Artist talk in front of a colorful mural at StartArt Residency in Vila Verde, BragaGroup meal at a long outdoor table during a StartArt Residency cohort, near PortoWorkshop laughter and creative critique at StartArt Residency, Vila Verde, PortugalKayaking on the Rio Homem near StartArt Residency, Vila Verde, PortugalGolden hour floating on the Rio Homem during a StartArt Residency cohortInterior space with mural artwork at StartArt Residency in Vila Verde, Braga

An Art Residencyin Northern Portugal.

Apply for July 2026 →
240+ artists from 60 countries · 2019–now
·
★★★★★ 4.96 · Res Artis verified
Just Start
What's open now

Four ways to stay.
One house, One rhythm.

Art residencies during the summer, year-round events, weekend getaways, and curated yoga retreats — all under the same roof in Vila Verde, Braga.

Smiling woman with curly hair and tattoos painting a colorful mural with cacti and a face on an outdoor wall.Art Residency

Focus on your projects

All-inclusive program for artists and art lovers seeking time, focus, and simplicity.

May – September 2026
● Apply for any 2-week window
from €420 / 7 nights | from €180 / 2 nights + IVA on our shared rooms
Apply →Learn more
Group of five young adults sitting and standing around a table in a casual room with a colorful mural, writing and smiling.Host Your retreat

Bring your Community

For all teachers who want to bring their students for a week or weekend immersed in creativity and nature.
Ideal for small to medium groups - 8 - 14 Pax

Year-round · weekly & monthly
● Rooms available now
Price on Request
Reserve →Learn more
Artists creating at StartArt Residency, nature retreat near Porto, PortugalWeekend Stay

A break from your weekly routine

For those looking to rest from their daily / weekly routines and be inspired by Art, Nature and Creativity

Summer 2026 · 7 days
● 6 Early Bird left
Reserve →Learn more
from €550/ 3 nights
Group of seven people engaged in a discussion around a table in a sunlit room with a large mural of two boys holding a deer on the wall.Events

Bring your Event

For those who wish to bring their Events to life.

Year-round · 2 to 4 nights
● Direct booking · best rates
Price on Request
Book →Learn more
Why here

The only place in Northern Portugal combining an Art Residency, a Retreat center, and a River.

Artist at work in front of a mural at the StartArt house.
240+ artists · 60+ countries · 2019–now

A real cohort, not a brand.

Seventeen people for fourteen nights. Painters, writers, filmmakers, and the quietly creative. Nobody's a customer.

Artists creating at StartArt Residency, nature retreat near Porto, Portugal
Vila Verde, Braga · Portugal

40 min drive from Porto, ten from Rio Homem.

Rio Homem runs through oaks and eucalyptus, a short walk from the kitchen. Swim, kayak, walk the banks. Peneda-Gerês is an hour up the road.

Group of five young adults sitting and standing around a table in a casual room with a colorful mural, writing and smiling.
Three meals included

Full board, long table.

Three vegetarian meals at one long table. Local, seasonal. Tuesdays we walk to the mercado and cook what we find.

Five people painting a colorful mural with abstract shapes on a brick wall outdoors.
Braga · Capital of Culture 2025

A house already covered in paint.

Frida, Malala, bell hooks, the Earth Goddess — they live on our walls. You inherit the house from the residents before you, and leave something for the ones after.

A week at StartArt

Seven days, loosely organised.

You arrive Sunday. Dinner is on the table. From Monday, a rhythm finds you.

Five people painting a colorful mural with abstract shapes on a brick wall outdoors.
Mon
Mural day
scaffolding up by 9
Artists creating at StartArt Residency, nature retreat near Porto, Portugal
Tue
Mercado
whatever is in season
Group of five young adults sitting and standing around a table in a casual room with a colorful mural, writing and smiling.
Wed
Long table
fourteen chairs, one kitchen
Three people sitting on a wooden floor painting a large colorful hand artwork on paper.
Thu
Studio
doors open, doors closed
Group of seven people engaged in a discussion around a table in a sunlit room with a large mural of two boys holding a deer on the wall.
Fri
River
SUPs & cold beers
Five people painting a colorful mural with abstract shapes on a brick wall outdoors.
Sat
Fire
everyone stays up
Artists creating at StartArt Residency, nature retreat near Porto, Portugal
Sun
Slow
nobody hurries
Is StartArt for you?

You don't need to consider yourself an artist to come visit us.

Remote workers, weekend escapers, digital nomads, friends-of-friends — anyone curious about a slower rhythm and an international community is welcome. Surrounded by nature and world heritage sites: 40 minutes from Porto, 1 hour from Peneda-Gerês National Park, on the riverside of Rio Homem.

Visit us →Read about us
Stay with us

Two ways to sleep, one rhythm of life.

Weekly stays starting at €107/night. All prices in EUR + IVA. For longer stays, monthly co-living, or group bookings, message us — we tailor.

Shared room

Shared bathroom · best community vibe

€750/ week + IVA
€107 / night + IVA
  • ✓Bed in shared room (2-4 ppl)
  • ✓Three vegetarian meals / day
  • ✓Fast wifi everywhere + studio access
  • ✓River + pool + night activities
  • ✓Pickup from Porto airport
Book a week →
Most quiet

Private room

Private bathroom · your own space

€940/ week + IVA
€134 / night + IVA
  • ✓Private single room + bathroom
  • ✓Three vegetarian meals / day
  • ✓Fast wifi + dedicated work nook
  • ✓All amenities of shared room
  • ✓Priority room selection
Book a week →

Need something custom? Longer stays, monthly co-living, group or retreat bookings, off-season rates.

Message us on WhatsApp →
Braga · Portuguese Capital of Culture 2025

Forty minutes from Porto.
A different Portugal.

Braga is small, ancient, and stubbornly its own. Rococo churches, granite cafés, a produce market twice a week. In 2025 the city carries Portugal's Capital of Culture title — museums, festivals, and an unusually awake art scene on our doorstep.

Nearest airportPorto (OPO) · 40 min
Train + our pickupincluded on arrival day
Closest townBraga · 15 min
Closest river swimRio Homem · 7 min walk
Closest mountainPeneda-Gerês · 1 h
See on Google Maps ↗
StartArt Residency
Vila Verde, Braga
Porto
Braga
Gerês
Journal

Notes from the house.

All posts →
Guide

Art residencies in Portugal: a 2026 guide.

March 2026 · 6 min
Braga

Twelve things to do in Braga in 2026.

February 2026 · 5 min
Craft

Painting a seven-metre mural in fourteen days.

January 2026 · 8 min
Ready when you are

Come and create something.

Tell us who you are and what you're working on. We write back to every application within a week.

Apply for July 2026 →Book a weekend stay
or just write — marketing@startartresidency.com
Questions

The ones we get most often.

Can't find yours? marketing@startartresidency.com — we reply.

Who can come to StartArt?+
Artists, writers, filmmakers, photographers, digital nomads, remote workers, weekend travelers — and a number of curious souls without any creative practice. We look for openness, not a CV.
How much does it cost?+
Weekly stays start at €750 shared / €940 private (+ IVA), all-inclusive of meals, wifi, studio, river and night activities. Art Residency programs from €1,400 / 14 nights + IVA. Yoga Retreat from €900 / 7 nights. Some partial scholarships available for under-represented artists.
What is included?+
A bed (shared or private, your choice), three vegetarian meals a day, shared studio space, full industrial kitchen, fast wi-fi everywhere, pickup from Porto airport, and all excursions (river swim, Tuesday market, mural walk, Gerês hike).
Is StartArt only for artists?+
No. The Art Residency is for those with a project. The Co-living is for remote workers and digital nomads. The Yoga Retreat is open to all. The Weekend Stay is for travelers wanting to taste the rhythm. Outside residency weeks, anyone is welcome.
What languages do you speak?+
The house speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English, and a little French. Our materials and CTAs are fully available in PT, ES and EN.
How do I get there?+
Vila Verde is 40 minutes from Porto Airport (OPO) by car. Pickup is included on arrival day. Bus + carpool routes from Porto are also possible — we send detailed transport info upon booking.
Instagram

Follow the house@startartresidency

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Five people painting a colorful mural with abstract shapes on a brick wall outdoors.Group of seven people engaged in a discussion around a table in a sunlit room with a large mural of two boys holding a deer on the wall.Artists creating at StartArt Residency, nature retreat near Porto, PortugalThree people sitting on a wooden floor painting a large colorful hand artwork on paper.Group of five young adults sitting and standing around a table in a casual room with a colorful mural, writing and smiling.