A Marlin Travel Independant Consultant - Tico - 50019651
The Pico Island Holiday Experts
THE TRAVEL GUYSINC
Take part in helping us bring our Island Glamping Retreat to life.
Be one of our Ambassadors.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Perfect for the Slow Traveler & Part Time Expat
Dream it
We’ve been dreaming of creating a nature friendly retreat on the island of Pico for a quite a long time now. The beautiful island of Pico is 1 of 9 islands of the Azores, located in the Atlantic ocean.
We want this special place to be a retreat for nature lovers. Our retreat would be peaceful, calm and safe. Our dream is also to create a place that represents, protects and cares for the environment and all nature around us.
Our Island Glamping Retreat is not only our labor of love, passion and dedication, but also a gathering place for all.
With this place we will redefine the concept of travel. Our retreat and this area of the planet is not for mass tourism, this place will be ecological, sustainable and socially aware.
We welcome both travelers and organizations that help those in need.
Come to Pico Island to Revive, Re-energize and Heal!
Build it
We have been working hard to turn our dream into reality and we are hoping you can play an active part in making it a reality.
By becoming one of our Vinelava Club Members, you will not only helps us build this project but also be part of this special place forever.
Your membership contribution will help us bring our Island Glamping Retreat to life.
Our lifetime members will also be part of our Vine Lovers Club, Concierge service and featured on our gratitude wall. You will also receive friends & family 25% discount for future travel.
Not intending of visiting! Then your stay voucher is transferable . Also know that your pledge will go towards benefiting many wonderful things such as the local economy, protection of nature & the environment.
It's a WIN WIN!
Join us! Become one of our Associate Members.
Share it
Once our retreat comes to Life, nothing would make Laura and I happier than to welcome you as our special guest. After all you are a lifetime Ambassador and a member of our Vine Lovers Club.
Our mission has always been to share this special island with those who seek nature and all her offerings.
Our main purpose is to use the retreat for good. We must educate and support the people. It is vital that we are active in protecting the environment and its animals.
We believe that we must go back to the simple life and mindset of the village.
On Pico Island, you will find beauty, peace, tranquility, safety, compassion, love and healing.
Make our purpose your purpose, here on Pico Island, Azores, Portugal.
Our Plan
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND - This project is under development
We wanted to share with you the concept for our special tourism island glamping project, and how you can help us bring it to reality. If you are interested in our project and want to learn more about it, please feel free to reach out to us.
We are on a mission to build our Island Glamping Retreat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. To be more specific, this tourist facility will be located on the magical island of Pico, one of 9 islands of the Azores archipelago. This island chain are also one of the 7 regions of Portugal.
Our Glamping project will be unique, private, gated and nature-friendly . We believe that it will be one of a kind in the Azores. The community will consist of 10 ocean view (cabins, pods & safari tents), BBQ area, swimming pool and eatery (cafe/food trailor).
We will build an environmentally and socially conscious retreat. We will try our best to use locally sourced materials, when possible. Our goal stretches far beyond construction. This amazing retreat will be a a place of community, protection of nature and people.
If you want to contribute and be part of bringing this special Tourism project to life? Sign up to our list, we will notify you when the Ambassador's Club Membership Program is live.
Help us make positive change and a difference!
Help us bring this special place to life
Be part of something amazing!
Coming soon!!
How it began! - 2 people, a parcel of land and a dream!
Early on in our relationship, Laura and I discussed my dream of building a nature retreat in my birthplace, Pico Island. Laura loved this idea and from that moment on we added to the dream and made it our own.
In 2010 Laura visited the island for the first time, loved it so much that we immediately bought a beautiful piece of land. This oceanfront land is around 6800 square meters, about 1.7 acres. It has Pico volcano mountain as the backdrop, the Atlantic ocean at our feet and vineyards all around.
From the first time we saw the property we knew that this was where we wanted to create this magical gathering place. Laura and I also realized that the most important thing was to use our retreat to make a positive impact on this beautiful island and those that visited us. Part of our mission was to also make a difference in the community, the locals and the nature.
At the end of 2019 we hired an architect to put our vision into reality. In early 2020 we submitted our project to the town and the Azores Government for approval This was suppose to be followed by applying for Government Tourism incentives..
During this crazy Pandemic period, we decided to pull our project out, and wait for a better safer time to resubmit. During the last 8 months we have used our time to analyze, re-assess and upgrade our Island Glamping Retreat plan.
After much discussion, we have decided to do the project in a few phases. The first phase would be doing 4 wood cabin units and a pool. The other 2 phases would include the remainder 6 cabins and a restaurant.
Now you know how it all began, hopefully you want to be part of where we want to go.
Become one of our Ambassadors, help us turn this dream into reality!
Who we are! Our Story!
I (Carlos) came to Canada from Azores, Portugal with my family in 1974, Laura was born in Canada, and we eventually met in 2010 . Our plan is to divide our time between Canada and Portugal.
We both love the village, nature and island life. We also have the need and desire to protect nature, especially now more than ever.
I have been in Tourism for 30 years, presently own an independent travel business. Laura's background is in retail, she owned and operated a lady's boutique for over 23 years. We are now starting a Tourism company on Pico Island. Through this company we will promote, host and share this beautiful island. We will also make our dream come true by bringing to life our Island Glamping Retreat.
We are not only a couple, but a also a great team. We share the same values, dreams and love for nature and island life.
We both have the need to create, make a difference, inspire change, pass forward positive, protect nature and the environment. We feel that with like minded people and the retreat, we will be able to do all of it.
This is why we want to create a different type of Tourism, something different that could add to people's lives. We want our type of Tourism to be more about the village mindset, giving back, sharing, protecting nature and the environment.
This is why we want to create this special place, and why we want to build it in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in our chosen peace of paradise called Pico Island, Azores.
Join us, be part of our Island Glamping Retreat.
Carlos and Laura
What we need and What you get!
What we need!
We need you to help bring our dream into reality.
Our Island Glamping Retreat is a special place surrounded by vineyards, Pico mountain, the Village and the Atlantic Ocean! You can make a difference in bringing this special place to life..
We will build 10 multi style ocean view units, a pool and eatery. In order to fund the total cost of the project, we will not only require our own/investor funds, but also funds from like minded individuals like you, the bank and Gov't(incentives). Membership funds will be used for all phases of the project.
We feel that this program could be especially suited for the nature lover Slow Traveler & The Part Time Expat.
You can play a big part in helping create this special place, not only in the monetary since but also in other areas. We will welcome any advice or ideas on any aspect or stages of the development. We are also looking to bring volunteerism into this program, either during the build or day to day running of the retreat. Please keep in mind that these ideas are still in development stages. Join us, by becoming one of our Island Glamping Retreat Ambassadors.
What do you get!
-
You will be a small group of Ambassadors, belonging to 3 membership levels(Platinum, Gold & Silver).
-
You will have access to number of weeks stay per year (minimum of 4 weeks, depending on the membership).
-
Membership monthly stays are chosen at purchase and must be used consecutively(some flexibility after the 1st year).
-
Members can choose from any of the tourist seasons(first come first serve basis).
-
Term of membership 5 to 10 yrs, with buyout option.
-
The buyout option is in affect only after 3 full years
-
Receive Purchase Incentive - Access to 1 to 3 weeks stay at the companies' villa prior or during the build.
-
You are able to transfer your monthly stays to family & friends(company must be notified in advance).
-
You will be able to receive passive income if you decide not to use your time(handled by company).
-
Receive 25% off Food & Beverage (when available)
-
Receive 10% off Activities
-
Extend 25% discount to Family & Friends.
-
Concierge Access
-
Terms & Conditions displayed in legal Right to Use (RTU)contract. (Annual affordable membership fees may be considered for the program).
Cost of Membership & Full Terms
25,000euros(5 members) / 18,000 euros(10 members) / 12,000 euros(15 members). Under this program the nightly stays will fall between 29 to 42 euros, depending on the tier you choose.
You can also helps us by pre-booking a 2 week package for 1500 euros, 1 week for 875 euros or a 1 night stay at 150 euros.
It is also important to note that we will donate a percentage of its earnings to worthwhile causes, both on land and at sea. We want to give back to the island, the locals, nature, its animals and our environment.
The Island Glamping Retreat will be a place that you can call home. Our cabins will be fitted with required luxuries, but will fit safely into nature. Here you will be able to rest, be inspired and nurtured.
The best thing you will receive by becoming a Vinelava Ambassador Club Member aside from staying with us, will be the fact that you will play a huge part in helping us build an amazing place.
Help us make a difference, join us as a member!
Please keep in mind the final membership plan is still in development, but this should give you a very good idea of the system we want to to put in place, and the community we want to create.
UNDER DEVELOPMENT
Platinum member = 4 weeks stay per year (June/Jul/Aug/Sep)
Gold Member = 4 weeks stay per year (Apr/May/Oct/Nov)
Silver Member = 4 weeks stay per year (Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar)
Get on the list if you want to be the first to receive complete details on this special one of a kind program.
REMINDER - THIS PROGRAM IS STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT
We just wanted to get some feed back on what people thought of this special program. We feel that this is the best way to see if there would be anyone interested on being part of making our Island Glamping Retreat a reality, by being one of our Ambassadors. Looking forward to hear what you think about this special program. Final terms are still to be decided.
May be suited for:
-
Slow Traveler
-
Part Time Expat
-
Those who want to spend winters away from home
-
Anyone considering retiring or semi retiring to the Azores, and want to test the destination before fully committing.
-
Virtual Nomads
-
Working Remotely - low cost of living destination
How will the funds be used
Starting a project like this from scratch is is not only expensive but also very daunting and scary. The total cost is enough to stop anyone from doing it, and in most cases it does. So far we have used our own money to buy the land and create the architectural plans. We also have a few investors that will help fund some of the secondary phases of the project, we may also apply for Tourism Government incentives when they are open to accept applications. What we need now is seed funding to start building the 1st phase, which consists of 2 cabins, 3 tents, full infrastructure and start up administration(architect, permits etc). This is where part of the Ambassadors funding will go. We will also get start up financing from the bank, and throughout all phases. We also have the option to apply for Government incentives.
Our mission at this point is to build the phase 1 & 2, this way we can reinvest the rental revenue towards financing the rest of the project. By doing this project in phases allows us to go forward with a plan that is sound, steady and lower risk. This is why we thought of implementing the Ambassadors Club Membership Program, a way for like minded individuals to get involved in helping us fund and develop this special Island Glamping Retreat.
Glamping is considered a unique experience and has been part of one of the fastest growing segments of Tourism for the last 7 to 10 years. In some worldwide markets its outperforming the regular and more well know lodging segments. We truly believe we are in the cusp of creating something really unique, healthy and lifechanging. We also believe that through our guests and profits we will be able to give back to society, help protect nature and the environment.
No doubt that covid19 stalled pretty much our lives, some areas are still feeling the effects. We had submitted our project for approval just before the craziness began, but the fact that it was taking so long to get approval was a blessing for us. Can you imagine if this was approved before covid, or just after. What if we were in the start of construction, or even worst...we were open and waiting for Tourists to come. We feel that we dodged a huge bullet and that now will be the ideal time for our new start to our project.
One of the main reasons why we feel that now is the best time to start this project is that recent records show after covid, more and more travelers are and have been choosing outdoor nature experiences like Glamping as their preferred vacation option.
Another reason is what we have known from the very beginning and creation of our concept/idea, the location. Our Glamping Retreat would be in one of the most magical breathtaking places in the world, Pico Island, Azores.
You are the key!
You can become part of our Island Glamping Retreat village community by being one of our Ambassadors. The total funds received from our Ambassador club members would go towards the cost of the build, the rest of the funding will come from the bank, company, tribe membership and Government incentives(if needed). For now, we are looking to see how many of you would be interested to learn more about our project and this special program.
We hope that you will either be one of our Club Members, a special guest or at the very least you will pass our story and this special place forward.
You can become part of our Island Glamping Retreat by becoming one of our Ambassadors. The total funds of 485,000 euros received from our 35 Ambassador members would go towards 70% of the total cost of the build, the remainder 30% will come from the bank, company and Government incentives(if needed).
When the project is complete, we will have a gated community village, with minimal disturbance to nature. This will be a place where like minded nature lovers will come to connect, unwind & recharge.
If you are interested in becoming a member of our Island Ambassadors Club Retreat and want to get on our list...send us an email.
PICO ISLAND
Sharing our piece of paradise with you!
