July 2024

“Ayla and Lars are super nice and welcoming people. We had a very good time with them on their Oasis. Thanks guys :)” 

– Franzi (WWOOF)

August 2023

“I stayed with Lars, Ayla, their pets, various friends and other volunteers for a little under three weeks and have had an amazing time. Right from the moment I arrived I felt super welcomed and was immediately introduced to several of their friends. Before I knew it, three weeks filled with many good conversations, fun activities (board games , village parties, friend visits, river swims etc) and interesting learning experiences had flown by and I missed the place as soon as I left…

This is really one of the places where you come as a friend, not just as a volunteer, and the experience does not stop when the work is done. I 100% recommend you to visit, whether you are into construction, learning about food forests, cuddling with cats, good food or simply having a good time. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did :)” 

– Jelmer (Workaway)

November 2023

“I stayed with Lars for 8 days and I had an amazing time. Ayla was away for traveling, so unfortunately we didn’t meet each other. When I was there, Lars’s family was there and another volunteer. Together we had a really nice time.

We worked hard, we build a wall outside and replaced some stones to build the stairs outside the house.
I enjoyed being in the nature. The area around the house is beautiful with some nice places to hike and to watch the sunset between the mountains. The dog Athos and the cat Fransje are lovely to have around 🥰 they like to play and to cuddle. In the evenings we cooked together and we had a nice time talking and drinking a beer. Lars is really nice, he works hard but also enjoys the free time around it together with everyone. I would love to come back one day to see all the new developments in the project!” 

– Iris (Workaway)

July 2023

“As I left for my journey back home from the Oasis, my heart beamed with gratefulness, hope, and a newfound sense of inspiration for my own future projects thanks to Ayla and Lars, the most wonderful hosts and now, friends.

Lars’ optimistic, forward thinking and pedagogical nature allowed me to stay motivated and engaged in my work, that varied throughout the week. Ayla, as a constant source of well balanced, vibrant and grounded energy immediately made me feel at home. You can expect warm and truly kind hosts, delicious food, beautiful nature, many laughs and a great learning experience. I look forward to coming back in the near future to see and participate further in the flourishing of Lars and Ayla’s enticing visions. Thank you for everything !!” 

– Amalia (WWOOF)

May 2023

“I had a wonderful time at the Oasis das Estrelas with Ayla & Lars and two other volunteers. First of all, I really felt welcomed and at „home“ from the first minute on.

I was able to learn a lot from Lars, who was always happy to share his knowledge and showed a lot of patience with the work we did. We mostly worked on rebuilding an old stone house. The work could be physically hard at times but we also made it lots of fun and kept the mood „light“. I also really enjoyed our joined creative cooking sessions in the evening. Ayla, beside her kind soul and loving energy, is a really talented cook and I still dream about those delicious veggie meals 🙂 My dog also had a blast playing with lovely Athos and roaming around the land. Thank you both again for this great experience and maybe till soon 😉 Groetjes!” 

– Iris (WWOOF)

May 2023

“I had my first Wwoofing experience at Lars & Ayla and it was perfect! They are building a beatiful place near the serra de estrella. Lars and ayla are really nice people that welcomed me with open arms. I had a lovely 4 weeks at their farm. Hope to see you guys (and your quinta) again!” 

– Sofie (WWOOF)

May 2023

“I stayed with Ayla and Lars for about 4 weeks and it was a very crazy and amazing workaway experience. After I got picked up from the busstation Ayla and Lars took me to the local bar with other people that moved to Portugal, so you can expect a very warm welcome.

During the midweek we were working on the renovating of the main house with Lars. For me there were a lot of first times like the pointing of the walls, getting out the old floor and pouring concrete. I never worked on a project like this but Lars was always explaining things and helping if you didn’t understand, he was great to work with. I do have to say that the work is tough but it’s very satisfying to see the progress you make.
Ayla is an amazing cook and such a kind woman. She learned me and the other voluteers new vega recepies and she is always down to experiment with making new meals.
They are both very passionate about the project and are also always open for new ideas and advice.

It is a totally of grid experience but it is so worth it to try. You sleep in a tent and they have a compost toilette and you use the showers of the old football club in the village. You spend most of your afternoon outside laying in the sun with a cold beer in your hand. The terrain itself is stunning and they have big plans for the next upcoming years.
They are both such amazing and heartwarming people, they really treat you as a friend with taking you to the local bar and inviting you to dinner with their friends.

I really can´t say anything bad about this amazing workaway experience and can´t recommend them enough if you are looking for the perfect workaway experience. I will definitely visit and I can´t wait for the housewarming party in a few years 😉

I wish you guys the best of luck with the project and I just know you guys are gonna make a dream come true there.
Allerliefste groet en geluk, Aïsha <3″ 

– Aïsha (Workaway)

April 2023

“I spend about 3 amazing weeks with Ayla and Lars ❤
With Lars I was working at the the house restoring the walls which was super exiting! Ayla is a super carrying person and cook’s delicious meals🥦.
All in all it feld like working and spending time with friends💃
Im excided to follow the process!
Wish you all the best 😘” 

– Viola (Workaway)

September 2022

“We stayed with Ayla and Lars for a bit longer than a week. They are one of the loveliest people we have ever met – fun, kind and really friendly. They are both driven and passionate about the project. Athos and the cats were accompanying us all the time, they are really cuddly and playful.

We’re really proud of the work we got done, the roof looks amazing and was a pure joy to work on. The whole area is just stunning, really beautiful and relaxing. Though better prepare for off grid experience, as there are no facilities (yet!!). Ayla and Lars keep coming up with fun ways of spending time there like going to the beach, visiting the local bar or just showing us around the area. The whole experience was really relaxing and therapeutic for us. Overall, it was a perfect Workaway experience in every way. We cannot recommend visiting them enough and we can’t wait to visit them again in the future. Thank you again for having us and see you soon 🙂” 

– Hubert & Milena (Workaway)

July 2022

“We planned to stay with Ayla and Lars for 6 weeks, but unfortunately our stay was cut short because of events out of everyones control.
The time we did spent with Ayla, friends and Athos was great as we could already see how kind they were.
The area is beautiful, their land is too and has great potential. Right now, it is still very basic as they are at the beginning of their project. So if you don’t mind camping, showering outside and going to bed with dusty feet, then this can be a good place for you! We wish you guys the best of luck <3″ 

– Hilde & Aron (Workaway)