come embrace slow co-living
Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal
IMAGINE
morning silence, walking meditation, journaling, movement, local Azorean flavors, community, stunning nature, and prioritizing your soul’s expression
A Place to Live, Create, and Connect with Intention
Nestled in the heart of Vila Franca do Campo on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, Portugal, is a stunning, former 17th Century Franciscan monastery turned boutique hotel.
We are inviting contemplative creatives and social entrepreneurs to come write and create during the winter months. Here you can spend hours in solitude and time in community for shared meals and voluntary service in the garden. This experience will be a co-creation.
Whether you're here for a month or the entire season Dec. 1 - March 31, you'll find a community of people who value slowness, regeneration, and soulful connection.
Where We Are
Convento do Sao Francisco, an elegantly renovated 17th century Franciscan monastery in Vila Franca do Campo in the Azores, Portugal.
The Convento was built by the Order of the Friars Minor, a religious order founded by Christian mystic and bricklayer, Saint Francis of Assisi in Italy in 1209. Its convents are traditionally inside the cities or next to them.
✈️ GETTING HERE
Reaching our slow coliving space is easier than you might think. The Azores are well connected to both Europe and North America, with direct and frequent flights to Ponta Delgada (PDL) on São Miguel Island.
From the U.S.
Direct flights from New York (JFK) to Ponta Delgada (PDL) are available a few days a week via SATA Airlines (Azores Airlines). The flight takes approximately 4.5 hours.
If you’re coming from another U.S. city, you can connect through Boston (BOS), Newark (EWR), or via Lisbon (LIS).
From Europe
Multiple daily flights from Lisbon (LIS) to Ponta Delgada (PDL) make it the most common stopover.
Other major European cities like London, Paris, and Barcelona also have direct or one-stop flights to the Azores.
This is for self-directed remote workers, entrepreneurs, writers, and artists, who crave a place to inquire within and focus on a heart project. It’s for those who want to balance focus and flow, work and rest, solitude and shared experiences—all while being immersed in one of the most stunning natural landscapes on earth.
MEET YOUR neighbor
Bristol Baughan is a writer, speaker, and professional leadership coach specializing in storytelling and weaving regenerative community. She is on faculty at the Esalen Institute, a former executive producer of Emmy®-winning and Oscar®-nominated films, a TED fellow, Future Architect, and founder of Inner Astronauts. She holds a master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica and a B.A. in International Studies from American University in Washington, DC. She spends part of her year living with her mother and the other months co-living in a former monastery in the Azores.
A typical stay includes:
WHAT TO EXPECT
✅ Accommodation at Convento do Sao Francisco (Prices range from 800 to 1200 euros per month.)
✅ Breakfast (additional fee @ 10 euros/day)
✅ Weekly Laundry Service – Fresh towels and sheets provided once a week.
✅ Room Cleaning 2x/Week – A simple refresh to keep your space comfortable.
✅ Historic, Eco-Friendly Living – Our 500-year-old building is part of the village’s patrimony, carefully preserved and restored with natural materials. We use dehumidifiers, solar power, A/C including heat, while respecting the structure’s original design.
Optional (for you to book on your own)
1:1 Yoga classes w/ local teacher
Massages
Whale Watching
Ayurvedic Cleanse
~ All humans and spiritual traditions welcome and celebrated here ~
A Community-Driven Project
This space has always been a social project. Local employees, locally sourced products, and constant rebuilding and repairing ensure that everything goes back to the community whenever possible. Until now, the managers have been volunteers, and no money has been taken out of the project. It is all reinvested back in. Slow Colivers will help fund this work through the slower winter months.
EXCITED TO LEARN MORE?
Let’s talk about how this experience can support your journey. Reach out to explore availability and find the right fit for you.