Living Off-Grid
Being off-grid is a big part of what makes Salty Garden what it is.
We chose this way of living because we like being more connected to the resources around us, the sun, the water, the land and the seasons.
Our electricity comes from solar panels, our water from a well, and our wastewater is naturally treated through a soil-based system using wood chips and beneficial bacteria. We use composting toilets, and our organic waste, from the kitchen, garden and toilets, goes back into our composting area.
Most of the time, you won’t even notice that you’re living off-grid. Everything works as it should. But occasionally, a few cloudy days can mean less electricity and, very rarely, a power cut. We have a backup generator when needed, and water remains available. It’s simply part of living with the resources around us rather than being permanently connected to a conventional grid.
For us, being off-grid isn’t about having less. It’s about experiencing things differently. You become a little more aware of where your water comes from, where your energy comes from, and what happens to what you leave behind. You notice the weather, use resources a little more consciously, and sometimes find yourself putting your phone down and enjoying the moment instead.
It’s a simple way of living, but one that makes you feel a little more connected to the place you’re staying in.
Life on the Land
Salty Garden sits within Bonanza The Land, a quiet ranch surrounded by pine forest, fields and open countryside. It’s a very different kind of place from the one most of us are used to.
Here, silence is part of everyday life. There are no busy roads, traffic or city noise around you. Instead, you wake up to birds, hear the wind moving through the trees, the rain when it comes, and the occasional sounds of the animals around the land. It can take a little while to get used to how quiet it is, and then you start to realise how much you were missing it.
Horses, dogs and cats are part of the landscape, and the ranch itself is a place you can explore at your own pace. Horse riding experiences are also available through Bonanza The Land for those who want to discover the surroundings from a different perspective.
Salty Garden is nestled between the lake and the Atlantic, with a private path leading from the land all the way to the beach. It’s about a 15-minute walk through the pine forest to reach the beach.
Living a Little Lighter
We don’t have a perfect formula for sustainable living, and we’re not trying to. We simply try to make thoughtful choices in the way we run Salty Garden, using what we have, wasting less and making things last.
You’ll find this mindset in the way we build and look after the place. Much of Salty Garden has been made with reclaimed or reused materials, choosing wood and other durable materials whenever possible rather than buying new just for the sake of it. Things get repaired, reused and adapted along the way.
Food is another big part of it. We cook our meals here and, whenever we can, choose seasonal produce from local producers. We work with a nearby farm, Gandarinha, where we source seasonal vegetables for our meals and where guests can also order a €10 mystery box of organic, seasonal produce to enjoy during their stay.
We also compost our organic waste and do our best to avoid unnecessary food waste. None of this is about being perfect or living without comfort. It’s simply about paying a little more attention to what we use, where it comes from and where it goes.
A little less waste, a little more resourcefulness, and making the most of what is already around us.
Community Is More Than Being Friends
At Salty Garden, community isn’t about everyone becoming best friends. It’s about sharing a place with other people and being aware that you’re part of something bigger than your own stay.
Guests and staff naturally mix throughout the day. We surf together, eat together, go out together and share the same spaces. There isn’t really a separate world for guests and another one for the team, for the time you’re here, we’re all part of the same experience.
That also means sharing the everyday things. The kitchen, the bathrooms, the common spaces, the table after breakfast. People naturally wash their own dishes, put their things away, sort their waste and keep shared spaces pleasant for the next person. Not because someone is asking them to, but because it feels natural when you see the person who cooked your breakfast or dinner as another person sharing the same place with you.
Living together also means being aware of other people’s space. You might have a little less privacy than you would in a hotel room, but you gain something else: more opportunities to talk, help each other, share a meal, join a plan or simply be around people.
The people who come to Salty Garden are a big part of what makes the place what it is. The accommodation is simply where we sleep. The experience comes from everything that happens between us.