Details
Description
Hello!
We’re Ragna, Pere and our daughter Onna, a family living in close connection with nature in the Catalan countryside. We both come from a background in outdoor sports, but today we've chosen a lifestyle rooted in simplicity, outdoor living and meaningful connection — with ourselves, others, and the environment around us.
Onna is 11 years old: curious, creative, and very used to having people around. As a family, we love spending time outdoors — running, hiking, caring for animals, and simply being present in nature.
Our income mainly comes from coaching trail runners and providing personal strength training sessions in our home gym.
Our animals
Life here includes a small group of animals that are part of our daily rhythm and care. We share our space with a friendly dog, several sheep, chickens, a horse, and a pony. They bring us joy, learning and connection — and caring for them is an important part of life here.
About the place
It is our home and a growing place where we aim to live in harmony with the land and create a space for reconnection, well-being, and community. Surrounded by forests, meadows, and mountains, it’s a beautiful and peaceful place where we take care of our garden, develop simple ecological systems, and organise outdoor experiences rooted in nature, healthy living and connection.
It is not just a place to live — it’s a way of life. We’re slowly shaping it with love, patience and respect for the natural surroundings, and we enjoy sharing this process with others who feel called to experience it too.
Our invitation to you
We’re looking for open-minded, motivated and respectful people who want to experience this lifestyle and be part of our daily rhythms. Whether you enjoy working outdoors, gardening, helping with simple eco-friendly tasks, cooking, being creative, or spending time with children and animals — we’d love to meet you.
For us, hosting through Workaway is about cultural exchange and learning from each other, sharing simple moments of life, and enjoying the beauty of everyday things together— like eating outside, watching the stars, or building something with our hands.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Farming
Pets
Sustainability
Plant care
Languages
Gardening
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Animals
Yoga / Wellness
Cycling
Outdoor activities
Nature
Mountain
Hiking
Fitness
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Cultural exchange
It is more than a home — it’s a way of life rooted in simplicity, movement, and meaningful connection with the land. By staying with us, you’ll experience daily life in rural Catalonia, surrounded by nature in the small hamlet of Cogolls (Les Planes d’Hostoles), in the heart of La Garrotxa volcanic region.
We are an international family: Ragna is Dutch, Pere is Catalan, and our daughter Onna grows up speaking Dutch, Catalan and Spanish. We speak several languages at home, and we're happy to practise any of them with you — especially if you’d like to learn about Catalan culture, local traditions, or multilingual family life.
You’ll also have the chance to explore:
Traditional land-based living in a mountain setting
Our outdoor lifestyle as professional trail runners
Natural cooking and healthy daily rhythms
A respectful, slow-paced way of living with animals
Open-minded conversations about travel, parenting, sustainability and movement
We love learning from others and believe cultural exchange is a two-way street. Whether you bring a new recipe, a game, a story, or a skill — you're welcome here.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Life here is simple, hands-on and connected to nature. The help we ask from workawayers depends on the season and their interests, and is always limited to our private home and family garden, never related to our professional or business activities.
You might help us with tasks such as:
Gardening – planting, watering, weeding, harvesting
Animal care – feeding the sheep, chickens, dog, horse and pony, and keeping their spaces clean and comfortable.
Outdoor home maintenance – clearing paths around the house, stacking firewood, composting and general tidying of the garden.
Food-related help – preparing meals with us, preserving garden produce, or gathering wild herbs
Playing and spending time with our daughter Onna (if you enjoy being with kids) - creative games, nature walks and simple activities together.
We usually ask for around 5 hours of help a day, 5 days a week, always with flexibility. Most days, we will share the rhythm of work and rest together. Sometimes we’ll work as a team; sometimes you’ll have tasks you can do independently.
We also make sure you have enough free time to relax, explore the nature around us and enjoy the surroundings.
We are not requesting any help for business-related or professional projects. All help is exclusively within our private home and family garden, focused on daily life tasks and cultural exchange.
Languages
Languages spoken
Catalan: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: IntermediateThis 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
We offer a simple, cosy and nature-connected living experience. You’ll stay in one of our Canvascamp glamping tents — spacious, round-shaped and beautifully integrated into the landscape. These tents are comfortable and private, with a real “off-grid” feeling, yet close to shared facilities and heated during the colder days.
Facilities are basic but thoughtful arranged.
There is access to an outdoor kitchen and shared dining area
We have a toilet and a hot outdoor shower setup
Food is a central part of community and cultural exchange.
We usually provide three meals per day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast is simple and healthy (bread, fruit, yoghurt, oats, coffee/tea).
Lunch is normally a shared hot meal, based on salads, rice, pasta or seasonal local vegetables.
Dinner is our main shared meal, where we usually cook and eat together, creating a space for connection, conversation and exchange.
When it’s not possible to share all meals due to our training or work schedule, we provide ingredients to cook.
We aim to use mostly fresh, local and seasonal products.
We also respect dietary preferences such as vegetarian or vegan whenever possible, but we kindly ask to inform us in advance.
We provide mattresses, blankets and pillows — though you’re welcome to bring your own sheets or sleeping bag if you prefer.
You'll be surrounded by nature, with mountain views, starry skies, and plenty of quiet.
This is a great place for people who enjoy a simple, low-impact lifestyle, being close to the elements, and sharing moments around the fire or under the stars.
What else ...
In your free time, there’s plenty to enjoy both in and around this place. We're located in Cogolls, a small mountain hamlet surrounded by forests, rivers and volcanoes in the heart of La Garrotxa Natural Park — a peaceful and wild area ideal for anyone who loves nature, sport, or quiet reflection.
Some things you can do with your time off:
Go hiking or trail running on beautiful local routes (we can recommend trails!)
Explore by bike – there are scenic cycling routes nearby
Swim in natural pools like the famous Gorg de Cogolls or Les Planes d’Hostoles
Visit volcanic landscapes, medieval villages like Santa Pau or Besalú
Read, relax or write in the quiet of the forest
Visit Olot, Girona, Barcelona
We’re also happy to share some of our passions, like mountain sports, natural food, or ecological living, if you're curious.
Transport & access
Our place is in a remote, rural setting, so being comfortable in nature and with a bit of distance to town is important.
The nearest village is Les Planes d’Hostoles, about 54 km away. There’s a bus service between Les Planes and Olot (the main town) as well as between Girona and Barcelona.
You can walk or cycle to the village (we may be able to lend you a bike).
If you have your own vehicle, that’s ideal — there’s parking here.
We can also pick you up in Les Planes d’Hostoles on arrival,
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.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Caramel
Rita & Oreo
Sheep
Photos
