Often the one thing that is stopping us from moving forward with our ideas is the lack of the right environment and people who can inspire us. With the same thought, Cactus Coliving made a safe, inspiring place for valuable conversations that might even become connections for a lifetime.
Rich in so many different activities such as meditation, wine tasting, and skill-sharing, Cactus Coliving makes a perfect destination for a digital nomad or a remote worker looking for new experiences and new connections.
Read our interview with Maria, the owner of this unique experience, and find out the story behind it.
How it all started
“In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude.”
–Rollo May, American psychologist
1. When and why did you decide to open a coliving space of your own?
– I was working for the American Online Travel Agency, Expedia Group, in the Malaga office and the lockdown came. At that moment, I decided to move to my childhood house in Tenerife South (a historical house more than 200 years old).
The house was uninhabited for more than 10 years and I worked remotely from there. Due to the situation, I decided to think about a plan B. Thanks to an article I read in an economist paper about the concept of coliving, I realized that I had my plan B for the house and me.
2. Have you ever stayed in some other coliving space or any shared accommodation before you decided to open your own?
– Not before I decided to open Cactus, but I had the opportunity to experience other colivings before Cactus Coliving was officially opened.
3. Do you remember beginnings and what was the most difficult for you when you started your coliving?
– The construction and refurbishment was the most difficult part.
4. Is there something that you wished you knew when you started with coliving?
– I would like to have known the dynamic of a growing and changing community.
5. Have you had the opportunity to visit other coliving places since you opened yours?
– Yes. I visited most of the colivings in my surroundings.
6. What is the story behind you choosing Spain as the location for opening your coliving space?
– Tenerife South is my home and the lockdown gave me the opportunity not only of coming back but also to develop an idea that links people with my home place.
Tenerife is in Spain, and the Spanish people are friendly and easy-going, which is another reason that I chose this location.
7. What are the advantages of having coliving at a remote rural place, and are there any disadvantages?
Adventages
– From my point of view, the location of Cactus has many advantages such as being out of the touristic zones of the south, the peace of the rural area, easy access to bio and eco fruits, veggies and eggs from our neighbors, walking distance to the mountains, etc.
All this doesn’t mean that we are not well communicated because we have a bus stop 2 minutes walk from our place.
Disadvantages
– If I had to choose one disadvantage, I would say that there is no nightlife or many cultural events in our village.
Our community
“At 30 you finally start to catch up to those dreams you’ve been chasing for the last 10 plus years.”
–Bonnidette Lantz
8. What is the profile of people who are most likely to stay at your place?
– We are primarily aimed at entrepreneurs, digital nomads, freelancers, and those who want to become one.
9. What is the average age of people who are visiting your accommodation?
– Mainly our colivers are from 33 to 40 years old but we also have younger and older.
10. How long do people usually stay at your place?
– The average stay in Cactus Coliving is 1 month.
11. Do your visitors have the tendency to return back to your place?
– Yes, very often, as the connection they get to the Cactus community is very strong.
12. Is there some trend where people from specific countries come to your place?
– The trend varies depending on the colivers that are staying.
13. What additional activities are included for people who stay at your coliving?
– Daily yoga, hiking, different workshops, family dinners, surfing, skill-sharing, etc.
14. Do you have some special offers for startups and group bookings?
– We organize workation meet-ups for groups depending on their needs.
About the Coliving Movement
”Surround yourself with those on the same mission as you.”
–Anonymous
15. Do you think that coliving is only dedicated to a specific group of people such as freelancers, digital nomads, and startups, or do you think there is a possibility to gain popularity beyond that group of people?
– The coliving can be as strong as the community gets, meaning that it can be extrapolated to any human activity.
16. Do you think that coliving cannot exist without coworking?
– I think that it can, as coworking could be replaced with the fulfillment of other needs.
17. One of the main selling points for coliving is the possibility to meet new people, share experiences and maybe even develop new partnerships. Is that really the situation?
– Yes, that is one of the strongest advantages of living in a community.
18. Do you have some examples where people who had the opportunity to meet at your place later managed to develop successful partnerships or relationships?
– Yes, we have several colivers organizing a vegan cafe, others helping each other with their works and projects, and many relationships developed thanks to all the activities we organize together.
Secure yourself the best coliving experience
- italki – Why not learn some Spanish before your trip and make your coliving even better? italki is the perfect platform for that, where more than 3500 native speakers are waiting to help you with your Spanish.
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