Enjoy the natural beauty and outdoor activities in Villarrica, Southern Chile

Details

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  Description

  Hi there!
  
  We are Chantel, Rodrigo, and 'Baby L' -- a Chilean-American couple with a toddler. Since 2014, our extended family has run a bed&breakfast in a quiet neighborhood overlooking the town and lake in Southern Chile. We have a large garden, including various decorative plants, fruits and vegetables, blooming all year round.
  
  We currently have the bed&breakfast closed while we are working on a project to transform the property into a garden-to-table wellness and retreat center.
  
  We need help with:
  
  >> gardening (decorative plants, fruit trees, and our organic vegetable garden); you'll be learning and working together with us and our full-time gardener
  >> babysitting our toddler
  >> light DIY as we restore and improve the main heritage building on our property
  
  Other potential projects include:
  
  >> help with beekeeping -- we have a beehive on the property: my husband studied agronomy and apiculture at university, and he built an apiary in Santiago before we relocated to the south of Chile. He loves to teach people about beekeeping.
  
  >> help with carpentry and handicrafts. We make traditional handicrafts and furniture with native Chilean wood, using a combination of traditional and modern techniques. We'd love to teach you about the process!
  
  We also have two dogs: Pepo, our big Chinook, is nearing 14 years old, and while he doesn't have as much pep in his step, he is still fond of belly rubs. Kissi is a 3-year-old rescue. She is smaller, sweet and playful, and loves to hunt for lizards.
  
  Additionally, if we take a trip to visit family overseas, we may be interested in having someone housesit for us and take care of our dogs while we are away.
  
  If you're interested in staying with us, we'd love to set up an interview to see if we're a good fit. We're able to host solo travelers and couples, and would love to work with someone for at least 1 month up to 3 months, but we're also open to different time frames :)

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Farming

  

  Self development

  

  Sustainability

  

  Charity work

  

  Culture

  

  Pets

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Writing

  

  Music

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Animals

  

  Carpentry

  

  Blogging

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Winter sports

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Fitness

  

  Nature

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Staying with us, you'll have the opportunity to learn about local sustainable tourism, beekeeping, small-scale organic gardening, and also enjoy the natural beauty and outdoor activities that Southern Chile is famous for... not to mention practice your Spanish!
  
  Southern Chile is an outdoor lovers paradise: there are beautiful national parks with great hiking in our area as well as kayak, rafting, sailing, fishing, hot springs, volcano summit experience, horseback riding, and skiing, snowboarding & sledding on the volcano in the winter. Chile's bus system makes it easy to get around and we'd be happy to give you a ride as well to make sure you take full advantage of your time here.
  
  We can also take you to experience indigenous Chilean and Mapuche cultural events. And our local university is mainly focused on ecology, nature-preservation, and sustainability, with regular talks and workshops for those interested in learning more.
  
  Since we work in hospitality and tourism, we're well connected with some of the best experiences that Chile's Lake District has to offer.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We are mainly looking for help in the garden, greenhouses, and babysitting, with the possibility of DIY projects and pet care as well. Help with cooking and light housekeeping is also welcome, however, we do have a housekeeper.
  
  We will do some baking and canning of fruits and berries as well depending on the season.
  
  Additionally, if we visit family in the U.S., we'd be interested in having someone house sit for us and take care of our dogs.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I'm a former English teacher and we love languages and look forward to great exchanges.
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  Accommodation

  We have three rooms available for our Workaway guests. One room has a full-sized bed, ideal for a solo traveler or couple. One room is a little bit bigger and has a queen-sized bed and a twin bed. Ideal for a couple or a pair of friends. The third room has a full bed and twin bed, also ideal for a couple or a pair of friends.
  
  Each room has its own bathroom, running water, showers, and wifi connection.
  
  We'll provide 3 meals per day: a nutritious breakfast, a robust lunch, and "Chilean once", which is a lighter evening meal that's traditional in Chile (with lunch being the biggest meal of the day in Chile). That said, we're able to accommodate plenty of freedom and flexibility in when and how you like to have your meals. We're also happy to accommodate special dietary needs.

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  What else ...

  We are 10 minutes from the bus terminal and about 50 minutes from the nearest airport by car (if you're coming into the airport, we'd be happy to come pick you up!)
  
  The flight from Santiago to Temuco is about 1 hr. And there are also overnight buses between Santiago and Villarrica that are about 8-9 hours long.
  
  We are a 10-15 minute walk into town, where you'll find supermarkets, specialty coffee shops, and handicraft markets on the weekends (and during the week throughout the summer months).
  
  Villarrica is a touristic town (near Pucón) known for beautiful landscapes and outdoor sports. We within an hours drive to three national parks that are great for trekking, camping, and mountain biking. There is also kayaking and white water rafting in the area.
  
  Tour agencies in Pucón will set you up with gear to summit the Villarrica Volcano, and during the winter, the ski center on the volcano opens for skiers and snowboarders (and sledders!).
  
  If outdoor sports aren't your thing, you can also go down to the lake for a bit of sunbathing, take a tour on the sailboats or lake cruisers, or check out the cultural center for a night of music or comedy.
  
  In town, you'll also find yoga, pilates, and gym classes. And our town is home to two of Latin America's Top 100 special coffee shops: Eco Maps and Cafe Local.
  
  The weather in Villarrica is quite nice from mid-December through mid-March (summer).
  
  Towards the end of March, the cold and rainy season begins, with lots of rainy days, punctuated by a few sunny days through September. When it's raining in town, it's snowing on the volcano and up in the mountains.
  
  October and November (spring) are full of gorgeous springtime blooms, and the whole town is vibrant with the color of the flowers, though it is still a bit cold.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  We work in hospitality and tourism, and much of our work is online, so we have a good wifi connection. There are also several cafes and a co-working spaces in town, about a 15-20 minute walk from our property.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Yes! We have a big parking lot on the property.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Pepo (14 years)

  Chinook

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