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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
24 Apr 2026
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94.3 %
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Details
Description
Hi! My name is Raquel (38), and I live in the mountains of Andalusia. Three years ago, I returned to southern Spain after living in the UK and decided to create a small animal rescue on my little piece of land on the edge of the Sierra Almijara national park.
Today, our sanctuary is a registered charity and home to 54 rescued farm animals, including all kinds of furry, feathered and hooved. We are looking for enthusiastic animal lovers who are happy to get involved in the daily life of the sanctuary. Volunteers help with everyday maintenance as well as projects designed to improve the animals’ lives, fencing new areas, fixing coops, etc. There may be times when we need assistance in projects such as expanding the volunteer hub or creating an outside kitchen area and showers.
We prioritise longer stays
There are different ways volunteers can help, usually involving 4–5 hours of work per day
● DIY Oriented Stay (Short Stay- Minimum 2/3 weeks): Good for people who enjoy building, creating, and hands-on projects. D.I.Y experience would be preferred but not essential, what matters most is being practical, hardworking, proactive and willing to help.
● Animal Care Oriented Stay (Long Stay-minimum 4/5 weeks): Recommended if you want a deeper sanctuary experience and time to learn how to take care of the animals and to build trust with them.
(Full details below)
● Olive Picking Season (October to February-2 Weeks minimum Stay): Recommended for people who want to learn about a traditional practice that has been deeply rooted in the local culture for centuries
In your free time, the Sanctuary is only a 10-minute drive from the picturesque town of Competa, with many shops, bars and plenty of hikes in the Natural Park of Sierra Almijara and Tejeda. The seaside is only a 30 minute drive away.
Volunteering here is for you if:
- Deeply respect animals and understand their boundaries and needs
- Are responsible, reliable and proactive
- Enjoy simple living and can adapt to rural, semi-off-grid living close to nature
- Are happy to work physically and get your hands dirty
It may not be for you if you:
- Are looking for comfort or a holiday atmosphere
- Prefer city life or constant social activity
- Are not keen on physical work or struggle in mountain terrain
- Struggle with commitment and routines
Due to the communal living environment and the responsibilities involved in this project, volunteers aged 25 and over often adapt more easily. They typically bring experience with independent living, communication, and following guidelines, helping create a positive and harmonious experience for everyone. For this reason, we give preference to volunteers in this age group.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
House & pet sitting
Interests
Sustainability
Carpentry
Gardening
Plant care
Van life
Vegetarian or vegan
Pets
LGBTQ
Charity work
Animals
Hiking
Mountain
Nature
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will have a unique behind-the-scenes view of what it is like to live and run a small animal sanctuary.
A hands-on experience with daily animal interactions and care, rescue and rehabilitation work and small-scale infrastructure projects. There will also be some exchange in D.I.Y skills and maintenance, although we favour applicants who have some of these skills, it's not essential; what matters most is being practical, hardworking, proactive and willing to help. I am Spanish, so there is some opportunity for a language exchange if this is of interest to you.
Help
Volunteering here involves:
● Animals routine: Opening coops in the morning, feeding everyone, giving, refilling water dispensers, chopping vegetables and fruit, distributing food, letting donkeys and other animals into grazing areas, cleaning coops and managing manure. This routine is essential to the animals’ well-being and requires consistency and attention to detail.
● Maintenance tasks: Cleaning drinkers, cleaning animal areas, restocking hay, refilling feeders, and general upkeep of the sanctuary. These tasks are done on a weekly basis.
● DIY: Asisting in the Building, mixing and carrying cement, digging trenches, levelling ground, building or extending coops using repurposed materials, fencing with wooden pallets, and improving the volunteer hub...
● Olive picking: Helping with the olive picking season from November until March.
We really appreciate volunteers who are hands-on, practical and have their own initiative, and are able to work with a good level of autonomy. Due to the nature of the taking care of many animals you ay be asked to adapt to emergencies and new schedule.
We offer different types of stay depending on how long you can join us, and how you can help :
● 2-3 Weeks (or more): maintenance-oriented stay (DIY focus)
4–5 hours per day (3 hours in the morning + 1-2 hours in the evening), 1.5 days off per week.
*Learning the full animal care routine takes 5-7 days. For shorter stays, we therefore focus mainly on maintenance and improvement projects.
* You will still be surrounded by the animals and experience sanctuary life, while contributing to its upkeep.
This option is suitable if:
- You can only stay for 2-3 weeks.
- You are comfortable with physical work
- You are practical and proactive
- You have some interest or skills in construction, cement work, carpentry, painting or similar.
● 1 Month (minimum) or more: Animal care-oriented stay
4-5 hours per day (3.5 hours in the morning + 1.5 hours in the evening) 2 days off per week
This option includes training in the full animal care routine and requires responsibility, reliability and consistency.
This option is suitable if:
- You can stay for at least one month
- You are comfortable around animals or have previous experience working with animals (farm animals are a huge bonus !)
- You are proactive and autonomous.
- You are happy to follow a structured routine carefully every day
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
I’d love opportunities to practice Italian. I used to be fluent a few years ago, but I’m losing it from lack of practice. I’m currently learning French.
Accommodation
Depending on availability, we can offer two cosy accommodation options with beautiful views:
● A modest one-bedroom semi off-grid Caravan overlooking the mountains.
● An independent, semi-off-grid, double bedroom (called Aljibe) with sea views.
Both the Caravan and the Aljibe are powered by solar energy, but can also be connected to the main electricity if needed. Each includes a small working mini-fridge, a kettle for coffee/tea, a small hob, a toaster and a compost toilet. They’re simple yet clean and comfortable spaces with the essentials. Please note there is no shower in the units nor hot water, but you’ll have access to our private bathroom for showers and laundry.
Please note that there is no Wi-Fi in either accommodation, but mobile data signal is strong. While working at the sanctuary, you’ll have access to our private Wi-Fi.
What else ...
We provide all the essentials for nutritious Plant-Based meals every day, which we take turns in cooking and have lunch/dinner together when our schedules match. The settings of the Sanctuary are ideal for Vegetarian/Vegan individuals. We ask that people respect this place as a meat-free environment and understand that this is the home of a variety of different animals, all with different personalities. Some enjoy daily interactions, others prefer to be left alone. We ask that you respect each animal as an individual and approach these areas with care and empathy.
We also provide a set of guidelines regarding access to the main house and behaviour around the sanctuary, so that everyone shares the same expectations and feels safe and comfortable.
In your free time, we highly recommend visiting Competa and the surrounding villages, where there are plenty of bars and restaurants with amazing food and atmosphere. You can also take a trip down to the coast or explore the many different mountain hikes, river walks, tours, or take a swim in the public pool. We would recommend to bring or hire a car to move around, but the road to the coast is easy for hitchhiking. There is also a bus from Competa to Malaga, stopping down the coast, that runs 4 times a day, more during the summer. We are a 30min walk from Competa town, with the first part of the walk being uphill; we don't recommend doing this walk during the hottest part of the day in summer.
We look forward to meeting you :)
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have a large parking area, accessible for most campers, and warmly welcome volunteers travelling with their own campervan or motorhome.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Geraldine
We don’t know much about Geraldine’s past, only that she was neglected for a long time and later abandoned in the nearby mountains with her five little piglets — two of whom now also call Sarja home. Despite her difficult start, Geraldine has a calm, loving nature and a soft spot for Julio, our wise old donkey.
Patata
Patata is a 10-year-old goat rescued from a Noah’s syndrome case. When she first arrived at the sanctuary, she was in very poor condition and had clearly been neglected. Now, she’s thriving — full of personality, and always finding friends (both goats and volunteers!) to play and cause a bit of mischief with.
Botanero
Botanero (Aka Boty) is the very sweet, cuddly but also cheeky donkey of the Sanctuary. He is one of the first rescues and represents the very beginning of Sarja.
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (8)
Ya lo sabes todo pero un ultima vez gracias, fue una experienca, restaurativo, enriquecedora y calmante para mi.
Un lugar magnifico en la campaña, en una region muy bonita, al lado del mar y de un parque natural. Los animales son todos adorables y entrañables.
Si todavía estás dudando de ir a ayudar a Raquel y… read more
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Ya lo sabes todo pero un ultima vez gracias, fue una experienca, restaurativo, enriquecedora y calmante para mi.
Un lugar magnifico en la campaña, en una region muy bonita, al lado del mar y de un parque natural. Los animales son todos adorables y entrañables.
Si todavía estás dudando de ir a ayudar a Raquel y… read more
I stayed for 3 weeks at the sanctuary and it was a time about learning new things, moving my body, calming down and enjoying the little things in life. It was my first time doing a workaway and I could not imagine it better than it was with Raquel. I was here in may and the… read more
The tasks were pretty easy and taking care of the animals every day didn't feel so much like work at all.
It's been quite cute to get to know all the unique characters of the animals.
Moreover, Raquel is a really amazing, sweet person, caring for… read more
Tracey and Raquel were very quick to get back to my messages and inform me about what to expect when I arrived. The caravan was very cool to stay in and since it's a little bit away from the main house, it's very calm and peaceful.
My days started… read more
