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Host rating
85 %
Last replied
17 Apr 2024
Reply rate
76.5 %
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Description
Hola and welcome here in the heart of the Alpujarra Granadina right on the bank of the Rio Guadalfeo. This is an old horse farm that waits to be transformed into a colourful community, a base for artisanery, arts, education, creativity, spirituality and just having a good time..
At El Rancho you will encounter : a tower and a hammock, chickens, a mini eucalyptus forest, 3 pianos and a lot of other instruments, laser machines, a hot shower, fruit trees, children, freedom and an open sky full of stars in the night. Three days a week the lower terrace fills up with small children who are being taking care of in the Escuelita, a school/kindergarden project.
The place is slowly transforming from a ruin to a proper house!!
We have been hosting quite a lot of events during the last years, from markets to solstice celebrations to birthday and other parties. Right now, it is a bit quieter and the only regular event is a fire jam which takes place once a week and involves a bon fire, drumming and jamming and juggling with fire toys.
Musicians are very welcome!!! We can play and learn together and inspire each other.
There are huge numbers of other communities and projects in the valley, starting with the most famous: Beneficio, which is in a one-hour foot-walk-distance. However, there are many many more bigger and smaller community projects with different focus: Spirituality, Permaculture, Yoga, Education, Political.... all together forming this extraordinary area.
People from all across the world had been settling down in the Alpujarras over decades. Integration seems to have worked out pretty well as foreigners and locals exist in a beautiful symbiosis, both benefitting from each other.
El Rancho is set on the outermost part of the small and tranquil village of Los Tablones. There is a really nice school here and an organic foods shop with seed bank. The way further down along the river, it is a 7 minutes walk to the community of Cigarrones, which features a somehow famous midwife school with people from many continents, either giving birth or learning alternative ways to support and encourage women giving birth. Apart from that the community is far from being homogenous. There is space for many characters and many different models of living and focus to set, united among a peace- and respectful way of coexisting and interacting.
It is a one-storey house of a total of around 300 squaremeters from which half of it is for living and the other half for workshops. There is also no cellar. In the front of the house is a piece of land of around 2000 squaremeters divided into three terraces.
The Rancho Rompe Cabeza is supposed to be place that supports people in creativity and mental and spiritual improvement, as well as simply a good place to having a good time along a camp fire. It is supposed to become a cultural place for locals and foreigners in all their diversity to meet and exchange...
The Vision
There is space for five small workshops or Ateliers. I, myself, am a producer of mind games like labyrinths, puzzles, trick locks, etc. As I need only one workshop, there are four more to give. It would be beautiful to have a small Cafe or something similar in there. Also space for workshops, theatre, Kids Space, Discussion Rounds, Jam Sessions, Dance, Permaculture, Experimenting etc.
So imagine a place with open workshops where you can sit, chill, have a homemade chai, encircled by Permaculture gardens, maybe a treehouse and nice view and the highest mountains of the Iberian Peninsula. In the evenings there is a fire with jam sessions taking place and people juggling with fire and having a good time.
This is a non profit organization.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
There is a lot of space for experimenting and learning. We would like to encourage people to participate with progressive ideas and inspiration. Also for us it is a lot of learning, realizing ideas and analyzing in many different areas such as gardening, experimenting with natural materials,clay and pottery etc.
Help
There are a lot of different areas where your help is needed, e.g. the amplification of the wooden climbing frame, painting walls, building with cement, making doors out of wood....plus the maintenance of the place which involves cleaning, fixing things, feeding the chickens, watering the plants etc.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Accommodation
Room inside one of the houses, basic accomodation. Outside compost toilet, hot shower, washing machine.
We do not provide food. Shared kitchen.
Orgiva, the nearest town, is a foot walk from 43 minutes. There you can find all kinds of facilities such as supermarkets, banks, bus stop, etc. By car, 7 minutes, Hitch-hiking is very easy in this are.
What else ...
The Alpujarra is a really special place full of interesting people with interesting ideas and life concepts. Its definitely not getting boring here. Apart from experiencing beautiful nature and community life you have the sea within less than an hour drive and the beautiful city of Granada close by.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5 hours a day, 3 days a week. No food provided
