Join our historic family home and explore the surroundings of Villalonga, Spain

Infos

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  Description

  🎵 Who We Are:
  Mike is a retired engineer and teacher (Design Tech, Computing, Business). Helen has worked for international NGOs and is active in charity and community work. We’re both amateur musicians, usually gigging once a week – and if you help us set up for gigs, it counts as your help day!
  
  We’re curious explorers and creative reusers – and hope you are too!
  Every couple of weeks, we take a trip to discover a nearby town or region, diving into its history, uncovering past industries, and always on the lookout for local art installations. You’re very welcome to join us!
  
  We’re passionate about reusing and reimagining. Old toilets as plant pots? Why not! We love people who ask "Can this be reused or repurposed?" before throwing anything away. Mindless dumping doesn’t sit well with us – creative thinking does.
  
  We love language, film, and a good conversation about what we’ve just seen or heard. Having lived and worked in several countries, we enjoy sharing our experiences – and learning about yours. If you value cultural exchange, love to learn, and enjoy seeing the world through fresh eyes, you’ll feel right at home here.
  
  🚲 Location & Extras:
  The village is just a 10-minute flat walk – shops, bars, banks, and bus to Gandia
  Bicycles available (may need a little attention)
  If you're a safe driver with a valid license, we may lend you a car occasionally
  We speak English, Spanish, French, and German
  Non-smoking indoors (smoking is fine outside). We don’t drink alcohol, but you’re welcome to if you do.
  
  🌟 Who We’re Looking For:
  We love working with people who are honest, curious, and unafraid of hard work. If you're practical or eager to learn new skills – whether it’s welding, planting, restoring, organising, or making music – you’ll fit in perfectly here.
  
  We especially value:
  Enthusiasm over experience
  Honest communication about what you can (and can’t yet) do
  A sense of humour and a love for creativity
  
  Extra info as our reviews are from years ago. The main reason we stopped hosting was because we chose to host a Ukrainian family who have now moved into the village and bought a flat there. Which means we now have accommodation to offer.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Bénévolat

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage d'entretien

  Projets DIY créatifs

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Petits travaux d'entretien
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Politique/justice sociale

  

  Végétarien ou végan

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Culture

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Musique

  

  Histoire

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Livres

  

  Art et design

  

  Langues

  

  Jardinage

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Arts du spectacle

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Camping

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Danse
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  We go out every other week now to explore a region nearby - try and find out the history, what economic activity took place there and any art installations which we always gravitate towards. You will be welcome to join us. Sharing our desire to not throw away anything that might be reusable - eg we have plants on old toilets, helps us all to think laterally. We only want people who before they throw they ask themselves, can this be reused by us or anyone else, because to us, dumping without thought is unacceptable. We need people to think that one extra thought, what can this be used for, before they chuck something out. We like language and film and always talk about what we have just seen or heard. We have lived and worked in several countries and did so to get a real feel for the country - we will do our best to share our experiences with anyone. Also, we love learning, and so hope for a mutual cultural exchange.

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  Aide

  We prefer a couple (of any orientation) and expect 4-5 hours, 5 days a week, in return for board (we eat 3 or 4 times a day when we are doing physical work) and lodging.
  
  What You'll Be Helping With:
  We’ve got lots of varied and rewarding tasks depending on your skills and interests, or what you'd like to learn:
  Hands-on projects currently include:
  Upcycling & reuse projects – turn old items into something beautiful or useful
  Sorting and organising the loft – bring your inner Marie Kondo!
  Gardening – weeding, planting, and harvesting fruits, vegetables and olives. Depending on the time of year.
  Some general DIY and maintenance
  Charity/community work (optional) – we support a homeless shelter, DANA recovery families, and a local amateur dramatics group
  We will never ask you to do anything that at least one of us can do ourselves.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Allemand: Intermédiaire
  Espagnol: Intermédiaire
  Français: Intermédiaire

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
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  Hébergement

  1-bed apartment is available as per photos. We provide meals, mainly vegetarian, with fish 1–2 times per week. If you eat meat you can buy and cook it yourself.
  We’re enthusiastic home cooks and happy to teach vegetarian cooking if you're interested!

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  Autres infos...

  Location Highlights
  Just a 10-minute walk to the village with bars, banks, and a bus to Gandia. The river is 4 minutes away and is absolutely stunning – with fabulous bird activity and three nests in our eaves!
  
  Gandia, our nearest town, is one of the largest cities in the Valencian Comunidad. It was once the Ducal home of the Borgia family and boasts a vibrant medieval atmosphere, with markets, theatre, cinema, concerts, and a shopping centre. Gandia Beach is a blue flag beach and one of the best sandy beaches in Spain.
  
  If you're into walking or cycling, the Via Verde offers a 13km route to Lorcha, passing through Moorish terraces, orange groves, tunnels, and spectacular views of the Rio Serpis gorge. It’s a flat, disused railway line and is one of the routes for the Camino de Santiago – perfect for pilgrims, with the local hotel stamping your Pilgrim’s Passport.
  
  For the more adventurous, there are climbs around the Cirque de La Safor, a massive crater known by some as an 'energy portal.'
  
  If cycling is your thing, you can be at Gandia Beach in 25 minutes or the nearest beach in 20 minutes: which in summer is faster than driving due to parking being limited on the coast. Day trips along the river, through tunnels, and over tracks near the volcano crater are epic. You can even cycle 26 miles to a reservoir and camp there – it’s a must-do adventure.
  
  Relaxation is easy here, too – our 3,500+ square meter garden has plenty of peaceful spots. The hammock is perfect for an afternoon nap.
  
  Getting around is a breeze – Blablacar is popular here, so travel is easy with just a debit card, whether you're heading to Gandia, the beach, or exploring Spain and Europe.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  We have average internet yet we have hosted a digital animator and research fellow. The internet is free.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  A small van is welcome, off-street parking in the garden.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Mes animaux

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