São Marcos da Serra
Aloe is one of our five pillars. What started as a few plants has grown into a working nursery and distillation operation. The hydrosol we produce here is the signature product guests take home — and the foundation of a research partnership exploring small-scale Mediterranean aloe farming.
— Team Hillside Sanctuary
In-house aloe vera cultivation and copper hydrosol distillation — over 500 plants, regenerative methods, guest harvest walks, and artisan aloe skincare products.
Hillside Aloe is our in-house aloe vera cultivation and processing operation, rooted in the Mediterranean microclimate of the Algarve hills. Over 500 aloe vera plants thrive across Zone 3 of the property, benefiting from the region’s mild winters, long dry summers, and well-drained schist soils.
We cultivate Aloe barbadensis miller — the most widely studied medicinal species — using regenerative methods with no synthetic inputs. Plants are propagated on-site from offsets, creating a self-sustaining nursery cycle. Our harvest follows the plant’s natural rhythm: outer leaves taken by hand, allowing continuous regrowth.
The centrepiece of the operation is our copper hydrosol distillation setup. Fresh aloe leaves are steam-distilled to produce pure aloe hydrosol — a gentle, fragrant water used in skincare, after-sun care, and wellness applications. Guests can participate in harvest walks, watch the distillation process, and take home a bottle of Hillside hydrosol.
This is also an active research site. Our Mediterranean Aloe Cultivation & Processing research partnership explores propagation techniques, seasonal growth patterns, extraction yields, and market positioning for small-scale Mediterranean aloe producers.
