Help us create a rural hotel and permaculture farm near Besalú, Catalonia

Verfügbarkeit

  2025 

 Geforderte Mindest-Aufenthaltsdauer:  mindestens 1 Monat oder mehr

Jan
Feb
Mär
Apr
Mai
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Okt
Nov
Dez

Informationen

  • Beschreibung

    Beschreibung

    We have recently purchased a beautiful property near the small town of Besalú in La Garrotxa, Catalonia. Our property features a historic 17th-century building, which includes a pool, beautiful gardens, a semi-woodland area, and a 2-hectare field.

    We are nestled in the stunning natural beauty of Alta Garrotxa, where we’re creating a unique, sustainable destination that combines wellness, cycling, yoga retreats, and farm-to-table dining. Our vision is to open in June 2025, offering guests an immersive experience rooted in sustainability and connection to nature.

    Our vision also includes a permaculture farm which would include market garden, food, forest, fruit orchard, chickens and bees. This forms part of our broader goal of fostering a harmonious relationship with the land while providing fresh, sustainable produce for our guests and team.

    We want to regenerate the land to encourage biodiversity and sustainability, creating a thriving environment for native plants and wildlife. This is an important part of our project for both the farm and the gardens around the property.

    Currently, we’re focusing on refurbishments to the main house, which are essential to bring our vision to life. This is our primary focus at the moment, and we’re keen to start these works as soon as possible. To achieve this, we’re mainly looking for individuals with building experience who can help us move forward with the project.

    Gerard worked years in the hotel industry and has a wealth of experience in managing large-scale projects, while I bring a deep love for nature and a background sustainability. Together, we are excited to build something meaningful, where guests can connect with themselves and the environment around them.

    Gerard in his early 50’s, from North London. He had this dream to create “Off Grid” and its finally now coming true. Gerard’s great loves are his son Louie, his dog Soly, road biking and candle making! He is laid back, loves to have laugh and generous!

    As to myself, I’m Lily, I’m 34 years, from Chamonix, France but lived many places and worked many jobs. I am passionate about yoga, self-development, nature, plants and sustainability.

    We are both warm, welcoming, and down-to-earth people who value collaboration, creativity, and mutual respect. Our goal is to create a positive and supportive environment for everyone involved in the project, and we look forward to working alongside like-minded individuals who share our vision.

  • Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

    Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

    Kunstprojekte
    Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten
    Gartenarbeiten
    Heimwerker- und Bauarbeiten
    Zubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die Familie
    Handwerkliche Arbeiten
  • Interessengebiete

    Interessengebiete

    Selbstentwicklung
    Nachhaltigkeit
    Farmarbeit
    Gärtnern
    Musik
    Heimwerken & DIY
    Bücher
    Gartenarbeiten
    Yoga / Wellness
    Natur
    Gebirge
    Tanzen
    Wandern
    Radfahren
  • Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

    Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

    Staying with us you will have the opportunity to live in historic Catalonian property and get to know the area with a rich cultural heritage and most amazing nature. Alta Garrotxa is a very special place and due to its rugged landscape has remained fairly untouched and very pristine. La Garrotxa comarca is full of many places to visit all within 20-30 min drive!

    The work to do here is so varied and we are working closely with a permaculture consultant, garden designers, interior designer and furniture renovators - you can learn by working closely with these people and helping implementing the designs and concepts all over the property!

    In summary we offer the chance to live in a stunning property, amazing natural location full of outdoor activities. Mainly however, we offer the opportunity to be part of new and exciting sustainable project. We are looking to create a core team. People who want to work and grow with us and if things really work, if things align for all of us, we could offer you a long-term position here where you can start a new life! Who knows!

  • Die vom Gastgeber angebotene Vergütung entspricht dem Mindestlohn

    Die vom Gastgeber angebotene Vergütung entspricht dem Mindestlohn

    Dieser Host bietet Unterkunft und Bezahlung.

  • Arbeit

    Arbeit

    Building Refurbishments and Renovation Tasks:

    One of the first things we need help with is the renovation of the building, an old masia with low ceilings on the ground floor and limited natural light throughout. Our goal is to brighten the space and create a clean, modern finish while maintaining its historic charm. The main tasks include:

    • Painting/Plastering: The ground floor features beautiful stone walls that need to be painted white to brighten the space, along with some beams. For the first and second floors, the walls need plastering to create an even surface. We also need to paint all interior doors, wardrobes, woodwork details, and wooden frames using spray paint and other methods.
    • Spray Painting: We will remove all the interior doors to spray-paint them and their frames using a spray gun. Closet door frames and the insides of closets in each room also need to be painted.
    • Carpentry and Woodwork: Many of the window fittings and shutters are made of wood and need to be sanded and refurbished. Additionally, we need help building benches and seating areas, as well as fixing and maintaining wooden shutters throughout the property.
    • Upcycling Furniture: We have a collection of beautiful antique furniture left in the masia, and we want to restore and upcycle these pieces. This will include sanding, painting, and possibly reupholstering.
    • Bathroom Renovations: While we’re not doing full bathroom overhauls, we need help replacing fittings like sinks, shower basins, and taps with water-efficient options. Any plumbing experience would be a huge plus. Tasks may also include painting bathroom tiles to refresh the look.


    Immediate Opportunities and Project Timeline:

    We are looking for people who can start as soon as possible, ideally from November, to help with the building and renovation work, which is currently our main priority.

    We are open to considering groups of friends or couples with a variety of skills. If one partner or group member has experience in building, and the other has skills in areas like landscaping, permaculture and social media, there is also plenty of other work available.

    Permaculture Farm and Landscaping Projects:
    The second focus of our project is the permaculture farm and the surrounding landscaping and gardens. This is an essential part of our vision to create a sustainable and biodiverse environment for both guests and the local ecosystem. The main tasks include:

    Immediate Priorities:

    1. Clearing and Maintenance:

    o Removing climbers and invasive plants that are suffocating trees.
    o Preparing the soil for the future market garden, including moving quality topsoil and clearing areas for planting.
    o Fixing and clearing water tanks to make them permeable.

    2. Infrastructure Setup:
    o Building a fence around the 2-hectare field to protect crops from wild boar and deer.
    o Implementing the drip irrigation system.

    Future Tasks (Starting Next Year):
    1. Land Development:
    o Constructing a polytunnel to extend the growing season.
    o Creating paths for tractor access and pedestrian access
    o Creating a compost area.
    o Planting a fruit orchard along contour lines.
    o Creating a small pond and a perennial flower garden for guests to enjoy and biodiversity.
    o Planting sustainable, drought-resistant flower beds and planters across the property.

    2. Vegetable Garden Preparation (April 2025):
    o Starting to plant seeds for annual vegetable gardens.
    o Preparing planting beds for vegetables, herbs, and other crops.
    o Beginning the first cycle of planting and nurturing the annual crops to grow.


    Non-Negotiable Requirements:
    To be part of our team, you must meet the following criteria:

    • Proven prior building experience and/or
    • Proven experience landscaping, permaculture farming, or vegetable gardening.
    • Be over 25 years old.
    • Commit to a minimum of two months, with a one-week trial period at the beginning.
    • Have the legal right to work in Spain (valid working visa or residency permit).
    • Own a car as we are in a remote location, and you’ll need to be self-reliant for transport.
    • Be physically fit and capable of handling hard physical work.
    • Speak English fluently (Spanish is a bonus but not essential).

    Desirable attributes:
    Administrative and Marketing Support:

    While our primary focus is on hands-on work in building, landscaping, and the permaculture farm, there are additional administrative and marketing tasks that would be a bonus for candidates who also have relevant practical skills. These tasks include:

    • Creating a Supplier Database: Researching and building a database of local, organic suppliers for produce, meat, cheese, honey, and other goods to support our farm-to-table vision.
    • Environmental Reporting: Assisting with the creation of an environmental impact report for the company.
    • Marketing and Social Media: Helping to develop and manage our social media presence and marketing materials to promote the project.

    We are not looking for someone who solely has these skills. These tasks would primarily suit individuals who are also contributing to the landscaping or permaculture work and can incorporate this support into their role.


    Current Opportunities and Long-Term Potential:

    At the moment, our main focus is on building and renovation work, and we are ready to welcome people immediately. However, we are also happy to receive candidates who are only available from January or February. Work on the permaculture farm and landscaping projects will primarily begin in January, but there is a possibility to start earlier in December if the right candidates are available.
    We are open to considering a variety of skill sets and roles for both the short-term and long-term, depending on the candidate. However, the ideal candidates for now would be:

    • Two friends: Both contributing to the building work, or one focusing on building while the other assists with permaculture and landscaping and admin work/social media.

    • A couple, where:
    o Both have experience in building and renovation work, OR
    o One partner is skilled in building work while the other can assist with landscaping, gardening, permaculture farm tasks and as a plus administrative support such as social media or marketing.

    We are specifically looking for skilled individuals with a proven background in at least one area and meet ALL the NON-NEGOTIABLES – SEE ABOVE.

    Wages and Working Conditions:

    We offer a monthly wage of approximately €1,000 and provide accommodation on-site. However, we do not provide food, as workers will be responsible for their own meals. That said, we are happy to occasionally share meals together as a team.

    As this is a paid position, we expect workers to commit to an eight-hour workday, Monday to Friday, with weekends off (Saturday and Sunday). However, flexibility is essential, as there may be times when the workload requires working over a weekend, in which case corresponding days off will be given during the week.

    We are also happy to discuss wages should a candidate bring exceptional skills or expertise to the project. This is something we are open to negotiating for the right individual.


    Long-Term Opportunities:

    If we find the right candidates, these roles could develop into long-term positions:

    1. Head of Maintenance: Managing all aspects of the operation, including buildings, heating systems, irrigation, electrics, general upkeep, and property infrastructure. Please refer to the Head of Maintenance job description below.

    2. Operations Manager: Overseeing the front desk, reception, and general guest services once the hotel opens. Please refer to the Operations Manager job description below.

    Pre-Opening Work and Long-Term Opportunities

    It’s important to note that the farm and landscape work is part of the pre-opening phase. For those committing to a long-term position, the roles and responsibilities will shift:

    • In a long-term position, such as Operations Manager, the focus will be on front desk duties, guest services, and running the hotel once it is open. There might be punctual times where help would be needed on the farm. Please refer to the Operations Manager job description below.

    • For those in a Head of Maintenance position, there will still be some involvement in overseeing the landscape and irrigation systems, and might be required to assist on the farm with composting, planting or anything we might need help with. However, the maintenance role will primarily focus on the upkeep of the buildings, systems, and general property infrastructure. Please refer to the Head of Maintenance job description below.


    Head of Maintenance – Job description:

    • Property Maintenance: Oversee the repair and upkeep of all buildings, including the hotel, restaurant, permaculture farm, and guest areas.
    • Preventative Maintenance: Implement and manage a preventative maintenance schedule for the property, including heating systems, plumbing, electrical systems, and appliances.
    • Sustainable Practices: Ensure maintenance processes are aligned with our sustainability goals, including energy efficiency, waste reduction, and water conservation.
    • Outdoor Spaces: Maintain exterior spaces, including pathways, gardens, and permaculture infrastructure, in coordination with the gardening team.
    • Equipment and Tools: Manage the inventory, repair, and replacement of tools, machinery, and equipment used across the property.
    • Guest Services: Address maintenance requests from guests promptly to ensure high-quality guest experiences.

    Operations Manager – Job Description:

    • Full time Operations (Manager) to join our pre- opening team. Running of our day-to-day Front Office, to create a memorable, effortless experience for our guests – from when they arrive, over the course of their stay and until they get their bill and head off again.
    • Contribute in all areas of the business from revenue management, social media, marketing strategy, permaculture farm, retreats, cycling etc.
    • Be part of a small and friendly team where nothing is too much trouble.
    • You’ll be hands-on and willing to work both front and back of house, restaurant, farm, events etc spending time with guests and team members alike.
    • To assist the Owner to manage any changes in hotel procedures around health and safety compliance.
    • Act as Manager on duty, making sure everything is running smoothly and looking sharp, working with the team to find solutions to any problems.

    If you are interested in applying for a long-term position directly, please contact us to discuss further. We can provide additional details about the non-negotiable requirements, and you can send through your CV and a short description of why you’d like to join the project.

  • Sprachen

    Gesprochene Sprachen
    Englisch: Fließend
    Spanisch: Fließend
    Französisch: Fließend
    Italienisch: Gute Kenntnisse
    Catalan: Grundkenntnisse
    Deutsch: Grundkenntnisse

    Dieser Gastgeber bietet Sprachaustausch an
    I would love to learn Catalan! Gerard needs to learn Spanish! Happy to speak in English, French or Spanish if you want to practice!

  • Unterkunft

    Unterkunft

    Accommodation:

    Accommodation is provided on-site in a separate house known as The Barn. Depending on availability and the number of workers, the arrangements are as follows:

    • Shared Bedrooms: If you are two friends, you may need to share a bedroom with two single beds. However, if we are not at full capacity, you might have your own room.

    • Couples will be provided with a double bedroom.

    The Barn features:

    • A large living room with a big fireplace and comfortable sofas.
    • A shared bathroom with a bath and shower, fully modern and well-equipped.
    • A fully fitted modern kitchen including dishwasher.
    • Access to Wi-Fi, heating, washing machine and dryer.

    Future Projects and Accommodation

    In addition to the current building and renovation tasks, we are also planning future projects to further enhance the property. One of these is the renovation of a small flat in the main house. This flat is designed to accommodate long term volunteers or employees and will feature:

    • Two separate bedrooms.
    • One shared bathroom.
    • A kitchen and a small living room.

    This renovation is part of our longer-term plans and is expected to be completed by April 2025. For those committing to a long-term role, there is a possibility of staying in this flat once it has been completed, depending on the timeline and project needs.

  • Was noch ...

    Was noch ...

    We are located on the boarder of the Alta Garrotxa, a stunning natural park. Directly behind our property is a small mountain El Mont 1300m. You can walk from the house and find many hikes, old ruins, mountain, road and gravel bike paths as well as rope and boulder climbing.

    Sadernes is 30mins drive from us you where you can find beautiful gorges canyons and water pools with turquoise clear waters.

    The nearest village is Maia de Montcal, 2 mins drive or 25 mins walk where you can find a small shop, communal swimming pool. Otherwise, there is Besalu a beautiful medieval town just 10 mins drive away with supermarkets, including a fantastic organic shop, pharmacy, cafe and wine shops, bakery, pharmacy, great pizzaria and little tapas places.
    If you drive a little further (20mins) you can find other bigger towns such as stunning Olot, on the boarder la Garrotxa volcanic natural park, Banyoles and its beautiful lake and more. Both have many stores, shops cafes etc.

    Girona is 30 mins away if you fancy going to a bigger city, go to a show, exhibition, shopping or a night out! Its also beautiful, specially the old town is very charming and typical Catalonian! Although we are very rural, there is so much very nearby.

    The costa Brava is about 40 mins drive depending on which beach you go to with many small coves to explore. Barcelona is 1h45 min drive and the Pyrenees are just a bit further about 1hour drive if you want to reach higher mountains.

    The whole area is beautiful, with many ruins, stunning landscape, mountains, river, gorges beautiful villages and towns. Just look up Alta Garrotxa on Google images!

  • Etwas mehr Information

    Etwas mehr Information

    • Internet Zugang

    • Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

      Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

    • Wir besitzen Tiere

    • Wir sind Raucher

    • Familien möglich

  • Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen

    Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen

    Dieser Gastgeber nimmt gern Digital Nomads bei sich auf.

  • Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans

    Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans

    we have space for caravans but we do not yet have outdoor toilets/showers. they would need to go in the house for us. this is part of longer plan - we will build compost toilet/ simple shower in the field by the permaculture farm.

  • Hier sind Haustiere in der Regel willkommen

    Hier sind Haustiere in der Regel willkommen

    depends how many and also if they are ok with cats and other dogs

  • Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

    Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

    mehr als zwei

Gastgeber Ref-Nr.: 669681446353

Website-Sicherheit

Weitere Bilder

Feedback

Create a non-profit cultural space with me in Aguilas, Spain
Help and enjoy a cultural exchange with our family in Catalonia, Spain