Charles Alves

Thanks, Panoramix. This is very useful, especially the point about groundwater levels and salinization in coastal areas. The LNEG hydro resources map is also exactly the kind of information I have been looking for. Since I am currently researching land in Portugal, I am trying to understand how to evaluate a property before buying it, especially when the goal is to gradually become more self-reliant. Your point about soil is also interesting. I had been focusing mainly on water availability, but I am now realizing that the combination of soil quality, groundwater, access and sunlight may be more important than simply finding a large piece of land. From your experience with Portugal, are there particular regions or types of terrain that you would avoid for a small off-grid/homestead project? And when checking groundwater before buying, would you rely mainly on the LNEG data, or are there other sources or practical checks you would recommend? Thanks again for the information. Greetings from Portugal!

Very interesting discussion. I'm currently researching rural land in Portugal for a future family homestead, and water availability is one of the most important things I'm looking at before choosing a property. What I find particularly interesting is the difference between simply finding water and having a reliable water source that is suitable for long-term use. For those with experience with wells: when evaluating a property before buying it, what would you consider the most important things to check? For example, well depth, water table changes during summer, flow rate, water quality testing, iron and other minerals, or the distance from septic systems and agricultural land. I'm trying to understand what questions I should ask and what tests should be done before committing to a rural property. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Interesting topic. I'm currently researching water solutions for a future family homestead in Portugal, so this caught my attention. The idea of extracting water from the air is fascinating, especially as a backup source. However, I'm wondering about the practical side of it: the energy required per litre and, most importantly, the quality of the water produced. For a rural property, I would probably see an atmospheric water generator as a backup rather than the primary water source, alongside rainwater collection, storage tanks and possibly a well. I'd be particularly interested to know if anyone here has actually built or used a Peltier-based system and measured the real water production per kWh under different humidity and temperature conditions. Has anyone tested one in practice? Greetings from Portugal!

Interesting discussion. I'm currently starting to research this kind of lifestyle for my family in Portugal. What interests me most is not being completely isolated, but gradually becoming more self-reliant: growing food, having reliable water storage, using solar energy and learning practical skills. One thing I have already noticed is how important the land itself is. Before buying anything, I'm looking at water availability, access, soil, sunlight and the possibility of gradually building the systems needed for the property. For those here who have been working toward this for years: if you were starting again today, what would you consider the most important thing to get right before buying the land? Water, location, soil, access, energy potential, or something else? Greetings from Portugal!