1 / 15

See all photos

(4)

updated

A remote place to disconnect in Encinasola, Spain

Spain
Last activity : 30 Apr 2026

Profile information

Host rating
100 %
Last replied
28 Apr 2026
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
8
Email verified

Country info

If you are not an EU Citizen and planning to visit Spain to work, volunteer or study, YOU WILL NEED THE CORRECT VISA. To find out more information please contact the embassy in your home country BEFORE travelling.

Badges (2)

Give the gift of Workaway

Find your perfect host

Last minute

Italy

(6)

Learn about sustainable living with our family in the countryside near Noto, Italy

France

Join me around my big house and garden while immersing yourself in peaceful life of Castillon la Bataille, France

Germany

Join our co-housing community in the beautiful Eifel, Germany

Italy

(1)

Join a daily life of me and my son for an English language exchange in Bari, Italy

Austria

(7)

Connect with nature and live in a famous wine region in Hüttendorf, Austria

Poland

(13)

Bee-keeping and general projects at an ecological farm in Mazurian, Poland

Cyprus

(5)

Awaken to your true nature in a quiet and peaceful place in Sotira, Cyprus

Australia

(1)

Experience life on a tropical cattle ranch and help us with house and garden in remote North Queensland, Australia

Malaysia

(14)

Join our project and help in a cooking school in Melaka, Malaysia

Italy

(3)

Learn more about Italian life in farmhouse in open countryside Tuscia

View the full host list

Availability

2026

Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

What's this?

Details

Description
Hello! We’re Jesús and Teresa, a Spanish-German couple living surrounded by nature, on a 20-hectare finca located in the Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park. Our home includes our 7 dogs, 2 donkeys, and a small flock of chickens. We moved here in 2021, with no prior experience managing a rural property, and the change has been dramatic: from learning to live solely on solar energy to managing our own drinking water; from dealing with floods in winter to wildfires in summer. Everything has been new to us and, most of the time, a difficult challenge to overcome... But we wouldn't trade our current life for anything.
That doesn't mean it's a life for everyone, so we're looking for people who know what life on a rural property is like or who are truly enthusiastic about the idea of living off-grid. The work is always hard, often monotonous and exhausting; but the reward comes simply from looking up and seeing what surrounds us.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
Interests
Plant care
History
Books
Outdoor activities
Sustainability
Farming
Pets
Gardening
Animals
Hiking
Nature
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Chance to learn spanish, and german, learn about olive oil producing, the challenges of off-grid living and get to know the andalusian lifestyle while visiting the area.
Help
Depending on what you like and the season, you can choose from various tasks like pruning, weed grubbing, maintaining tools, repairing fences, chopping firewood, clearing the riverbank and around the trees, maybe some small house projects and getting involved with olive harvesting and oil making. If you have experience with donkeys, we would love to learn more about training and hoof trimming!
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
English: Intermediate
This host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
You’ll be staying in our cozy, fully-equipped guest cottage on a hill with amazing views of the surrounding area. Please note that the guesthouse is self-catering, meaning you will need to bring your own food and cook your own meals. However the house has a also a pantry which will be stocked with some basic essentials for you.
What else ...
While our finca is absolutely beautiful, it might not be for everyone. It’s ideal for independent individuals or couples who appreciate privacy and solitude and don’t need constant supervision. The guesthouse is located in a separately fenced area of the finca, and our house is just down the hill by the river.
Our finca is about an hour's walk from the local village of Encinasola and only 9 km away from the Portuguese border. Given our remote location, having your own vehicle would be highly convenient, but we can also arrange to pick you up at the bus station in a small town 23 km away.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Burrito-san (11 years)
Very friendly donkey
Pepe (8 years)
Very friendly donkey
Rita (7 years)
Mix. Spayed. 7 Kg. Very friendly
Django (5 years)
Mastiff mix. 40 kg. Neutered. Very friendly but shy
Mia (4 years)
Labrador mix. Spayed. 22 kg. Very friendly
Saga (8 years)
Belgian Malinois. 23 kg. Very protective
Jelly (13 years)
Mastiff mix. Spayed. 40 kg. Very friendly
Dora (14 years)
Mix. Spayed. 38 Kg. Very friendly
Juni (16 years)
Our first rescue dog. Mix. 17 kg. Spayed. Deaf. Very fiendly

Host ref number: 827159974777

Website Safety

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback (4)

19 Feb 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Davide)

Hi Davide,
If you retain that sense of self-criticism, I foresee a very happy future for you.
If the epic novel you've written scares away people like you, so be it.
Despite the doubts you raised in us, we gave you a chance; now we're very clear: from now on we will only invite mature and responsible people.

(Neutral )

27 Jan 2026

Left by Workawayer (Davide) for host

Hello Teresa and Jesùs, and everyone reading,

The intent of this review is to warn people that wanna join the finca that this place - given my experience - is not suited to be on this platform. Not because of the physical place, or Teresa, but - I have to get personal here - because of Jesus. He is unpredictable and can turn into someone very… read more very angry if triggered. Spoiler: the trigger might be unknown!

I arrived at the finca on December 2nd, with an estimate staying of 3 weeks. Teresa and Jesus were very kind to come pick me up at the station. I remember Teresa being very welcoming and smiling. She is indeed very sweet and caring. As we move to their finca with their 4x4, I remember looking at all these hills and forests interconnecting with each other. The landscape is incredible. And it is even more incredible the place you will sleep and cook your food in. A fully new and furnished cottage with a crazy comfortable bed and wood stove, all for you. You will be literally immersed in nature, no sound of cars, no noises, except the donkeys' hooves "clack clack", birds chirping and the river flowing. It's a dream place to live in.

Very happy and excited I start my journey from there. I start working with Jesus on the fields. He is a really funny guy and we got along really quick. We built a fence for the veggie grarden together, I learnt how to chop wood, we planted potatoes, I started building another fence... I was working the required time, even more. I was happy doing that, I felt I wanted to exchange for what they were offering to me, which was a dream coming true, living in that way. There was an actual exchange with him: exchange between a curious young guy wanting to learn, and a man that has lived his life and wants to share what he knows. And viceversa. We had conversations, we used to joke as friends and we used to talk in italian and spanish to learn each others' language. We used to have breaks in the middle of the morning with "pan y queso" (bread and cheese), eating and talking and enjoying staying with the dogs. Teresa sometimes would come aswell and enjoy her time with us aswell. There was definitely an exchange with her aswell: I learnt how to make very, very good bread thanks to Teresa. Very special I will be forever grateful for that. I was so happy that I asked Teresa and Jesus to stay more than the expected (which is, staying after Christmas into January). They said yes. I was even happier.

I arrived alone at the finca, and stayed on the cottage alone, until the 16th of December. I was supposed to arrive there with a very good friend of mine, Mello. For personal reasons she could not reach the finca with me from the beginning. She arrives with the van on that day and, from that day, everything changed. During those days it was very rainy, so Teresa told us to wait few days to start working again. We waited 2 or 3 days, and then me and Mello had their first day of work. "Nice!" I thought, we could chill a bit before starting. It was very needed for her. During these rainy days we had some quick interactions me, Mello and Jesus. I noticed something different on Jesus' side. He was being more avoidant towards us, no more joking, he looked more serious and upset... "He's dealing with something, he will get better soon" I thought. On the next first day of work, I go down at their place at 9 am (I used to go down around that time, sometimes a bit before and sometimes a bit after), and from the distance I see Jesus: he is really upset. Before leaving the cottage, I remember seeing a message from Teresa saying "Jesus needs to talk to you" but I couldn't really understand why. I thought that maybe I forgot some tool in the garden, or he wants to talk to me about the piece I broke from the wood stove (which I paid for the replacement entirely). I didn't know what to expect, but I felt it was not good for us. I approach him, and he starts, shouting the whole time: "Where is Mello!? It's 9 AM, It's late! You have to be on time OK?! That house up there has a value! And you have to pay for it! Otherwise you know what? I can call someone from the town that does the job 10 times better than us, 10 times faster than us! I'm not your dad, I'm not your mother, and I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND! All of this, all of this (referring to the workaway exchange), is just for side, it's just for atmosphere! Either you respect the rules or you are out!" .
I was left speechless. Actually, I had a lot to say, but in that moment it felt so useless to say anything. The previous weeks I met someone, today I see someone completely different. I saw all his anger, all his frustration, reversed onto me. I don't know why, and I don't even want to know. I was always on time, I always worked more than necessary. I always respected the rules! And this is the final treatment I get? I was pissed and you know what I did? Got mad and went away? No, I started working.

Mello arrives 5-10 minutes after this conversation. Jesus didn't say anything to her: of course, he was afraid of her. Me and Mello worked on the fields for 4-5 hours (no "pan y queso" break that day) and were expecting to do so the day after. The day after comes, and early in the morning around 8 am we hear someone knocking at the door. It's Jesus. "Today, no work. Your work is to clean the house. Tomorrow at 11AM you are out." he said. Without previous warning, and with the agreement that we could stay there longer! I asked why, and he told me they found better offer for renting the space. "Good for them", I thought, but when we made the agreement, Teresa told me that they would have warned me at least some days before to pack, clean and leave. But like that it felt so abrupt and so harsh.

The last day comes. Me and Mello wake up early and start cleaning, as best as we can. Floors, kitchen, bathroom, common space... everything (yes, we forgot some trash - not compost - in the bin. And yes, we forgot a small bag of trash with few cans attached to the outside of the van that late dropped on the streets to arrive at the finca. That sucks, and we would never do that intentionally.). We forgot, also, a precious jar of honey that had a huge sentimental value to Mello, given to her from a very loved one, in the fridge. We realize few hours later, when we were already far 1.30h from the finca. We ask them if they could keep it so that we could take it the next days. "It's already trashed", Teresa said. Not in their house trash, in a bin on the road to the shopping mall. I asked then if they remembered where they trashed it, so that we could pick it again as soon as possible. This question definitely triggered Jesus. The audio message I receive later is Jesus, very angry and shouting *REDACTED* This was in Spanish of course, he speaks very little English. In that agitated moment I just wanted to understand, and I was not fluent enough to understand that Spanish for sure. I asked to reply in English and again, shouting: *REDACTED*
At this point there was not much to do...
However, the day after, Teresa writes me that Jesus is going to put the honey in a "secret place" so that Mello could gather it up when she could (did Jesusjust picked it up from the bin?). That was surprising and we were really happy. However the video demonstration Jesus sent us was really low quality and the honey wasn't even shown in the video. Unfortunately, it has never been found... (by us at least)

I write this review in Pure honesty. It is, of course, my subjective experience. You might go to the finca and enjoy even 6 full months at your fullest. I really hope so for you. I'm just here to warn you that this happened, and might happen again.

Pace e bene,
Davide

(Neutral )

5 Oct 2025

Left by Workawayer (Paden) for host

We stayed for about a month on the finca with Teresa and Jesús. From the very beginning, they were welcoming and accommodating, and throughout our stay anything we needed was never an issue. This was our first experience in Spain and they taught us a lot about Spanish customs and history (Jesús is very knowledgeable in Spanish history and Teresa’s… read more

(Excellent )

2 Oct 2025

Left by host for Workawayer (Paden)

Paden and Lilli stayed here for a month. They were a good-humoured couple with a positive attitude. Always very helpful and with a smile on their faces, happy to take on any task that was needed. They helped preparing our vegetable garden, repaired some cracks at the guesthouse and were a huge help when a fire broke out and they came immediately… read more

(Excellent )

8 Jun 2025

Left by Workawayer (Jessica) for host

I spent a month with Teresa and Jesús, and it was an absolutely wonderful time.
I worked on artistic projects, and they gave me full artistic freedom, something that truly made my artist’s heart happy. Both of them are incredibly kind, thoughtful, and easygoing.
The guesthouse is beautiful, and I felt completely at home. I instantly fell in love… read more

(Excellent )

31 May 2025

Left by host for Workawayer (Jessica)

Jessi is without doubt a five star volunteer. We were so lucky to have her stay with us. She is a very friendly, outgoing person with many skills. She is an independent worker, very responsible and reliable and always had a positive attitude and was willing to help. During the month she stayed with us, she did some artistic mural paintings which… read more

(Excellent )

View all 4 feedbacks

Photos

Show all photos

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)

Cultural exchange:
(4.8)

Communication:
(4.0)

19 Feb 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Davide)

(Neutral)

27 Jan 2026

Left by Workawayer (Davide) for host

(Neutral)

5 Oct 2025

Left by Workawayer (Paden) for host

(Excellent)

2 Oct 2025

Left by host for Workawayer (Paden)

(Excellent)

8 Jun 2025

Left by Workawayer (Jessica) for host

(Excellent)

31 May 2025

Left by host for Workawayer (Jessica)

(Excellent)

12 Nov 2024

Left by Workawayer (Kelly) for host

Teresa and her husband generously shared their personal experiences, industry information, and knowledge about the economics of family-run, ecological olive oil farm production in Spain. I really enjoyed working alongside them both. The work was fulfilling and being outdoors in the environment of their beautiful valley was very enjoyable. The… read more

(Excellent)

11 Nov 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Kelly)

It was a real pleasure to spend some time with Kelly. A hard working guy with whom it was fun to be with right from the start. He helped us with the olive harvest and oil making and was very focused and interested in the whole process, His help was invaluable to us and his company made the work also much more enjoyable for us. All in all it was a… read more

(Excellent)

To leave feedback make sure you are logged in & your account is online

Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Spain Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Europe Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Andalusia Family Spain Last minute Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Spain

A remote place to disconnect in Encinasola, Spain

Profile information

Host rating

Last replied

Reply rate

Feedback

Email verified

Country info

Badges (2)

Find your perfect host

Availability

Details

Description

Types of help and learning opportunities

Interests

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Help

Languages

Accommodation

What else ...

A little more information

Space for parking camper vans

Can possibly accept pets

How many Workawayers can stay?

My animals / pets

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback (4)

Photos

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback