Workaway reviews, feedback and ratings

I had an awesome time at Bonanza in Ovar! Together with the other volunteer I took care of feeding the horses, mucking and lots of horse back riding! It was great to be out in nature, explore the woods and beaches and cuddle the horses. Although the beginning of my stay was a bit muddy, we had lovely weather at the end. I was very happy to meet Carine at the end of my stay (I replaced her during her holidays so we almost missed eachother) and I would love to come back one day! All the best, Mirjam

Aude and Nina are the best! They are excellent workers and even better company. We had a great time I feel like we've known each other for years. I hope they don't like their new assignment because I want them to come back. They were excellent at keeping the house tidy cleaning up after I cooked and best of all took great care of my dogs. I think my dogs are even sadder than I am without them. Grab them if you can, you would be very lucky to have them as part of your work away home.

Aude and Nina are the best! They are excellent workers and even better company. We had a great time I feel like we've known each other for years. I hope they don't like their new assignment because I want them to come back. They were excellent at keeping the house tidy cleaning up after I cooked and best of all to great care of my dogs. I think my dogs are even sadder than I am without them. Grab them if you can, you would be very lucky to have them as part of your work away home.

It was an absolute pleasure to stay at Loyd and Claire, and the little animal zoo. The area is really beautifull and gives you plenty of routes to run or walk, on which you will be accompanied by the dogs! The cottage where you stay in is really nice and gives you loads of privacy. And if you are a handyman/women there is loads of nice work to do! We started with loads of gardening, but then went to building portuguese brick walls, painting, fixing the roof(tiles) and putting in a new sewer and waterpipes into the ground. They give you all the space that you need and let you do things on your own, and even trusted us with housesitting and taking care of the animals. We went on a motorride which was amazing (thanks again Loyd) and we had a great pizzanight to say goodbye. Claire and Loyd are really lovely and hardworking people. And you will be amazed by all the love of the 3 dogs (Lima, Ollie and P. diddy), cat and the 2 horses. Is it worth staying... ABSOLUTELY!

Edward is an awesome guy and it was great having him at the men’s retreat we hosted this year. Unfortunately, the boat project we had planned for him ended up being beyond the scope of what we could realistically take on through Workaway and required professional repair. Once we realized that, Edward continued on to another island. He’s a positive person to have around, and we appreciated his can-do attitude! Wishing him all the best moving forward.

I had the absolute best time in Lobitos! Thanks to Tiita and Ivan, I was welcomed into the community with open arms that I felt completely at home right from the start. Tiita and Ivan are both really nice, funny and full of energy – which led to countless unforgettable moments. During my time there, I did a lot of craft work. I painted a workshop room and also did a lot of sewing with fabric scraps from the ponchos. Sometimes I sewed together with Ivan and Kevyns grandmothers which was a lot fun. As well as the craft work, we also carried out video and photo shoots for the Instagram channel. Outside of work, I had a fantastic time too: I went surfing every day, played music with Tiita and others, there was a football match in the village every Sunday, plus parties and even a paddle tour to abandoned oil platforms. The community in Lobitos has a very artistic and musical vibe – there are regular small concerts and art markets. And as if that weren’t enough, you live in a dream location, just about 30 metres from the sea, with a stunning view. You also live right next to a hostel where there are always lots of interesting people. This meant we were constantly having evenings together around the campfire, cooking sessions, volleyball matches or film nights – and I made lots of new friends. I can wholeheartedly recommend this place. I’m going to miss this time so much!

Dionny was so kind, intelligent, strong and patient with our patchy Spanish. We were involved in a small amount of cooking (as Dionny’s food is something to come for even aside from all the other amazing things), made hutches for the very sweet guinea pigs, and worked in Dionny's maize fields. The views are breathtaking where ever you look, and Alan knows everything about hikes far and wide, he also organises everything for you so you just have to turn up at the bus stop (5 min walk away). We made some incredible memories here and were so sad to leave but will absolutely return on our next trip to South America.

Zaklina you are like a sunshine to my shelter! We need the people like you to our shelter. Our door is opened for you every time!

If you want to have a killer deal then go to David!!!!! David is very approachable, friendly, cosmopolitan, smart, cheerful and lively. He cares a lot. It is totally beautiful there and you do a lot with David, so I could see a lot of the island. I couldn't give him back as much as I got. It felt like a vacation and it's just very very very very very little work. I am very grateful for this wonderful time with him!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Atash - both as a volunteer and as a person! He has a ton of experience working in hospitality, and he brought a lot of knowledge and helpful tips to our team to help us improve. He is hard working but also such a lovely person to have around. Both the staff and guests loved having him around. We would welcome him back with open arms any time! If Atash asks to volunteer with you, don't think twice! He is the best addition to your team that you could ask for.

Sam volunteered with us in our hostel for about a month and it was a pleasure to have him with us! He was a great worker, always helpful, and he did a great job connecting with our guests and helping us build community. He's very easy going and fun to have around. I would recommend him as a volunteer to anyone, and we would be happy to have him back any time :)

Despite enjoying my stay, I do have complains about the accuracy of the profile that I will explain first. The work was not what I expected. Despite staying for an entire month, I didn't get to work in the greenhouse at all, nor did I do much in the garden beyond picking tomatoes for lunch. My stay coincided with the fig picking season, so most of my work (~90%) was picking and sorting figs. The profile doesn't communicate this well, fig picking is only mentioned once (also no pictures showing it), but this is the main activity in August/September. Fig picking meant that I didn't learn anything about "organic farming and permaculture", one of my main reasons for doing Workaway, and it's an uncomfortable activity as you work until mid day in the sun, wearing long-sleeve clothing to protect yourself from the fig glue, there were times when I didn't have the willpower to move anymore because the extra heat created by moving was too much. The profile also claims that they're "producing for [their] own consumption" when the great majority of figs is sold (good, eating this many figs might melt your mouth). The profile may be accurate for any other time of the year, but not for the time I was there, which seemed to be the busiest month with the most Workawayers. The profile should be updated to reflect all seasons. Despite that and further criticisms in the paragraph below, I remember thinking that it's one of the best Workaway/WWOOF places I've been to, in my top 3 out of 9. Perhaps I would have chosen a project more focussed on gardening had the profile been more accurate, and perhaps I would have had less fun. If your focus is on the meeting people/cultural exchange/exploring the world aspects of Workaway, this place will be great for you. The surroundings are beautiful, both the homestead and the area, there are many places to visit like Hyères, the Coudon and Cap Garonne (I'm glad I visited the latter two at the end of my stay as I was familiar with the surroundings you can see from up there). I met many people from all over the world, out of the places I've Workawayed/WWOOFed at, this one had the highest number of Workawayers, new ones every week at this busy time. We sometimes stayed up talking around the table for hours. Almost everyone but me was very friendly and someone even lent me their old phone when mine broke, and Abigail and Cedric let me stay for longer when I hadn't decided where to go next yet. Me being vegan was no problem, the meals were usually vegan and always vegetarian. The tents had matresses so were very cozy to sleep in. They have two cool dogs. They also host concerts and meditation/dance/other events, but I didn't participate much. My favorite activity was raiding the five book boxes of La Farlède, recommended for anyone who's learning French and likes to read, you can reach them on foot, I have enough to last me for years now. There were some problems with the accomodations, nothing that should have kept me from coming, but it is worth mentioning that many of the tents developed holes and were unable to protect their contents from the rain, that the only usable bike was in a bad condition (no lights no bell bad brakes) though the bikes were being worked on, the toilet and shower curtains weren't wind proof which I believe has been fixed, the main dry toilet had flies living in it which didn't bother me but bothered someone else, the wifi didn't work for weeks when I arrived, and the food organisation felt chaotic. It's a young project, they're working on it, but they do take their time. Workawayers have to try paying attention to the state of their tents and to the bike they're using themselves so that they don't end up with wet belongings or having to drive in the dark like me... Pay attention that you're getting your days off too, they're assigned, but not always correctly. More practical tips for my past self: •Bring light, long sleeved clothing for the fig picking. •Bring a good rain jacket, rain is rare but heavy, my phone broke during one of them while in my "rain" jacket's pocket. •After work, put on mosquito spray and hide in the forest. There isn't much shade in the living area and the tents get far too hot. •Seriously, don't have any food in your tent outside of Tupperboxes. •Don't trust Google maps in this area. I kept trespassing.

Lara is very playful and simple to be around. She helped me with some personal things with her emotional release therapies and was happy to share it with the community around us. Very focused and empathic to listen and explore new things :) Also helped me paint murals in the community and gave her touch to the are and paso a paz.

I spent a month with Josiephine and her husband Barry. I enjoyed my stay with them and look forward to coming back again. my time was spent trimming trees and moving the branches that were removed from the tree. I also spent time helping to paint the house. Josie spent time every evening to cook us food from a range of cultures and was more than happy to accommodate for my dislike of most pork products. I tried many new foods while staying with Josie and got along well with everyone there, including the dogs, Smartie and Poppy who often supervised us while we were working. Josie and Barry are absolutely lovely and made me feel welcomed in their home. I had a wonderful experience on their farm and hope to come back soon.

Alina and Dia were generous, kind, and interesting hosts during our time on their beautiful property in the mountains in São Vicente da Beira, Portugal. We enjoyed picking olives, collecting and roasting chestnuts, making food, and playing with the sweet animals. Unfortunately, I (Kim) wasn't feeling well and have a cat allergy, so we had to leave early. Alina was so kind and understanding. We really wanted to stay and support the work there. We had hoped to help build a fence and participate in what sounded like an epic Halloween party and community dance party. Even though our time together was short, we appreciate the opportunity and experience. Wishing you all the best!

I really had a good time at Vili's place. It was a really great experience, even tho i had personal stuff happening back in my hometown, everyone was so nice that it always made me forget the bad stuff. It is an absolutely beautiful place, with a lot of positive energy, and it tells. I cannot wait to go back one day, and have a drink at the bar, maybe play a little with other musician, and the great pianist that Vili is. I really wish i could have stay more. I cannot recommand this place enough, thanks Vili for the opportunity

Que maravilloso fue tener en nuestro equipo y hogar a Orphee, la pasamos genial desde el primer momento, con ella es imposible no reír . Trabajando cubrió varios desafíos y todos excelente desde pintura a paredes y cuadros , muebles .Hicimos dulce de frutos de la huerta , jugamos por las tardes y tuvimos buenas charlas productivas y sensibles .Orphee es una joven muy informada , prolija , especial y con mucha energía.

(July/August 2025) There are inaccuracies in the profile, it really needs to be updated. Jose and Nicolas don't live there anymore, or at least didn't when I was there. The garden was also deprioritised that year so not much to learn about food self-sufficiency. I tried working with the trees as much as possible, but sometimes I had to work on insulating the car, which I didn't enjoy, didn't feel good at and didn't think I could learn anything from (I also didn't learn anything from the trees because it was just weeding). I brought up the profile being inaccurate to Gille but he didn't care, he's not someone who prioritises accuracy. I noticed this in other ways too, for example when we went to the circus (which was a great day) I wondered if we should bring food and he said we would be back for dinner, but then after the circus he decided we would go somewhere else, which was also fun (I still remember that song we sang), but no food I could eat, which could have been prevented. You are very dependent on cars there since there is no public transport. There were positives too, the day trip to the circus festival, another trip to a nearby town that was having an art exhibition festival thing, the surroundings are beautiful, very secluded, one day the donkeys came up all the way to the hamlet from the small nearby village, and I properly used a scythe for the first time. I had no problems with the accomodations nor with any of the people on a personal level (the problems with Gille came from him being the host).

It was absolutely wonderful having Jana with us, and such an honor that she ended up staying for two months instead of just three weeks. She was incredibly empathetic and connected beautifully with our horses. She was easy-going and respectful; we felt truly appreciated, and I loved practicing yoga with her. The most beautiful thing was seeing how much she blossomed around the horses—the sparkle in her eyes remained even when it was raining and she was out there mucking out in full gear. Thank you so much for the wonderful time, Jana. You are welcome back anytime!

It was super nice to have liv with us helping. She was really empathic and it was nice talking with her. She got into her duties very fast and she was really responsible the work that had to be done. She cooked very nice food for everyone. It all felt super hamonic and we hope to see her back again one day. Thank you!