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19 Oct 2024
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Description
Kalimera! We are Kj and Debs and we live on the rugged south coast of Crete with our 9 rescue dogs. We are English but previously lived in France where we made many wonderful friends through hosting with Workaway.
We are now living on the south coast of Crete and look forward to connecting with practical people experience of DIY or construction who can lend us a hand with renovation work. We have availability from September 25-beginning of October
Our house is located 200m from Dermatos beach on the Libyan sea - a peaceful, remote location, surrounded by olive groves and backed by the Lassithi mountains.
After breakfast the day starts with dog walking along the beach and in the surrounding olive groves. Then it is mostly outdoor physical help such as decking, painting, landscaping,, construction , and creating gabion walls. We break for coffee and snacks mid morning, and a freshly prepared, home cooked lunch marks the end of your volunteering day. The rest of the day is your own for relaxing, exploring or maybe enjoying a dip in the pool or chilling on the nearby beach.
Dinner is served at around 9pm. KJ has worked in the the restaurant world all his life and loves to cook so there’s loads of opportunities to help and learn how to prepare delicious dishes from all over the globe. Thai, Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Italian and French feature regularly on the menu!
We ask for 25 hours per week in return for meals, snacks and accommodation.
You will need to be dog lovers as our dogs love will want to get to know you and your accommodation to seek out any food treats you might leave lying around ! The dogs are free to run and play in the fenced garden and they sleep on the terrace or in the house.
Locally we have 2 villages nearby (Tsoutsouros 3.5 kms, Kastri-Keratokambos 5 kms) with seasonal tavernas, beach bars and year-round minimarkets selling basic groceries.
This area of Crete is undiscovered and very beautiful – an ideal place for nature lovers and beachcombers! There are many lovely walks and beaches to discover in our area however please note that it is very quiet with no nightlife and no public transport. A driving licence valid for driving manual cars in Greece would be useful.
Please contact us with any questions - we look forward to hearing from you, and hopefully welcoming you to our home very soon.Types of help and learning opportunities
GardeningDIY and building projectsGeneral MaintenanceCultural exchange and learning opportunities
Experience what life is like in rural Greece. Explore traditional villages where life is slow and hasn't changed much over the years. Chill out in a beautiful location and learn new practical skills. Discover the stunning coastal and mountainous scenery which surrounds us.
Help
Outdoor manual tasks such as general renovation/building help, gardening, carpentry etc.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: FluentAccommodation
Accommodation is in a self contained room in the garden with 2 beds, or a space for those travelling in campervans to park up close to hook ups for water & electrics. There is a shady Workaway terrace where you can relax with a table and chairs, hammocks, outside shower, sink, fridge, and kettle. The house bathroom is also shared with volunteers.
What else ...
Cool off by taking a refreshing dip in our pool or stroll down to the beach just a few minutes walk away. There are deserted pebble beaches suitable for swimming and beachcombing within walking distance and sandy beaches a couple of kms away. There are some beautiful walks/hikes and impressive gorges for exploring in the area. Close to Keratokampos is the 10m high Richtra waterfall which is worth visiting (in spring). We are situated 1 hour from Heraklion (international airport, main ferry port and famous Palace of Knossos). Our area is very quiet in the winter season with no nightlife nor local public transport but livens up from May to October when the local bars and tavernas open to welcome visitors.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have a reliable 4G internet connection and wifi on the terrace.
Space for parking camper vans
Plenty of space in the garden for a campervan to park up close to hook ups for water & electrics. A terrace area is provided where you can relax with hammocks, outside shower and sink, and fridge freezer facilities, microwave and kettle. The house bathroom is shared with volunteers also.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
5 hours per day, 25 hours per week
Feedback (48)
They communicate well and clearly about the work to be done and the expectations around hours/tasks. We enjoyed… read more
The place was amazing and I really enjoyed myself and also got more of a feel for the Greek lifestyle. KJ and Debz were fantastic hosts! 10/10 would recommend 🫒🙏
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(5.0)
They communicate well and clearly about the work to be done and the expectations around hours/tasks. We enjoyed… read more
The place was amazing and I really enjoyed myself and also got more of a feel for the Greek lifestyle. KJ and Debz were fantastic hosts! 10/10 would recommend 🫒🙏
The work was rewarding and it's especially rewarding to spend time looking after their pack of dogs - which is part of the daily routine - and get to know them.
Debs &… read more
I would really recommend these hosts to anyone.
The location is amazing, the landscape is beautiful and we were located super close to the beach.
They lent us their car, so we could go to hidden… read more
Would do it again without hesitation!
We had lots of fun with the other Workawayers! From a festival with one of their dogs, to go exploring the Pyrenees and have a… read more
Dos personas auténticas, siempre a disposición y muy atentos. Nuestra familia en Francia.
Nos brindaron amor de hogar durante toda nuestra estadía!!
No podemos dejar de nombrar a Scooby, Otto,bon bon, Callan, Boot, Gipsy, Mizzie, Elsa, Aniche, Belle, Tess:innocent: y… read more
The dogs... OMG!… read more
It was our first experience and we spent 3 weeks with Debs, Keith and their amazing dogs.
They live in a rural house surrounded by beautiful vineyards, close to the village of Gondrin. The house is well located for visiting the area that is plenty of historical villages.
During our first days here we have been… read more
I stayed with them in March/April his year and… read more
This was a fantastic workaway. Keith and Debs are the most welcoming and lovely family to stay with.
Varied work throughout our stay, including gardening, cooking, cleaning, looking after the doggos and the ducks and chickens, and my husband helped to build a new bathroom too.
You work hard but you also get… read more
they were extremely nice to help us out when we got a bit stuck on our travels and welcomed us before schedule - which is much appreciated!!
both Debs and Keith are super attentive and caring people, debs will always make sure… read more
We loved being in the middle of nature, walking in vineyards each day and falling in love with the dogs, each with their individual characters and personalities. We explored the local area and enjoyed sampling… read more
Mireia & Víctor
Keith and Debs are truly kind people and will make you feel extremely welcome. They are both very interesting, down-to-earth and intelligent people, and will always give you a great conversation!
The dogs are a wealth of energy, with amazing and varied personalities (Gypsy stole my heart). Be warned, it will be hard to say… read more
There will always be something to do here and at times it can be demanding work, but it is truly a pleasure helping out. Keith and… read more
Deborah will take care of… read more
They made my stay super comfortable a alreadynd i felt welcomed and also useful. The work was satisfying and diverse! I already miss their down to earth nature, AMAZING COOKING and their lovely gang on dogs!
100% recommended, thank you for everything!!
One last mention about the food...IT IS… read more
The work was very fair and varied, and I hope I contributed enough in return for the hospitality that I received. The animals were a lot of fun to take care of - I sorely miss waking up to two… read more