Live, share and learn among tropical fruit near the sea in Spain

Details

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  Description

  Hi, I'm Adrián, and I live in a house in the countryside near Salobreña, on the Costa Tropical of Granada. It's a pretty self-sufficient house; we have solar electricity, our own water system, and a garden that I've gradually filled with trees and life over the years.
  
  There are cherimoyas, avocados, mangoes, bananas, guavas, and other tropical fruits, and then there's the vegetable garden, where we're always planting something, depending on the season, of course. There are also chickens, and in the end, it all forms a kind of small ecosystem around the house, which is more or less what I wanted to achieve when I started all this: to live a simpler life, closer to the land, and becoming a little more self-sufficient.
  
  And living here requires being present, because there's always something going on. It's not that there's a list of things to do every day; it's more that you're here and you see what happens. The chickens come out in the morning and wander around the garden, looking for food. The plants are growing; some need water, others need pruning. In the vegetable garden, there's planting or harvesting to do. Then there's cooking to do, tidying up the house, fixing something that's broken... there's always something.
  
  And we're a bit part of that too. Just like the trees, the chickens, the insects, and everything else that lives here, there are us. And for me, it's important to be present and understand what the place needs at any given moment.
  
  That's why, when someone comes to volunteer, what I look for most is someone who wants to share this way of life for a while and who will integrate naturally. We cook, keep the house more or less tidy, do things in the garden, plant things, take care of the chickens, or make any small improvements that need doing. And everyone has their own time, of course. The beach is nearby, there are bicycles, you can go to town, or simply relax in the garden.
  
  We also have plenty of access to fruit and vegetables. There are several of us small farmers here, and we often exchange what we have. One of us has avocados, another has mangoes, another has vegetables, or whatever, depending on the season. So we also try to eat a lot of what's available and adapt a bit to what the land is producing at that moment.
  
  And in the end, for me, the most important thing about all of this is the human element. Because I can teach many things I've learned over the years about tropical trees, water, solar electricity, gardening, or simply what it's like to live this way, but each person who comes also brings their own things. A recipe from their country, a different way of doing something, knowledge I don't have, stories, ideas...
  
  So it's a pretty natural exchange. I don't see it so much as one person working and the other providing accommodation. It's more about living here for a while, being present, sharing what we know, and each of us contributing a little to this small ecosystem we're creating.
  
  ***
  
  Hola, soy Adrián y vivo en una casa en el campo cerca de Salobreña, en la Costa Tropical de Granada. Es una casa que funciona bastante por su cuenta, tenemos electricidad solar, nuestros sistemas de agua y alrededor hay un jardín que con los años he ido llenando de árboles y de vida.
  
  Hay chirimoyos, aguacates, mangos, plátanos, guayabas y más frutas tropicales, y después está la huerta, que siempre estamos plantando algo, depende de la temporada claro. También hay gallinas y al final todo forma como un pequeño ecosistema alrededor de la casa, que es un poco lo que yo quería conseguir cuando empecé todo esto, poder vivir de una forma más sencilla, más cerca de la tierra y siendo cada vez un poco más autosuficiente.
  
  Y vivir aquí pues necesita estar presente, porque siempre pasan cosas. No es que haya una lista de cosas que hacer todos los días, es más bien que estás aquí y vas viendo. Las gallinas por la mañana salen y se van por el jardín, van buscando comida, las plantas van creciendo, unas necesitan agua, otras hay que podarlas, en la huerta hay que plantar o recoger algo, después hay que cocinar, ordenar la casa, arreglar alguna cosa que se ha roto... siempre hay algo.
  
  Y nosotros somos un poco parte de eso también. Igual que están los árboles, las gallinas, los insectos y todo lo que vive aquí, pues estamos nosotros. Y para mí es importante estar presente y entender un poco qué necesita el lugar en cada momento.
  
  Por eso cuando viene alguien de voluntario lo que busco sobre todo es una persona que quiera compartir esta forma de vida durante un tiempo y que se vaya integrando naturalmente. Cocinamos, mantenemos la casa más o menos ordenada, hacemos cosas en el jardín, plantamos algo, cuidamos las gallinas o hacemos alguna pequeña mejora que haga falta. Y también cada uno tiene su tiempo, claro. La playa está cerca, hay bicicletas, puedes ir al pueblo o simplemente quedarte tranquilo en el jardín.
  
  También tenemos bastante acceso a fruta y verdura. Por aquí somos varios pequeños agricultores y muchas veces intercambiamos lo que tenemos. Uno tiene aguacates, otro tiene mangos, otro tiene verduras o lo que sea dependiendo de la temporada. Entonces intentamos también comer bastante de lo que hay alrededor y adaptarnos un poco a lo que la tierra está dando en ese momento.
  
  Y al final para mí lo más importante de todo esto es la parte humana. Porque yo puedo enseñar muchas cosas que he aprendido estos años sobre los árboles tropicales, el agua, la electricidad solar, la huerta o simplemente cómo es vivir de esta manera, pero cada persona que viene también trae sus cosas. Una receta de su país, una manera diferente de hacer algo, conocimientos que yo no tengo, historias, ideas...
  
  Entonces es un intercambio bastante natural. No lo veo tanto como uno trabaja y el otro da alojamiento. Es más vivir aquí durante un tiempo, estar presente, compartir lo que sabemos y cada uno aportar un poco a este pequeño ecosistema que estamos creando.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Books

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Art & design

  

  Gardening

  

  Plant care

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Architecture

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Van life

  

  Self development

  

  Sustainability

  

  Farming

  

  Nature

  

  Water sports

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Fitness

  

  Beach
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The main reason for hosting people is cultural exchange. I enjoy meeting people from around the world, sharing daily life, exchanging ideas, languages, traditions and different ways of seeing the world. Every person brings new experiences, recipes, stories and perspectives, and I believe we all learn from each other.
  
  During your stay we spend time together every day. I enjoy explaining how the garden works, how tropical fruit is grown in southern Spain, how our solar power and water systems work, and why I chose this lifestyle. I also love learning about your culture, your country, your experiences and your own projects and ideas for the future.
  
  You can learn about living out grid, water systems, solar electricity.

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  Help

  Cooking.
  Help in my private garden.
  
  Volunteers will not do any task related with agriculture, tropical fruit collection.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  You will be living in a nice house, single room with kitchen and bathroom.

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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

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Workawayers travelling with their own campervan are welcome. There is space on the land to park and stay in a quiet natural environment surrounded by fruit trees. You will have access to basic shared facilities such as kitchen and bathroom. This is not a campsite, but a simple off-grid space, so we expect a conscious use of water and electricity, and respect for the environment and the project.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  ducks

  chickens

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