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Last replied
27 May 2024
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Description
Ciao! We are Marco and Sapphire and we run and maintain an organic self sustaining family farm and Bed & Breakfast in a small village near the sea in Sardinia.
The village is called Tortoli which is near Gola di Gorropu, Dorgali and Cala Goritze. Marco was born and raised in the Ogliastra region of Sardinia. He has had the farm since 2010 and the B&B a few years after. With family and friends, the old sheep stables were converted into traditional guest rooms.
WIth the farm and the B&B, the work that Marco does has become too much for one man. Sapphire is from the United States, but has lived in Israel for the last 10 years. She arrived in 2016 as a Workawayer and fell in love with the farm and soon after, Marco. We now have started our lives together on the farm.
We have sheep, goats, pigs, cats, dogs, and chickens. We make different types of cheese from the sheep, homemade organic wine and olive oil. We have an orange and lemon grove as well as pomegranate trees, nespola, grapes, and more.
We host guests mainly between March-October. Throughout the year, we work on the farm. Gardening, milking the sheep and making cheese, picking olives, picking fruit, make wine, fix up the guest rooms, and much much more.
Marco loves his life as a Sardinian farmer and is genuinely proud and gratified with what he has created for himself. We are happy to share this experience as well as teach curious travelers all about this lifestyle, which is so different than the fast-paced world, yet so natural.
A normal day on the farm: Feeding and checking on all of the animals, milking the sheep, a quick Italian breakfast of coffee/biscotti, and then the project of the day. This usually involves work in the garden or vineyard, harvesting vegetables, planting flowers, cutting grass, etc. At lunch time, we pause for the day and sit down for a meal with a glass of vino. Lunch is followed by a siesta. Marco and Sapphire continue the never-ending farmwork into the evening.
*As volunteers, you are only expected to help in the morning, and then join us for lunch!
Tortoli is a mountainous town and directly between Cagliari and Olbia. Both are a two hour drive from the airport. What most people love in the area is going to the famous beaches, like Cala Gonone, Cala Goritze and Cala Luna. And if you enjoy hiking, a one hour drive takes you to Gola di Gorropu- a beautiful canyon with blue-green water.
We are a five minute drive to the surrounding beaches and a three minute drive into the center of town. We are happy to give rides into or back from town when we are on the way out, but keep in mind that we are usually running errands in the afternoon and don't always have the option to accommodate to your plans. But we have bikes that you may use freely and can also suggest catching rides into town... the people are local and friendly.... They don't always speak English but are happy to give you a lift!
We are an easy-going couple that loves to joke around. But we also tend to work throughout the day. This is a farm, but it's also our home. For this reason, it is a very personal and personable place. We are looking for positive volunteers that can respect our farm (and our guests). We like to keep the place relaxed and enjoyable for everyone, but also CLEAN and professional (as much as we can!) .
Sapphire and Marco tend to the B&B themselves and occasionally have a local cleaner to help during the busy season. No help is required from the volunteers for the b&b.
We are a first and foremost a farm and the work is extremely dynamic. According to the time of year, we do different things (like picking olives, making wine, making cheese, etc).
We will need help with the animals, lots of gardening, weeding, planting flowers and vegetables, pruning, collecting wood, keeping the outdoor areas tidy at all times, some light housework in our home, and paintings or creative work with any projects we are working on.
We are always looking for ways to improve our farm aesthetically, so we are open to your creative ideas. (Please see specific description below for monthly details of the farm's schedule. For example- cheese making only takes place six months out of the year as the Sheep may be giving birth).
We occasionally offer a traditional Sardinian dinner to guests and as a volunteer you will always be fed our traditional foods! We are happy to share with you Marco's traditional cooking methods and dishes that are only made in the Ogliastra area in Sardinia, as well as Sapphire's Israeli cuisine.
We have hosted many volunteers through workaway and really enjoy the cultural experience. With time, we have learned that we are most comfortable hosting maximum 2 people- a couple or friends, though depending on the season we are open to hosting single people, too. Though it is best if they come with a car or bike so that they can be more independent.
*️*️*️PLEASE!!! We are looking for people that are honest and consider themselves clean and independent and willing to learn!! If you have any doubts of your ability to keep yourselves and an area clean or are looking for a place for a cheap holiday, please do not consider us.Types of help and learning opportunities
Art ProjectsLanguage practiceHelp with Eco ProjectsTeachingGardeningDIY and building projectsAnimal CareFarmstay helpCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceCultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are looking forward to teaching cheese making, viniculture, and an organic lifestyle of Sardinia. And we welcome you to bring your experiences and insight into our home!
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
The help needed here changes daily, so we are looking for flexible Workawayers. It tends to be physical as maintenance of the farm is the priority. We need Workawayers that aren't afraid to get their hands in the soil. There is no office- all of the work is generally outdoors.
A brief general monthly outline:
January to June- milking sheep and making cheese, pruning olive trees, cutting wood
September to November- making vino and olive oil, cutting wood,
March to May- plant the garden, wool shearing, preparing guest rooms for the summer (painting, decorating, fixing)
**April to August is our highest guest season. At this time, we will need help with keeping the farm tidy and looking good. This includes cutting grass, raking, pruning, weeding the vegetable garden, watering our many plants, planting flowers, painting projects, harvesting vegetables, preparing jams or homemade products, etc.
Marco milks his sheep every morning and night (in season). We dont expect workawayers to help with this, but you are more than welcome to try! Marco enjoys making cheese and can teach the process.
Sardinia in a nutshell is "enjoying the life". This is the reason Marco chose to be a farmer in a time when many people from this village are moving to the city. We believe in hard work and well-deserved siestas. For this reason, we suggest you to come and work for a few hours in the morning and then go explore and enjoy the beautiful landscape of Sardinia.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Hebrew: Fluent
Italian: FluentAccommodation
We provide a private caravan for the Workawayers. The caravan has 1 double bed and 2 single beds, though we usually do not host more than 2 or 3 volunteers at one time. There is also a private bathroom and outdoor shower with solar-heated water.
We've also organized an outdoor kitchen for the volunteers (that the guests may use as well). Depending on the need, there is an electric stove top or a gas stove.
*The kitchen is located in a common area and we expect it to be clean and organized regularly by those who use it.What else ...
Because I have a large family and grew up here in Tortoli, I can help you find ways to get around by car, van, taxi, bike or motorbike. Everything is walkable here in Tortoli.
This central area in Ogliastra has many beautiful sandy beaches, caves and canyons. We have the most extensive hiking trails in Sardinia in the Ogliastra area. Many tourists do motorbike, cycling and hiking excursions. The island is rich in cultural traditions and is quiet with beautiful cool weather in the winter. June-Septmber the island doubles in population. You can research places that are within a 30-45 minute drive like Gola de Gorropu, Cala Goloritze and Cala Luna.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have wifi in the common area that is available to all of our guests. It is not very strong or stable as we live in the countryside. It is possible to purchase a local sim with Data at a low price.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a lot of parking space and places to put up a tent. We also have an outdoor shower and kitchen that can be used.
Can possibly accept pets
As long as the pets are friendly with other animals, we are happy to have them. We have a few dogs and cats that are friendly, too.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (32)
Thank you for all of your help :)
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Cultural exchange:
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Thank you for all of your help :)
the location is excellent, by bike 15m from the beach, thank you very much for everything
To wake up each day with the sun, in the most magnificently beautiful, mountain-scaped surroundings, and be welcomed by the cute little dogs the minute I stepped out of the… read more
Chelle is easy to communicate with and a nice person to have around!
Chloe is nice company to have around.
Thanks again!
Thank you for the help!!
They are a lovely couple with many different skills. They were more than what we could hope for, always working more than necessary and with strong work ethic. It was so nice and easy to trust them in our home. They are both very… read more
Sapphire and Marco are both wonderful and open minded hosts. They told us clearly our tasks and answered all our questions with patience although it was high-season, which includes a lot of daily work.
Because of the heat we started early in the morning with our work and finished every workday with an always very… read more
saphire is so kind,sweet and she make us delicious food everyday for the other side marco is a very funny original sardinian man who teach us a lot from his culture.
we worked in the morning until midday feeding the animals and taking… read more
thank you again!
Marco& Sapphire
-Marco… read more
Marco and Sapphirre are kind and open minded people that welcome you with open arms.
The place is really natural, there is always something new to find and so much to learn. The work is not to hard and gave me a different point of view that was really interesting. I enjoyed my time with Marco and sapphirre and I hope that this… read more
Marco & Sapphire
Regarding workaway, you… read more
Will is easy-going, dynamic, and independent. Willing to do any job, if it's garden work or helping with animals.. He does his work with a… read more
We really appreciate all of your help. You are welcome back at any time!
Marco and Sapphire
I had such an amazing experience at your agriturismo! You were such a welcoming host and showed me parts of Sardegna I will never forget. You have cultivated such a positive, healthy lifestyle and community, I was happy to be a part of it. It always feels like family there! From waking up each morning to make breakfast for your guests… read more
In our experience, it's very important to have willing volunteers with good… read more
Elizabeth and Alessandro were great volunteers. Very respectful, reliable, and hardworking. I was very pleased with them and it was a pleasure to have them as my guests for a few weeks.
Good luck!
Marco
She spent one week with us and she took care people of the bed and breakfast,she cleaned all rooms with a lot of professionalism and she was very nice with all the people here.
I would recommend her to anyone!
Thanks to this experience I was able to discover the Sardinian culture, food , music and the beach around tortoli.
Nice place with friendly people :)
The work included: helping greet B&B guests, clean B&B rooms, make breakfasts for the guests and general maintenance around the house. I was hoping to learn to milk sheep and… read more
She also brought her design eye and helped decorate the B & B with fabrics, pillows and curtains. … read more