Help us build an ecological life in a secluded forest village in the mountains of Kaş, Antalya, Turkey

Details

• 

  Description

  Important note for 2026:
  
  Because we are expecting a baby, during August and September 2026 we are mainly looking for responsible couples who can stay at least 4 weeks and help with house sitting and light daily tasks while we adapt to life with our newborn.
  
  ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
  
  We are Murat and Sibel. In 2018 we left Istanbul and moved to a 4-acre piece of land in a quiet forest village in Kaş, Antalya, to explore a more conscious and sustainable way of living.
  
  Our land sits on the mountainside in a peaceful pine forest. Our goal is to live as sustainably and independently as possible: growing our own food, producing our own energy and creating a healthy ecosystem around us.
  
  Over the years we have:
  
  - Switched to a fully plant-based diet
  - Studied permaculture and completed a PDC, then designed our land accordingly
  - Set up an off-grid solar system for our electricity
  - Built a small community of like-minded friends in the region
  
  Because we are only two people, we sometimes struggle to keep up with all the tasks on the land. That’s why we enjoy hosting volunteers who are curious about this lifestyle or share similar values.
  
  The Land:
  
  Our land is organized into several zones where we grow food and maintain the ecosystem.
  
  Zone 1 – The house area
  
  This is where our stone house (built in 2019) is located. Around it we have raised vegetable beds, strawberries, herbs, fruit trees and a small pond. Tasks here include garden maintenance, planting, pruning, mulching, irrigation maintenance and small improvement projects like paths or steps.
  
  Zone 2 – Vegetable garden
  
  About half an acre of terraced land behind the house facing south. This is our main vegetable garden and also includes a dome structure that we plan to convert into a nursery. Typical help includes weeding, planting, harvesting, mulching and improving garden paths. We are also building a fenced area around the terraces.
  
  
  Zone 3 – Vineyard
  
  In spring 2023 we planted about 90 grape vines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Boğazkere). Tasks include maintaining trellises and drip irrigation, pruning, fertilizing, weeding and mulching.
  
  Zone 4 – Food forest
  
  Below the house we created swales and planted a developing food forest with nitrogen-fixing trees and many edible species such as olive, almond, mulberry, persimmon, quince, medlar, peach, pear, apple, walnut and loquat.
  
  Seasonal work includes planting herbs, weeding, pruning, irrigation maintenance, compost turning, fertilizing and mulching.
  
  Elsewhere on the land we also have an olive and almond orchard (around 150 trees) planted in 2022 that requires occasional seasonal care.
  
  Inside this orchard there is a small wooden cabin, a restored traditional grain storage building that now serves as a second guest house.

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Language practice

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
• 

  Interests

  

  Pets

  

  Videography

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Farming

  

  Animals

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Cycling

  

  Mountain

  

  Beach

  

  Camping

  

  Nature

  

  Yoga / Wellness
• 

  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What's this?
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We propose a peaceful stay in the forest with our friendly animals.
  
  We are always willing to share information about our experiences in life and how we got to where we are if anyones interested .
  
  We started this new life with zero prior knowledge and experience in farming or country life, in the past 7 years we have worked hard and learned a lot. We do have a collection of trials, errors and achievements and we are always more than happy to share them.
  
  We also have hobbies like experimenting in vegan cooking , upcycling clothes, woodworking, making music, stained glass, daily sightseeing, motorcycling, shooting videos etc. and we are fond of sharing our joy and knowledge about such things as well.

• 

  Help

  The jobs that we usually take care of and need help with are:
  
  - Household chores
  - Building pathways or steps,
  - Taking care of vegetable beds like weeding, adding compost, etc.
  - Fertilizing, pruning or mulching the trees,
  - Maintenance of irrigation and pipes
  - Planting new trees, flowers, herbs etc.
  - Light construction work plumbing, woodwork, etc.
  - Turning compost
  - Weeding
  - Landscaping
  
  We will not charge any fee or payment from the Workawayers. Only help is needed.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent

  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

  There are two different places to stay:
  
  1. Container Home:
  A fully equipped private space including:
  - A dedicated kitchen and bathroom.
  - A sofa that turns into a double bed
  - Internet access (10 m/bit)
  - Electricity and hot water
  - There is a wood stove for heating.
  - Note: we are off-grid and solar-powered, so electricity is available but limited and requires mindful use.
  
  2. Restored Historical Grain Storage (Shed)
  A more rustic option including:
  - A tiny kitchen with a camp stove.
  - A loft with a double bed
  - A folding desk with chairs.
  - Also a folding big chair that turns into a single bed.
  - An outdoor-style bathroom (covered with wooden walls)
  - Hot water
  - The place can be heated with a diesel van heater in cold days.
  - Limited daily electricity(800 Kwh), enough for charging phones, laptops, cameras, etc. Electricity availability depends on sunlight, as the system is fully solar-powered.
  
  Both options suit people who are comfortable with simplicity, camping outdoors, awareness of resources, and off-grid living.
  
  We are quite relaxed and flexible people, so the below is mainly our daily schedules are:
  
  In winter and early spring our daily work schedule starts around 11:00 a.m. (when the sun fills the valley it gets warm) and we work for approximately 5 hours.
  
  Mostly depending on the weather that sets the rules but if things are normal we usually work for 3 days on a row and have an off day. We can also do the traditional way 5 days work and 2 days off, no prob.
  
  We are vegan and we only cook and serve vegan meals.
  
  Because spring is a very busy season for us, volunteers are expected to prepare their own food in their accommodation except dinner on working days.
  
  We provide the ingredients for breakfast and for any additional meals volunteers may wish to prepare. From time to time we go grocery shopping in town together.
  
  On workdays we share a vegan dinner, which we prepare together at our home. We usually start cooking after finishing work around 17:00, eat around 18:00, and clean up together.
  
  On days off, volunteers prepare their own meals.
  
  We value quiet time and privacy very much, so after 20:00, we expect everybody to retire and relax in their personal spaces.

• 

  What else ...

  Being located on the countryside, we are 20 mins drive away from the Kaş center and 5 mins drive away from the public transportation point. From this point, there is a mini bus every hour to town and back between 08:00 and 20:00.
  
  Our neighborhood is surrounded with countless ancient historical attractions and Lycian civilization sites like St. Nicholas, Xanthos, Myra, Patara and many more.
  
  Also being located on and around the Taurus mountains, we are surrounded by natural beauties and sights to see such as waterfalls, forests with Cedar & Juniper trees, national parks with wildlife preserved areas, canyons, lakes with bird paradise and so much more
  
  Kaş is located on the most beautiful part of Mediterranean shores and it is famously known for beautiful turquoise beaches and activities like diving, paragliding and hiking.
  
  There are also ferries to take to closer Greek Islands from Kaş.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Can host digital nomads

  The internet is available through wi-fi and speed is limited 10 Mbits/sec

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

• 

  Can possibly accept pets

  We have 2 adopted dogs(1 male and 1 female) from the sanctuary. They are all friendly and social animals but please beware they are not trained dogs.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  My animals / pets

  

  Sofi

  

  Tobi

  

  Irma

Website Safety