Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
15 Jul 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
66
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Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
Hi, I’m Santiago. I arrived at this desert land in 2017, after spending two years traveling through Latin America. I visited Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, where I joined different permaculture projects. I learned about natural building—but even more important to me, I learned about community living.
I was looking for a place to live in a simpler way, more connected to the land and aligned with what I truly believed in. Around that time, my father told me he had a piece of land he wasn’t using—rough terrain, a harsh climate, intense sun and wind. I went to see it, not expecting much… but when I arrived, I discovered something special. There was natural spring water, and I felt a deep sense of possibility.
I started from scratch. The land was full of dry trees, so I began cleaning, planting, watering… little by little, the space started to transform. For the first two years, I lived in a simple base camp. Then I managed to build the first house. With help from friends, volunteers, and people eager to learn, we began building more cabins through natural building workshops.
Now, this place has become a living oasis in the middle of the desert. We grow a large part of our food in an organic garden, swim in natural spring-water pools, live in cabins made with natural materials, and take care of a growing food forest of over 500 fruit trees we planted ourselves. But above all, what we’ve created is a way of life—one that values community, connection, and harmony with nature.
The project keeps evolving. We’re currently building more cabins with superadobe, improving our carpentry, and planning to create a space for bees and honey production. I’m happy to welcome people who want to learn, share, and co-create. I truly believe the world needs to remember how to live together, how to work as a team, and how to reconnect with the wisdom that only community life can bring.
Welcome to be part of the family
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Adventure sports
Dancing
Self development
Sustainability
Music
Plant care
Hitchhiking
Cooking & food
Drawing & painting
Gardening
Carpentry
Astronomy
Art & design
Animals
Architecture
Yoga / Wellness
Outdoor activities
Nature
Mountain
Fitness
Hiking
Camping
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The experience of learning in theory and above all in practice how to use the materials that we dispose of the land to build beautiful places in harmony with the environment, learn about caring and be part of the formation of the edible forest and share and learn from the different travelers, teachers and characters that share in the transition of this space.
And of course... enjoy a unique place, a valley in the desert, with a night sky full of stars, and much production of pisco and wine, in a very quiet place with lots of nature and peace around.
We also offer workshops on natural building and general permaculture. These workshops are usually scheduled on specific dates and have an additional cost, but they are completely optional. If a Workawayer wants to come and take the courses, they receive a special discount. But if they just want to come as volunteers, that’s totally fine. In fact, we often need help during the workshops.
La experiencia de aprender en la teoria y sobretodo en practica como usar los materiales que disponemos de la tierra para construir lugares hermosos en armonia con el entorno, Aprender sobre el cuidado y ser parte de la formacion del bosque comestible y compartir y aprender de los distintos viajeros, maestros y personajes que comparten en la transicion de este espacio.
Y claro.. disfrutar de un lugar unico, un valle en el desierto, con un cielo nocturno lleno de estrellas, y mucha producion de pisco y vino, en un lugar muy tranquilo y con mucha naturaleza y paz al rededor.
Sobre todo tener la oportunidad de convivir en comunidad
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
A place to share knowledge in bio-construction, agro-ecology, permaculture, healthy living in community and conscience.
we need help with bioconstruction, organic agriculture and green space maintenance
We also offer workshops on natural building and general permaculture. These workshops are usually scheduled on specific dates and have an additional cost, but they are completely optional. If a Workawayer wants to come and take the courses, they receive a special discount. But if they just want to come as volunteers, that’s totally fine. In fact, we often need help during the workshops.
Un lugar para compartir saberes en bioconstruccion, agroecologia, permacultura, vida sana en comunidad y conciencia.necesitamos ayuda con tarea de bioconstruccion, agricultura organica y mantencion de espacios verdes
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
Estoy interesado en intercambiar clases francés español
Accommodation
we have camping area and room for 12 volunteers
we serve 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with vegetarian preference
And very abundant with food
** all weeks we have a pizza or lasagna day !🍕
*Potable water included
*Fruits aviable for snaks all day
What else ...
It is a desert valley, but there is a lot of water thanks to irrigation canals, the weather is warm during the day and not very cold at night. 10 minutes from the town of La Joya. The river is 5 minutes away and the Pacific Ocean is 1 hour away for beach lovers. (flexible with the times and movements of each traveler) :) place to learn, do, heal, share and enjoy with the pachamama.
Es un valle del desierto, pero hay mucha agua gracias a canales de irrigacion, el clima es calido en el dia y no muy frio por las noches. A 10 min de el pueblo de la Joya . El rio esta a 5 min Y el oceano pacifico a 1 hora para los amantes de la playa. (flexibles con los tiempos y los movimientos de cada viajero) :) lugar para aprender, hacer, sanar, compartir y gozar con la pachamama.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Tenemos starlink y esta prendido todas las mañanas, desconectamos el wifi por las noches para que juntos podamos tener momentos de comunidad
Space for parking camper vans
Tenemos un gran espacio para que puedas estacionar tu caravana
Can possibly accept pets
Siempre y cuando los voluntarios se hagan responsables de sus animales
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Feedback (60)
Muchas gracias chicos! Lo mejor para sus viajes !
The day begins with a yummy breakfast and stretching/games, followed by 4hrs of work, which you have some choice over. The work is really engaging, we enjoyed learning some steps of making adobes, plus how to make a temazcal (native sweat lodge)… read more
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.8)
Muchas gracias chicos! Lo mejor para sus viajes !
The day begins with a yummy breakfast and stretching/games, followed by 4hrs of work, which you have some choice over. The work is really engaging, we enjoyed learning some steps of making adobes, plus how to make a temazcal (native sweat lodge)… read more
You are in a lush green paradise among the deserts where you hear the birds' sounds during the day and at night.
You can start the day early, stretch and play games as a group and then start working. You have options such as gardening, pool cleaning, construction and organization. And from… read more
The property is also absolutely beautiful, with the abundance of trees and nature. Not to forget the swimming pool, which was perfect to… read more
Me hubiera encantado que hayas tenido más tiempo para seguir compartiendo ! Gracias por todo el trabajo!
2 semanas hermosas, hay un ambiente de familia con todos los voluntarios y me sientaba como a la casa !
Santi es una persona muy linda que siempre le gusta compartir con todos sus conocimientos y sus buenas ondas
si le gusta la buena comida, la buena gente, un lugar perfecto… read more
We would go through the jobs for… read more
We had the most delicious pizzas on the… read more
We climb to Misti (big volcando un my city) and se was really strong! It was a Nice experience!
Gracias por todo ella! Bienvenida siempre
Nous étions au total une dizaine de volontaires où chacun trouve sa place et participe aux tâches journalières.
Le travail était de 4h par jour… read more
Santi is an amazing host. I really enjoyed our conversations and he has a lot of knowledge and experience you can learn from.
I can't even describe how nice the vibe was! everybody was so accepting, genuine and chill. We bonded as a… read more
During our stay we made some lovely connections and shared the space with guests attending the workshop. The volunteers and Santiago cooked together… read more
I like hippie, but I am not a big fan of drinking beer, smoking sigarettes or marihuana. But everyone was free to do whatever feels right for him/her, so there was no pressure.
I fell in love with this amazing… read more
We worked helping develop his… read more
Es organizado cumple con las misiones asignadas y es muy amable, saludos kiri
The host provides plenty amount of food (a lot of fruits too!). I could work on those projects that I'm interested in, together with other volunteers,… read more
We were 8 volunteers and we cooked and ate together (there was always a lot of food!). The work starts after breakfast and a nice stretching circle. Mostly we worked 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours… read more
Entre la huerta, la piscina, la casa, hay mucho por hacer ! Santi suele proponer varias tareas para que cada uno pueda elegir la que más le guste.
El terreno tiene una vista hermosa y el atardecer es chévere. Su perro se llama "El Negro," y es gigante y muy cool.
Santiago es una buena persona. Siempre pude practicar español con el. Hablamos mucho… read more
Nos despertábamos muy temprano, desayunábamos y hacíamos un círculo de stretching. Luego jugábamos a algún juego para cargarnos de energía y empezábamos a trabajar. Santi… read more
Santi tiene una visión para el lugar y siempre nuevas ideas para mejorarlo, pues había mucho trabajo diferente de que podíamos elegir.
Santi sabe mucho, no solamente sobre la bioconstrucción, y… read more
Thanks again for the inspiration! Cheers also… read more
Santi is super open und easy to get along. He will so sure, you have a great time there!
Thanks a lot for that experience! :)
Sin embargo cuidado si tienes un estomago un poco debil (habia algunos… read more
Gracias por la bonita experiencia :)
El ritmo de trabajo fue muy bueno : despertarse temprano para aprovechar la luz del sol, desayunar, hacer círculos para estirar y juegos para… read more
And I can say I had a really good time there. The work was equally divided and only tough if you wanted it that way. The daily tasks such as cleaning the dishes were switching between the people. So everybody did everything at some point and it stays fair.
The site itself was unique… read more
It was by far the best volunteer experience I ever had!
Working and living with Santiago is a pleasure in all manners.
There is a scheduled “day program” that orders the daily life and makes sure, that everyone is treated equall and no one fells exploited.
But that doesn’t mean you… read more
