Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Reply rate
90.9 %
Usually responds within 55 days
Feedback
17
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Details
Description
We are looking for a couple to help sort out our garden which is in need of tidying up! It will involve weeding, pruning, digging stuff out and chopping things down - we're a bit past all this and need help. It'll be quite hard work but April is usually wonderful here so it could be fun too. Orgiva has wonderful clean mountain air, good walking and lots of places to visit like the beach which is half an hour away. It's warming up here now and time to do lots of work. Come and join us for the month of April and enjoy our land, our dogs and cats (all rescue) and our beautiful pool/gardens and local amenities. We are a friendly bunch of three folks living in a great part of the world. We enjoy life, eat well and have a laugh - so join us for some fun and rewarding work.
We have 1.25 acres of Spanish campo land which needs attention, we are building stone walls and still developing the gardens - plus doing all sorts of things on the land like picking olives from our 25 trees. Currently we have 5 dogs (all rescue) and 5 cats. We have rescued and moved on over 125 dogs/pups in the last 5 years, it's very rewarding and they have been great fun. The dogs are outdoors with their own 'houses', they run around in a half-acre paddock. The cats are house cats so have a very comfortable life.
We need strong fit helpers as we are both a bit past it! We like positively motivated people to help us with all we have to do, but we have fun too and in past years our helpers have been very happy and stayed longer than they had planned. We have friends here who also take helpers so we may be able to help you to your next place if you like it here. We have successfully managed to do this 3 times now.
Our country house is in the Alpujarra Valley, half way between Granada and the coast. We let the a large part of the house as a 'holiday home' in the summer and holiday times, while we live in the 'main' house. We've done quite a bit of work on both 'homes' sometimes with the help of volunteers.
We have over 70 trees which need to be cared for and from Nov to Feb the almonds and olives need to be picked. We have created a beautiful garden complete with pool, so there's always work to do, watering and tending for everything.
Our volunteers will stay in their own room with bathroom, and will share our kitchen. Breakfast is provided, but we always make lunch and sometimes supper for our 'family' on work days. We expect 5 hours help per day, 5 days a week. Usually we like to have the weekends off and helpers are free to come and go as they please, to take a packed lunch and go walking or whatever, but we like to have the evening meal together if possible as this maintains a family atmosphere.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Spain is a fabulous country with loads of history and culture. The Alpujarra Valley is stunning with a special story of its own dating back to the Moors and even as far back to the Stone Age. Granada and the coast are both within easy reach, the Alhambra Palace is a must see and the coast here is very unspoilt with small Spanish beach towns and lovely beaches.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We have ongoing maintenance work on our house and garden, plus we are constantly doing work to improve the property, for example tiling patios and rebuilding stone walls and paths. Being pensioners we increasingly need help to manage our land, animals and buildings. We need our volunteers to be practical and have certain skills that we don't have, or be able to do tasks that we are no longer strong enough to do.
We are very easy going and do our best to make our helpers stay as pleasant as possible. We are flexible about hours and which days you work, however we like to keep the weekends quiet!
We've had many good years with volunteers since 2014 and are now looking forward to meeting more interesting, enthusiastic and hard working people this year!
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
Accommodation
A large double room (double bed) with ensuite private bathroom. You will share the large kitchen with us. Breakfast is 'help yourself' but we make lunch and sometimes supper for our workers, or sometimes food is provided for volunteers to create their own meal especially in the summer when hot food is not necessary.
What else ...
Orgiva is in the Alpujarra Valley which is 1500 feet above sea level, an area of outstanding natural beauty and a paradise for walking, cycling and horse riding. The highest mountain in southern Europe, Mulhacen, is walkable for the fit, it takes about 5 hours. Orgiva is 35 mins drive from the Costa Del Sol, the nearest beach is at Motril, but there are many beautiful beaches and interesting resorts including Almunecar (Jazz Festival mid July), La Herradura, and Nerja which has several beaches.
Orgiva is a very special place, it is very New Age, full of alternative ways of living (yurts/vans etc) including travellers and hippies. Market day is busy and full of colour and life of all sorts. We are 5 mins (2 kms) drive to Orgiva which is the nearest town, or a 40 minute walk. It is half an hour's drive to Pampaneira and Capilleira, two of the highest mountain villages in Spain. Granada, 50 mins drive, is a beautiful cultured city and the famous Alhambra Palace is a must see.
Malaga airport is 1 hour 40 mins drive, there are two buses a day direct to Orgiva, but many buses via Granada where you change bus.
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 per day for 5 days per week
Feedback (10)
I've spent almost three weeks with them and I loved it all.
Tina is the kindest and most generous person I've ever met and also very brave, courageous and interesting. She's doing a grand job maintaining the house and taking care of all the dogs and cats.
My tasks were very exciting and Tina always took… read more
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I've spent almost three weeks with them and I loved it all.
Tina is the kindest and most generous person I've ever met and also very brave, courageous and interesting. She's doing a grand job maintaining the house and taking care of all the dogs and cats.
My tasks were very exciting and Tina always took… read more
They are… read more
Big room with a private bathroom, supergood food, also working with Tina & specially with Azzi was great. We did a lot together in 2 weeks of time and enjoyed doing it.
We loved the dogs, all of them were kind and lovely.
We recommend this place to all Workawayers who want to work and enjoy in this beautiful… read more
Tina has a lovely place just outside Orgiva and there is never a dull moment as there are many dogs and cats to keep you company, with new… read more
