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15 Aug 2024
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Description
Hi! Let me introduce ourselves, we are Zoe, Andy, Oli and Adam, a small family who have decided to commit to living a more sustainable and natural way of life. In 2023 we sold up and bought an old farmhouse with a hectare of land in the North of Spain. It was a big change for us and the beginning of what feels like the greatest adventure of our lives. There was and is a lot to learn and do and although at times it can all feel a bit daunting, we feel nourished and continuously inspired by the mountains, woodland, rivers and wild life all around us.
And little by little we are getting there. We spent all of this year making the farmhouse comfortable to live in and are now starting to expand out, re-wilding some of the land that was previously used for pasture and setting up a food forest and vegetable garden using permaculture and organic farming principles.
In the future we plan to rehabilitate a barn for workshops, creative projects, yoga and other activities.
We live in a very small hamlet surrounded by woods, farm and pasture land and mountains. There are wolves, wild boar, deer and eagles in our valley, yet we are only 20 minutes away from the coast and beautiful natural beaches, some great surfing. Our closest town, Luarca, is on the Camino de Santiago, on the coast and offers a real taste of life in the North of Spain with excellent restaurants, cafes, shops and amenities. The close knit community around us is very welcoming and traditional Asturian food and culture is celebrated and preserved in small, every day things as well as during the wonderful local festivals.
I, Zoe, was born in the UK and have lived in Spain for over 20 years along with my husband, Andrew, who is South African. Our family is pretty much bi-lingual. We have travelled widely and really enjoy meeting new people and sharing experiences with them.
Our hope is to create a welcoming, nourishing home where healthy, sustainable living is the norm and where people can find space, time and inspiration.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We live in an area rich in heritage, history and culture and can offer visitors the chance of experiencing something completely different to the Spain that is often sold in the tourist brochures. Asturias is brimming with unspoilt beaches, mountains and forests, tranquility and space and, having lived in Spain for over two decades, we are well positioned to help people go off the beaten track.
The Camino de Santiago runs through our nearest town and throughout the year we meet people from all over the world making their own personal pilgrimages. Their stories are often inspiring and we are happy to consider shorter stays for visitors walking the camino, or to help people staying with us walk some of it. Our lifestyle is focused on physical, spiritual and emotional nourishment and we are very happy to share and enjoy practices that allow people to flourish.
And, as a bilingual Spanish and English family, we are also happy to support visitors in developing their language skills ;)
Help
At the moment we are looking for people with experience in permaculture or organic farming methods to help us set up our garden. Although we had a small kitchen garden in our previous house, we are currently in the early stages of setting up something much larger and it would be amazing to have more than books and you tube videos to consult!
We are also looking for people with DIY and building experience as we convert our barn.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Accommodation
We can offer a comfortable double bedroom with double bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers and a sitting area with table. The room is big enough to accommodate a writing table if, for a longer stay, that would make life better. This room is part of our family home and has access to a large bathroom with shower and bath. There is a separate toilet on the same floor.
We would invite people to eat all of their meals with us as there is no bar or restaurant in our village and would expect some collaboration preparing, cooking and clearing up after meals, as part of the working hours. Tea, coffee and drinks etc. are freely available. We eat an omnivore diet focused on healthy, sustainable dishes, which mainly consists of plant based food supplemented with some meat, dairy and fish. Much of our food is vegan and vegetarian and we are happy to host guests with any diet.
We are also happy to share a large attic and barn which could be used for creative projects, yoga etc...
We are happy to offer lifts to the local town and are open to facilitate visits further afield so that visitors can explore the local area. There is a limited bus service from the village to Luarca, which has a train and bus station with great, cheap service and connections to all major towns and cities in the North of Spain and beyond. Our home is 45 minutes from Asturias airport and we are open to consider airport pickups for longer stays.
What else ...
We live in the countryside so around our house there are plenty of walks and lots of woods and rivers to explore and enjoy. Please note that our nearest bar or cafe are a ten minutes drive away. There is a limited bus service from our village to Luarca and we are happy to coordinate lifts as we often have to go to the town for supplies and football training! Luarca has a train and bus station with regular, cheap services and connections to all major towns and cities in the North of Spain and beyond. Luarca also has a very picturesque fishing port, a protected beach and a natural beach within easy walking distance of its center, museums, a botanical garden and a bustling shopping center. Our home is 45 minutes from Asturias airport and we are open to consider airport pickups for longer stays.
The provinces capital, Oviedo, is about an hour away by car and is a stunning city to visit with any number of museums, theatres, galleries and restaurants. Gijon, Santander, Coruña and Bilboa are also great places to consider visiting as is of course Santiago de la Compostela and nearby Portugal.
For surfers or those wanting to learn, there are two great local breaks and dozens of amazing, unspoilt surf spots all along the coast. There are also riding schools, kayak rentals for river excursions and paddle boarding locally available.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have a large field in which people can park small camper vans, unfortunately access is restricted by a bridge to vehicles under 2.8 meters high.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 4 to 5 days a week
Feedback (2)
He was hardworking, willing to try new things and is skilled and meticulous with DIY projects. He was also willing to help with regular household tasks when that was needed and was very tidy and conscientious.
We enjoyed… read more
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Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
He was hardworking, willing to try new things and is skilled and meticulous with DIY projects. He was also willing to help with regular household tasks when that was needed and was very tidy and conscientious.
We enjoyed… read more
