Gathering Journal #5: We have the place and the dates!

As the warm days here in Portugal get a little shorter, I have some news that makes next summer (in the northern hemisphere) feel much closer: we’ve found a home for our Gathering!

We will gather at the beautiful Salema Eco Camp,
in Portugal’s Algarve, from 4 to 8 June 2027

Plan to join us for three days of Festival, from 4 to 6 June, followed by two optional days of Deep Dives for those who would like more time for training, learning and exploring together. If you’re a member of a Hub, you’ll also be invited to the strategy meetings before the Festival.

It’s a big step forward for our organising team, and we’re glad to finally share it with you. With the venue and dates agreed, we can get on with shaping the programme and preparing to welcome people from across the Transition movement and aligned organisations.

Salema Eco Camp is a very unique place. The Camp sits within the Vicentina Coast Natural Park, in the municipality of Vila do Bispo in Algarve, Portugal. There are camping pitches, glamping and other accommodation options, alongside shared spaces where we can meet, work, eat and spend time together.

What drew us to Salema Eco Camp was the thought and care behind the place. They are the first venue in the south of Portugal with a regenerative tourism project and a candidate for the Zero Waste business certificate. The team has a strong commitment to regenerative practises, and is exploring how tourism can contribute to the land and the communities around it. They do that through restoring native plants, reusing water, composting and protecting biodiversity. Their on-site restaurant Nazari has a varied menu that offers a glimpse of the carbon footprint of each dish so that everyone can choose consciously.

I went to visit them at the end of the summer. I was immediately enchanted by the place, and I was impressed with their hospitality and openness to welcome us, share, learn and be inspired. We’re looking forward to bringing our own stories, questions and experiments into that exchange as we celebrate 20 years of Transition and imagine what comes next.

The registration for the Gathering opens next month, November 2026, together with our dedicated website. Gathering participants will have access to a special accommodation discount, and we’ll share more about the programme and Deep Dives then too.

For now, put 4–8 June 2027 in your diary and invite your friends along.

We have a place, we have the dates, and we hope you’ll join us.

Bem-vindos!
Elizabeta