What is coliving?
2024-01-16
Why I started an eco coliving near Tarifa
Those of you who have had enough curiosity to get this far into the website might be wondering why I am doing this? What triggered the eco-living idea and how did it all start? You are about to find out!
Coming from a tourism and hospitality background, it has always been my dream to open my own guesthouse. Creating one of those hidden gems that I was so lucky to find on my travels. Where you immediately feel at home, find new friends, make memories that last a lifetime and just don’t want to leave.
In 2014 I stumbled across the magic of Tarifa, the most southern tip of Spain. The place where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, where the sun always shines and the wind steadily blows, where the sun kisses the ocean each night, where Europe meets Africa… It was love at first sight.
What followed was five years of getting to know the area, learning the language and kitesurfing and looking for a finca to start turning this dream of mine into reality. As life goes, my vision transformed alongside my own personal development. I became more interested yoga, mindfulness, holistic medicine and sustainability. With that came the urge to move away from the vibrant town of Tarifa and looking into living somewhere more peaceful, surrounded by nature while still being close to those endless beaches of the Costa de la Luz.
2019 was the year. I found the Finca la Palmera, back then a Bed & Breakfast run by an elderly couple in the charming little village of la Zarzuela. Located to the west of Tarifa, tucked away between two mountain ranges, sheltered from the crazy winds and only 3,5 km from the sea. More than a rational decision, it was the feeling I got from the first moment I saw it. All my stress and worries seemed to melt away the second I entered the garden – the decision was made, this was going to be home.
While I was still trying to learn about gardening and permaculture, making plans to reform the old house and working out how to make it all more eco-friendly, Covid hit and left me with a whole new set of problems to face. But it also brought me a lot of clarity. Working in tourism did not feel right anymore. Having people fly to Spain from all over Europe for just a week to get some sun, eat tapas and run from A to B to make sure they ticked off all the sights in the area before flying back home… it just didn’t seem to make sense. Especially at a time where the main problems of our society revolve around stress, anxiety, loneliness and health issues relating to that. I wanted to create something more meaningful.
I wanted to build something where people can stay for a longer time, really slow down, connect with nature and reconnect with themselves. Where they get a feel for the day-to-day life in Spain. Discovering the country and culture rather than consuming it, all year round and not just in the three months of high season.
Inspired by this new vision, I got to work reforming the 200 year old farmhouse. With the amazing support of many helping hands we managed to build a new roof, put in a fireplace, build a dry wall, a yoga deck and much more.
I never made a business plan, had no idea who my target audience would be. Just this very clear image in my mind of how I wanted the place to look and feel like, relentlessly working towards it.
As it turns out, the pandemic made remote work a more accessible alternative to broader randge of people and co-living started becoming a thing. In order to be able to welcoming people who work online, the last step was to get a fiber line connection and – yay – by September 2022 the eco-living was set up and welcoming its first community members.
A little over a year has passed now and we have now received more than 50 people from 20 countries. It is a pleasure to see the Finca family steadily grow with friendships and connections outlasting the time spent here and people reconnecting in other places.
I am looking forward to keeping on working on this beautiful project, watering it, watching it grow and excited to see where the future will take us.
