Hello, I'm Belinda, your host and I moved to Portugal in 2018 to follow my dream of offering a place for people to come and relax, using nature to help them rediscover what's important in life. I love living here in this part of Central Portugal, in the village of Cardal. The villagers will welcome you with open arms as they treat all the guests at Relaxscape as an extension of the family. You're guaranteed a typically warm and generous Portuguese welcome when you come to stay here! I am a personal career, and life change coach, and also a yoga teacher, and at Relaxscape we also run retreats to help people work through life changes or to be more healthy. I also offer workshops and activity weekends that give people a taste of rural life and what a working day is like on this little quinta and olive farm. Depending on the time of year, there are options to learn about sustainability, organic agriculture, picking and preserving fruit and vegetables, natural remedies, vegetarian cookery, forest bathing, mindfulness and meditation, journaling and self-reflection, finding your ikigai, and nature therapy. I help people to discover the art of relaxscaping! Please get in touch if you would like to include an activity package with your booking, at least 2 weeks' notice is required to organise this, thank you.

Relaxscape is a peaceful rural retreat based on sustainable tourism principles, near Tomar, in one of the most beautiful nature spots in Central Portugal. The house, my home, is an old olive farm with more than 100 trees surrounding the property, in a very small, quiet village on the edge of the river Zêzere, close to Ferreira do Zêzere. The property has been restored to be as eco-friendly as possible, while still keeping a focus on style and comfort, and everything I do here at Relaxscape is based around sustainable practices and respect for nature. Each individual bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, with private toilet, some with bath as well as a shower, and some just with a shower. Some have TVs, although I like to encourage people to be outside enjoying nature's show rather than the TV! Downstairs, there is a big shared kitchen, dining-room and lounge, leading out to the sun terrace with comfy sofas and sun loungers, and an outside kitchen area with churrasqueira. Plenty of space and facilities for privacy away from other guests or to be more sociable if you prefer. If you like you can take some of the cushions to lie under one of the olive trees with the sheep or the cats to keep you company! Or you are welcome to use one of the free bicycles to explore the surrounding nature, go for a swim in the nearby river beach of Bairrada or Bairradinha or simply walk in the forest. I also run retreats and yoga classes from Relaxscape, and love it when guests join in too, so please mention when you book if that is something you would like to do. Or you can book a private session with me, yoga or meditation or chakra energy rebalancing using sound vibration therapy. I can also organise massages or reflexology or other alternative therapies for you. Or you might like to join in the daily organic farm work, focusing on sustainability & zero waste, or a nature therapy creative session with me. Turn your weekend break into a mini-retreat!

Relaxscape is located in the secluded village of Cardal, leading down to a delightful lagoon beach at Bairrada and Bairradinha, on the river Zêzere. There is one café in the village, a short walk away. Cardal is 8km from the small but well-equipped town of Ferreira do Zêzere which has numerous cafés, restaurants, shops, several supermarkets, banks, pharmacies, a petrol station and a fresh food market every Monday morning. 17km away is the larger town of Tomar, with its charming medieval cobbled streets, Knights Templar history and UNESCO World Heritage Convento do Cristo. Slightly further afield is the pilgrim shrine at Fátima, which is on the Caminho de Santiago trail. Relaxscape is conveniently located mid-way between Lisbon and Porto and only an hour away from the beach resorts of the Silver Coast.