(5)

Experience life on an island and my off-grid home in Kea, Greece

Greece
Last activity : 6 Nov 2026

Profile information

Host rating

100 %
Last replied

6 Nov 2026
Reply rate

94.4 %

Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback

11

Total number of feedback received and left
Email verified

Country info

If you are not an EU Citizen and planning to visit Greece 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.

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Availability

2026

Min stay requested: at least a week

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What's this?

Details

Description

ABOUT US

For many years my husband and I created and cared for our off-grid home on Kea, trying to live simply and with respect for the environment. Since his passing, I have been gradually reorganising the property.

I welcome Workawayers with practical skills who would like to help with projects around my home and garden. We discuss what needs doing and keep in touch throughout their stay. I am happy to share my knowledge of Kea and suggest places to explore, including the museum and local festivals.

This is a quiet place in nature, well suited to people who enjoy practical tasks and simple living.

THE PROPERTY

Our place is on Kea, a Cycladic island about an hour by ferry from Lavrio, near Athens. It is in a quiet natural area outside the main villages and consists of five small cottages, a garden and spaces for tools and other equipment. Workawayers stay in one of the cottages, with their own kitchen and bathroom.

The property runs entirely off-grid, with solar electricity, battery storage and an independent water supply. Living here offers a chance to experience this way of life while enjoying Kea’s beaches, traditional villages and walking paths.
Types of help and learning opportunities

Help with Eco Projects

Light gardening

Creative DIY projects

Help around the house

Light maintenance

Help with Computers/ Internet

House & pet sitting
Interests

Pets

Sustainability

Culture

Politics / Social justice

Writing

Music

Drawing & painting

DIY & crafts

Cooking & food

Books

Architecture

Animals

Hiking

Outdoor activities

Nature

Beach
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Experience life on a Greek island, with opportunities to swim, explore Kea’s walking paths and enjoy local food. I can suggest places to visit, including the island’s small churches, archaeological museum and ancient sites, and share what I know about their history and local traditions. If a panigyri takes place during your stay, you may have the chance to join this traditional celebration in honour of a saint.

Staying here also offers an introduction to everyday off-grid living. Our conversations about the island and the projects give us an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences.
Help

HELP / PROJECTS

Please read the whole profile before writing and tell me about your practical skills and experience.

My main project at the moment is organising my late husband’s large collection of tools and equipment. I would welcome help identifying the tools, grouping them by type or use, and arranging the workshop and storage spaces so that everything is easier to find and care for.

Workawayers will assess the tools and decide which are worth keeping and which could be sold. For items that may be sold, help from someone who recognises the tools, can photograph them, research approximate prices and prepare listings would be valuable.

Other projects around the property may include painting, small DIY repairs, organising storage areas, cleaning and upkeep, gardening, weeding and pruning. The particular projects will depend on what needs doing and on each visitor’s experience. We discuss the tasks and the materials needed.

TIMING / WHEN HELP IS NEEDED

I mainly welcome Workawayers during two periods: spring, usually April to June, and autumn, usually September to November. Projects in both periods may include organising tools, small DIY projects and upkeep around the home and garden.

The exact dates vary each year. I generally confirm autumn plans around June and spring plans around November of the preceding year. Stays are normally one to three weeks, depending on the projects and how the arrangement works for both sides.

I welcome responsible, reliable and mature people with initiative and relevant practical skills.
Languages spoken

Greek: Fluent
English: Fluent
Accommodation

ACCOMMODATION

You will be staying at the GREY COTTAGE. The Grey Cottage is a lovely bright studio with a double bed, a small kitchen and a small bathroom with shower. To get to the cottage you enter a sheltered open space, with an outdoor shower and a sink.

You get excellent private accommodation in your own lovely cottage with a clean, comfy bed, nice bedding, towels and pillows. Bright, airy, cosy, comfy, clean, tidy and well-equipped. You can feel at home here, relax and explore the area.
What else ...

TRANSPORTATION:
1. To reach Kea you fly to Athens, then travel to Lavrio port, and take the ferry to Kea (about one hour).

Once you arrive on Kea, I will meet you at the port and take you to the property. The property is about 15-20’ walking from the asphalt. Car or motorcycle may be available for buying supplies. I usually go to the supermarket every three days. However you may need to rent a car or a scooter for longer rides for your entertainment.

MINIMUM AGE PREFERED: 25.

SMOKING: This is a completely non-smoking, non-vaping household.

If you are interested in coming, please write a short message describing your practical skills, your experience with tools and DIY projects, and when you may be available.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?

Two
My animals / pets

Nero

Host ref number: 898671193817

Website Safety

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback (5)

10 Oct 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Annika & Steffen)

I find it difficult to put into words just how exceptional Steffen and Annika are. Having hosted quite a few Workawayers, I can honestly say that they exceeded every expectation, both in what they contributed and, above all, in the kind of people they are.

During their two-week stay in Kea and Athens, they accomplished an extraordinary amount. In … read more

(Excellent )

9 Oct 2026

Left by Workawayer (Annika & Steffen) for host

We spent two weeks on the island, followed by three days at Ada‘s home in Athens. From the beginning, everything was very well organized.

At first, it was not completely clear whether Ada would be on the island during our stay, as she was very busy. Therefore she made sure we got all the Information we needed in advance. However, she joined us … read more

(Excellent )

28 Sep 2026

Left by Workawayer (Leticia & Emmanuel) for host

This marked our last experience with workaway altogether and ended quite unpleasantly for strange reasons.
I'll say in advance that Ada picked us up at the port and provided us with great accomodation and felt very welcome throughout our whole stay and food is provided or refunded, depending on the case. The experience was generally great and we … read more thought Ada was having a good experience as well since whenever we requested feedback there wasn't really anything to note.

During the first week we were lightly tasked due to a party however, everything was done sprinting even uphill as many times as necessary and with no specific schedule. Anytime Ada or her friends would yell out my name, I'd go and see what was needed. and by the end of week 1 we did a tour with her friends going toured around the whole property while listing what needed to be done. We were invited to join them to the Peloponese but by the end of the week the invitation was withdrawn which was ok for us. But it called our attention that she got upset that the day she was leaving she sort of got upset that I called my day off after 5 days of working and said that it was inconvenient since she needed the help to load her car and such. I told her I would be around and helped her with her luggage anyway, but really stayed behind in case she needed anything.

Week 2's were based on a list Ada mailed to me, the instructions yapped a day or 2 before their departure and agreements reached with Ada before our arrival taking my architect's knowledge to make some improvements using my "architect's sight" as said by her. So I noticed issues with the rain collection system and started working on solutions which was later deemed as "non priority" which was ironic later on. And we volunteered on cleaning one of the sheds which had a huge dead rat, a dead smaller rat and a copious amount of rat sh*t what would make Willy Wonka wonder if it was one of his workshops. And some really mild gardening. But we noticed Ada was a bit unconfortable by her messages. Asking for daily updates which is normal for us during the first time off, so we were REALLY transparent of the tasks done as she repeatedly said "light work is fine", but you could see it wasn't doing it. so having her friends stay over here we did early-morning extensive cleaning of the outdoor areas and Ada started requesting photographic evidence describing everything done. which is understandable but a hassle in the end. We ended up disposing of lots of debris and cleaning as we thought would be acceptable as it was left neatly.

Week 3 Nope. Not enough. LOL so, she returned on Thursday of our last week there and we ran out of water. So there I go, up and down the hill to check which reservoir could be used to pump water and what not. Somehow I got chewed out for not washing the car on the outside after cleaning the whole interior thoroughly and changing the rat's traps poinson in the property.

So on the days prior our departure she started going over some of the taks previously done that were deemed incomplete like say, wiping the inside of some drawers even though we went the extra mile of, carrying a matress uphill because even though she had offered her car for it, we wanted to comply earlier than her rising hours. In the end she wanted us to deliver work on our last day off and I declined. So she got upset and that was it, so we walked our way down the hill with our stuff on us which was ok. People were great so it wasn't hard hitchhiking

I really think it was a matter of miscommunication as we both hold great reviews, so maybe it's just this once.

TL;DR The Workaway is really nice with great views, no internet, limited water, no laundry. Don't offer your professional services at all, dont improvise, just do whatever she lists and it will be a great experience.

Hit me up if you have any doubts.

(Good )

14 Sep 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Leticia & Emmanuel)

Em and Lety stayed with me for about three weeks. Some useful work was done during their stay, but there were significant problems with following instructions, completing tasks and working independently.

From the beginning, I gave them a detailed list of possible jobs. I thought that once a task had been discussed and agreed, they would be able … read more to organise and complete it independently. As it became clear that several of the more practical jobs were beyond their experience, I simplified things further and asked them to choose from the list the type of work they preferred. They chose gardening.

Even with gardening there were problems. Plants were cut back or removed that were not supposed to be removed, despite instructions about what should and should not be touched. Communication in English also proved more difficult than I had initially realised. During conversations, when I explained something, the response was very often “perfect”, giving every indication that the instruction had been fully understood. What was subsequently done sometimes showed that it had not been understood at all. Written communication could be similarly unclear.

Another recurring issue was reporting and follow-through. I repeatedly asked for a very simple daily report: what each of them had done, approximately how many hours each had worked, and relevant before/after photographs. I was repeatedly told that this would be done — “we will stick to what you instructed”, “we will send you a detailed report”, etc. — but the same information continued to be missing or unclear, and I had to ask for it again and again.

At one point Em described the work as “tough” and referred to having to get up very early because of the heat. The particularly strenuous outdoor clearing he later identified took place over only a few days; it was not the nature of their work throughout the stay. When I asked what time they normally preferred to start, he said 6:00–6:30 a.m. regardless of the weather, so the reference to early starts as part of what made the work difficult did not correspond with his later explanation.

They also repeatedly stated that they were each working approximately five hours on working days. I have never monitored or counted the working hours of previous Workawayers. In this case, however, the amount of visible completed work and the lack of clear reporting eventually led me to start asking specifically what each person had done and for how long, because I could not otherwise reconcile the reported hours with the work completed.

There were many concrete examples of simple instructions not being carried through. I specifically asked them to move some very heavy diving weights because I could not move them myself; the following day they were still exactly where they had been. I left two sets of sheets for a cottage and specifically asked Em to check whether they were single or double, return any single sets to me so I could replace them, and mark them accordingly. This was not done, and single sheets were eventually put on a double bed. A car that was assigned for cleaning was cleaned inside but the exterior was left untouched.

A cottage that had been treated as cleaned and finished was later found with rubbish and objects still left around, furniture not put away, open cupboards and drawers, dirt in several areas and an unclean fridge. These were not matters requiring specialist skills; they were ordinary tasks that had been explicitly assigned.

I also asked Em to produce simple written documentation of the water system and a basic lighting plan showing what existed, what was not working and where additional lighting was needed. These were part of the work agreed during the stay. Near the end, he said that he could send this material later, after leaving. Even postponing agreed work until after departure was not what had been arranged, but in any case nothing has subsequently been received.

After they left, I walked through the property myself and found numerous broken or non-working light fittings, discarded lighting parts and other rubbish still lying around in areas that were meant to have been inspected. This also raised questions about how thoroughly the lighting assessment had actually been carried out.

Internet was mentioned at the end as one reason the promised documentation had not been sent. From the outset, I had explained that the property is off-grid and has no fixed internet connection; internet access is through mobile data/hotspot, which is also how I use it myself. On their first day, although I was extremely busy, I gave them my own phone so they could get online. Lety was also regularly online for her remote work during the stay. Em later told me that he had spent €60 on internet access, although I was never clear why that had been necessary given that mobile internet was the arrangement explained from the beginning. In any event, the lack of fixed internet was known before their arrival and the promised material has still not been sent.

They did complete some substantial outdoor clearing, some cleaning and organisation, and Em spent time examining the water tanks and water system. There were also individual days when a significant amount of work was done. The overall pattern, however, was inconsistent: tasks were frequently left incomplete, simple instructions had to be repeated, and work that had been described as finished often still required checking or completion.

Repeated assurances that instructions would be followed did not reliably translate into the agreed work being carried out. When an instruction was not understood, the problem was not made clear at the time; instead, I was often told that everything was understood and only discovered later that it had not been.

Based on my experience, they would be better suited to a host who is able to supervise their work closely, check each task after completion and assign fairly simple, narrowly defined jobs.

(Neutral )

14 Sep 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Leanne & Christopher Ross)

Chris and Leanne cancelled their agreed Workaway stay around three weeks before arrival, after we had been communicating and organizing the visit for at least five months. They said only that something had come up and they had to change their travel plans, without giving any further explanation. Given the amount of advance planning involved, this … read more

(Cancelled last minute / No show)

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Feedback

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

Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(4.4)

Communication:
(4.6)

10 Oct 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Annika & Steffen)

(Excellent)

9 Oct 2026

Left by Workawayer (Annika & Steffen) for host

(Excellent)

28 Sep 2026

Left by Workawayer (Leticia & Emmanuel) for host

(Good)

14 Sep 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Leticia & Emmanuel)

(Neutral)

14 Sep 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Leanne & Christopher Ross)

(Cancelled last minute / No show)

21 Jul 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Clara)

Clara and Grant were an absolute pleasure to host. They are two of the best Workawayers I’ve had.

They are exceptionally hardworking, highly skilled, reliable, and a genuine pleasure to spend time with. Their productivity was outstanding—not only in the amount of work they completed, but also in the quality of everything they did. They … read more

(Excellent)

21 Jul 2026

Left by Workawayer (Clara) for host

We had such a wonderful time staying with Ada and her son. :)
From the very beginning, we connected immediately and enjoyed their company immensely. The three weeks we spent there passed by so quickly, and we truly hope to come back one day :)

The accommodation is great, comfortable, and feels like a lovely place to stay. Ada is incredibly … read more

(Excellent)

19 Jul 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Grant)

Grant and Clara were an absolute pleasure to host. They are two of the best Workawayers I’ve had.

They are exceptionally hardworking, highly skilled, reliable, and a genuine pleasure to spend time with. Their productivity was outstanding—not only in the amount of work they completed, but also in the quality of everything they did. They … read more

(Excellent)

19 Jul 2026

Left by Workawayer (Grant) for host

What an absolute blast this Workaway has been! Whatever we write here won't suffice in explaining our gratitude for the opportunity to stay with Ada and Iason and Pablo and Bianca and my #1 angel of all time Rosa.

tl;dr Host is very well organised and doesn't helicopter, a task list is given and you complete it when you can. Accomodation is … read more

(Excellent)

18 May 2026

Left by host for Workawayer (Danka)

Hosting Danka was a genuinely lovely experience. She is an intelligent, curious, and warm person, and I truly enjoyed our conversations and the time we spent together. I especially appreciated her openness to new experiences and her enthusiasm for trying unfamiliar things.

She quickly became very independent with the tasks and did not need much … read more

(Excellent)

18 May 2026

Left by Workawayer (Danka) for host

Athens and Kea experience...

This was my first Workaway experience, and I really appreciate my host Ada for trusting me and welcoming me as her guest at two of her properties — her home in Athens and her other home on the island of Kea.
Since I love Greece, and especially the Greek islands, this was a wonderful opportunity not only to enjoy the … read more

(Excellent)

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Experience life on an island and my off-grid home in Kea, Greece

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Interests

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Help

Languages spoken

Accommodation

What else ...

A little more information

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My animals / pets

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