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About Quinta das Águias

Quinta das Águias is located in a five hectare farm in Paredes de Coura in Northern Portugal. At its heart, it is a sustainability project where all forms of life and the natural resources that sustain life are treated with respect and where every effort is made to avoid harming or spoiling them.

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Quinta das Águias is:


A non-profit organization
  • A sanctuary and refuge for animals who are in need.
  • A sanctuary for wild plants that supports and encourages bio-diversity.
  • An organic farm and agro-forestry project that produces food for its own use.
  • An educational project for sharing the values and practices of sustainability.
  • A seed-saving "botanical ark" project that preserves, reproduces and shares autochthonous and other rare seeds.
  • A center of expertise for the promotion of vegetarian and vegan cooking - an essential element in a sustainable lifestyle.
See the Activity Report of 2022
Activity Plan and Budget for 2024

A weekend/holiday destination
  • A visitor destination where guests can stay to enjoy the interaction with Quinta´s natural environment and inhabitants.
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History

Quinta das Águias was born in 2004, as a family project for Ivone, Joep and Maria, who wished to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, closer to nature.


Soon, family and friends expressed their will to spend time in Quinta and to experience some of this philosophy. The project of Local Housing was thus created, in order to accommodate people who felt attracted to Quinta and the idea of spending a few days close to nature and animals, as a retreat or vacation.


It soon became clear that Quinta das Águias had the potential to help many others – human and non-human alike. Associação Quinta das Águias was then created, aiming to develop projects in traditional plant and seed preservation, educational projects and an animal sanctuary, currently housing over 158 animals who have the chance to live their lives free from suffering.

Our vision

A future where the environment, and all the living beings in it, are appreciated, respected, and protected.

Since 2013, Quinta das Águias has developed a partnership with the Municipality of Paredes de Coura, sharing their ideals and practices with the local community, and organizing CouraVeg – an international congress that brings together international speakers in the areas of science, economy, philosophy, media, and arts. The event inspires a reflection on the consequences of our food choices for the environment, our health, animal welfare, and global economy.

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Values

  • For the future of life, it is imperative that we treat our planet, the home we inherited, and all the living beings and natural resources contained within it, with respect by practicing and sharing a responsible and sustainable way of living.
  • Each of our actions should be ruled by love and compassion for all beings so that we can all share our planet and its resources in harmony and without causing any harm.
  • For necessary change to happen we must take responsibility and undertake actions aiming towards the harmonious and respectful world we wish to live in.
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Our Philosophy

Life, in all its diverse forms, all interrelated and interdependent, is precious and the sole source of happiness. Treating all forms of life with love and respect, protecting and preserving them, is fundamental for the future of life. It is essential for us to develop our understanding of the impact of our actions and engage in practices that support life and avoid doing harm.

Because of the enormous impact food production and preparation has on the environment, health and animal wellbeing, the development and promotion of an original healthy vegan kitchen that demonstrates sustainable methods and practices, is a central activity at Quinta das Águias.

"If one loves animals one does not eat them"

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Visits

We regularly organize “Quinta Open Day” events. In these days, all friends of Quinta das Águias are invited to come and join us for a delicious vegan lunch, prepared by Joep, and meet all our animal and plant residents. Pay close attention to our Facebook e Instagram pages to know when the next Open Day will be!

You can also book a special
Quinta experience at Airbnb, where you can meet all the animals and take a plant tour, finalizing with a delicious vegan muffin by chef Joep and a herbal tea prepared with lots of love from Ivone with wild and aromatic herbs from Quinta.

We ask you to understand that, due to the high number of request we receive and all the tasks that occupy our days at the Quinta, we are not able to receive individual visits, except through the Airbnb experiences.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Donating = Loving

To pursue our mission, we need your help. You can contribute with a donation using PayPal or checking our “How To Help” page to find out other ways to help.

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