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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
14 Sep 2025
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Details
Description
Our place is set in the Paraiso Natural of Asturias, in the northwest of Spain. The ancient smallholding comprises 12 hectares of meadows and woodland.
We, Tom (64) and Cecile (57), (Dutch) are a couple that enjoy living in our rural world. We hold University degrees, published books, worked in knowledge intensive organisations and in for-profit companies and as self-employed consultant/coach. We realised this urban way of living is inherently unsustainable and decided to actively take responsibility for a tiny piece of the natural world. We know what it takes to make choices and like to exchange experiences and are open to guide others on their path of finding meaning in life.
We manage our homestead using as little fossil fuel as possible and trying to promote biodiversity. Our small flock of local heritage breed Xalda sheep is kept for land maintenance and biodiversity, not for profit. All help is centered around our private home and garden, focused on learning and cultural exchange rather than agricultural output. Cecilia is developing her skills to use the wool, like spinning and felting and likes to share this with others. Of course we have dogs.
We live in a privileged location: quiet while very well connected to towns, beaches and natural parks. Several walks and hikes start right at our front door.
We aim to create a quiet and open environment for people to feel respected in, to learn and to explore. We see ourselves as generally quite sociable persons but we also need our down time.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Sustainability
Pets
Farming
Writing
Music
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Animals
Nature
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You’ll share our fusion homestead /small holding lifestyle. If a self-sufficient life is a dream for you, your stay may help you to build realistic expectations. We are open to share our thoughts and dilemmas in the decisions we have and had to make on our path.
After years of off-grid life with a solar panel and a battery, we are back connected to the grid again. We are very conscious of the defining role energy plays in modern society. Many conversations with Workawayers have focussed on the need to reduce energy consumption (to 1960 levels) instead of “promoting green energy”.
On a practical level, you can learn about sheep, wool, gardening, raising chickens, burning a woodstove along all other sorts of humble things going on at a traditional farm. We’ve been studying zen and yoga for many years and practice samu while mucking out the stable or going through the daily tasks. We can point out directions if your aim is to do the same.
Help
The regular tasks in and around the house include checking pastures, helping to care of the animals, cleaning and cooking. There’s always some things to do and we keep an ever expanding list of tasks. Also tasks like chopping firewood, controlling brambles and nettles and maintaining the vegetable garden or cleaning out the sheep stable.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
Accommodation
There is a separate floor for guests with 2 lovely bedrooms and a (new) bathroom (featuring a compost toilet).
You’ll live in a traditional ancient house (parts AD 1664, parts much older), where we only (can) heat up max 2 rooms with wood stoves. So from Oktober to April you'll prefer to dress in thermal layers to stay comfortable. Usually our guests adapt pretty quickly but for most it is a stretch at first.
We offer diverse and healthy meals. We have been eating vegetarian and Micobiotic (mainly vegan) in other stages of life but decided that adhering to a principled diet might be just another form of consumerism. Our goal is to ecologically produce 80% of our food, meat, fruit and veggies.
We adhere to a daily routine that includes breakfast around 8:00, lunch at 14:00, and supper around 20:00.
We expect Workawayers to share the regular tasks in an extended household.
What else ...
Asturias, a natural paradise, is widely known for its spectacular beaches, mountains, and for kayaking, running, cycling, surfing, fishing and good food. The region also has a rich cultural heritage, with cave paintings dating back to 30.000 BC. The main cities of Oviedo and Gijón are easily reached by bus.
We live at 3 kilometers from the nearest market town of Arriondas and 15km from several beaches. There are 2 bikes that can be used to explore the surroundings.
We encourage volunteers to use their spare time of to enjoy our lovely area.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Yes. We can offer a quiet place to work with glass fibre internet connection.
Space for parking camper vans
Small sized trucks and regular delivery vans arrive without any problem. Contact us if your camper is huge and/or you fear its motor doesn’t have enough power to drive up a steep slope.
Can possibly accept pets
We are open to discuss this possibility. We have 3 dogs here.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Xalda sheep
We have a flock of Xalda sheep. It is an endangered old Celtic heritage breed from Asturias,
Xurde (1 year)
Artzain (6 years)
Toos (12 years)
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (18)
From the very first day, we had open and honest conversations that went deeper, with great discussions.… read more
Reading reviews from other workaways’ reviews, the accommodation, landscape, and culture exchange, I would also rate everything 5/5, I want to share what my day looked like during my Workaway.
On a workday: I get up around 8, after breakfast we start working at 9,… read more
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Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.9)
From the very first day, we had open and honest conversations that went deeper, with great discussions.… read more
Reading reviews from other workaways’ reviews, the accommodation, landscape, and culture exchange, I would also rate everything 5/5, I want to share what my day looked like during my Workaway.
On a workday: I get up around 8, after breakfast we start working at 9,… read more
Tom & Cecile, you are very special people and I am… read more
I spent about two weeks with them and we had some deep, interesting conversations, I learned about what they are actually trying to do in their land and from their experience with… read more
I didn't realize when I arrived here (after several months of travel and two other work exchange jobs) how badly I needed a place to feel… read more
Ava has been helping us with pretty much everything from shearing sheep, scouring fleeces, and trimming hooves… read more
They took me to places that were difficult to get to without a car, helped me to run errands and even treated me to lunch at a nice restaurant on… read more
From the moment I arrived and during my whole stay they made sure I was well and confortable. Cecile and… read more
Even though the work on a farm can be physically demanding, it was always… read more
I could enjoy some… read more
Winter life at the homestead is not as comfortable as an urban one (the house can get cold and… read more
