scarce, particularly in the summer months, with most precipitation occurring during the winter season.

Check Gandum's village plantings events here:

The trees and shrubs planted will provide several beneficial impacts on the ecosystem and environment:

  • Soil Conservation: trees help prevent soil erosion and conserve moisture and water retention, which is really important in dry areas like the Alentejo.

  • Temperature Regulation: trees provide shade and lower surface temperatures.

  • Water Management: Trees play a crucial role in regulating the water cycle by absorbing water from the soil and releasing it into the atmosphere through transpiration.

  • Biodiversity Enhancement: Tree planting contributes to increasing biodiversity by providing habitats for various species of plants, insects, birds, and mammals.

Tree Species

Gandum Village has planted many local and native species to create a mixed ecosystem that will help increase the farm's biodiversity and resilience, combining trees, fruit trees, vegetables and shrubs.

The aim is to regreen and restore the landscape while also creating an "edible forest" from where the village can grow and get their own organic food. This mix of trees and shrubs also protects the crop from more extreme weather conditions, such as winds, extreme heat, and storms.

These are some of the most recent species planted:

You can check all planted trees and more detailed information in Gandum's Village Tree Dashboard: