Back in 2021, when we started planning our Coliving Spain Project, many colivings we later visited and many that we love today did not exist yet, and many others were just slowly emerging.
But some colivings were already long-standing even before we stepped our toes in these waters, paving the path for many others to come and building the values upon which the industry is standing today.
Two years and nine colivings later – The 10th Coliving Spain project partner was one of those colivings; one of the oldest colivings in Spain – Sun and Co.
While colivings are still just becoming, Sun and Co. has already passed through phases of emergence, growth, popularization, and change, and its life cycle continues to be an example for younger businesses.
And now, 2 years since The Coliving Spain Project was born, and has already gone through some of its own phases, we think it was the perfect moment in time for us to finally meet Sun and Co.
This February, for a month, we had the chance to get to know Sun and Co. from the inside out; to witness the changes happening in real-time; to hear the stories from old and new colivers; to help the new team more confidently take its place; and to be a part of the amazing international system Sun and Co. helped built in a small Mediterranean city overlooking Costa Blanca.
The People Behind Sun and Co. Team
Each step in Sun and Co.’s life carries a footprint of the people involved in crafting the experience, and all that makes Sun and Co. what it is today, carries all those phases and people who left their contributions along the way.
Back in 2023, we had the opportunity to talk about Sun and Co.’s beginning and the vision behind it with one of its co-founders Jon.
And this year, we had the opportunity to meet some old and some new faces of Sun and Co., who all at one moment gave a tiny bit of themselves to make this place such a valuable part of many digital nomads’ and remote workers’ lives.
Sun and Co.’s new team
In September of 2023, after 8 years of existence, Sun and Co.’s core team changed its shape, opening the doors to a new chapter of the experience.
Today, the new management team is made up of Edu, Fer, Ana, and Nana, who all bring a part of themselves into the community.
- Edu keeps running the place and keeping it in line with the values that were there at the beginning, and ultimately, who chose the perfect new management for its creation.
- Fer is the bridge between the old and the new team; a local host and the new general manager; and a person who shines positive energy around him and brings his passion for local, fresh, and healthy food… to the table. 😉
- Ana (with one N) – curious, dedicated, persistent, and experienced in living in communities and creating them; with a Ph.D. in nutrition and a sacred view of how important self-care is, Ana is a positive community builder and a tireless learner who brings mindfulness and peace to the house.
- Nana (Anna with the double N) – a positive and warm soul who draws people to her; a passionate yoga teacher and a dedicated host; one of those people whose presence is an ice-breaker, a community glue whose positive energy and laughter gives color and make experiences unforgettable.
Well…we hope you meet them yourself, but if you’re still curious to find out more about New Sun and Co. Management Team and their views on the new era of Sun and Co., we invite you to check out our interview with them at the beginning of our collaboration.
Now, let’s talk about the location.
Jávea
There is something about Javea.
At first glance, this is a charming Mediterranean town like many others, but there is an energy that draws you in and that quickly makes you want to stay.
Of course, many clear reasons make Javea a place where many can feel at home – an ecosystem suitable for modern, international residents; a great location; and a community full of inspiring and admirable people.
Nonetheless, Javea has a certain energy about it – something that just makes us fall in love with it – just by sitting in the sun and sipping on a coffee while people watch on one of its tiny squares.
We won’t take too much space here describing the town, although there is so much to tell. If you want to dive a bit deeper, we invite you to read this article we wrote for Sun and Co..
It talks about all the big and little things that make Javea the perfect city for people like us – curious, looking for valuable communities, and always ready for new opportunities to grow and learn.
The Coliving Space
Of course, like in any coliving, Sun and Co.’s house plays an important role in its coliving community.
So what is it like? Let me try and paint you a picture:
Imagine a big wooden door opening to a huge colorful entrance; it feels like a ballroom. On each side, you will find silent rooms – sit there if you want to work or brainstorm.
Up front, you will find a cozy living room for evening board games and a huge dining area for all the weekly dinner parties you will experience with windows overlooking the patio that sometimes sparks with a late bonfire. This is where the people are: this is where you can start that conversation.
If you want a more intimate atmosphere, a late-night movie, a deep conversation, or a quick meditation, head straight to the chill room – the one with cozy floor cushions and dimmed lights.
And when you’re tired and need your space – just go up the stairs to your peaceful bedroom, a sanctuary that’s out of reach for anybody but you and your roommates.
That is what living at Sun and Co. looks like.
But what does it mean to be a part of the Sun and Co.’s community?
Sun and Co.’s Community
The community of Sun and Co. is actually quite different from some other colivings we experienced.
There is a mix of people from all around the world, but there is a certain thread that connects them (us) all; a character feature or a life decision that makes people join under the roof of Sun and Co’s community.
People who we met in the past few months were all brave, bold, and not scared to take a leap; people ready to take their lives into their own hands and make their own destinies. Different ages; different backgrounds; different struggles; but a shared willingness to live and create.
Sun and Co’s community has around 25 people in the high season, and 15-20 in the lower one.
This community consists of staff members, colivers, and community pass members.
However, many people stay a part of the wider community even after becoming one of the above. People often stay in Javea, or just stay in touch, meeting each other in other parts of the world and continuing their shared experiences that started in Sun and Co.
Community Pass
Community pass members are those living outside of the coliving. The community pass access allows you to work from Sun and Co.’s external coworking space and be a part of the community activities (which are Sun and Co.’s biggest strength).
The community pass members are typically those who come for a longer time to Javea and need space for themselves; those who come with friends or families; and those who were once a part of the coliving community and decided to move their life to Javea, at least for a while, so they settled in the town.
However, many people met Sun and Co. through its coworking space.
Located in the old town, in such a perfect spot, designed to facilitate and inspire work and with 2 Skype booths available, it’s not surprising that many people choose the community pass for the coworking space and stay for the community.
The community pass members can be a part of the community as much as they’d like. Some just come to work and spend time with the community here and there; and others are there daily making the core members of the community even without living inside the house.
But typically, those who have the community pass try to make the most out of it because missing out on the Sun and Co.’s community activities is not something many would do!
Community building
If you’ve heard about Sun and Co., then you’ve heard about their activities.
Their community experience is definitely the most famous for its impeccable program full of professional and personal development activities and events that encourage connection and growth.
Many colivings take inspiration from Sun and Co. but Sun and Co. remains the leading coliving when it comes to the elaboration and quality of its program.
Because of this status, many people decide to join the community so they can work on themselves and meet other inspiring people whom they can learn from. And by attracting creative, entrepreneurial, and proactive individuals, Sun and Co. truly offers a unique opportunity to be surrounded by great minds who are ready to share bits of their knowledge and life with you.
So, here’s an inside into the Sun and Co.’s community program.
Program Overview
Sun and Co.’s schedule is adapted to one week. Each week, a new round of activities and events gets chosen by the community and makes its way to the weekly plan.
In one typical day, there will be 2 to 3 activities, a mix between social, professional, and leisure activities. This distribution is not fixed, but some recurring things happen weekly, such as yoga with Nana, a visit to Fer’s community garden, family dinners, and the community meeting.
Community Meeting
A community or family meeting is a meeting that happens every Monday night intending to introduce new family members, share a bit more about the individuals that make up the community, and of course, plan the week ahead.
Each Monday, there is a different “introduction” question – something to help new family members meet the rest of the group and vice versa, but also for those who are there longer to give some new interesting perspective about themselves.
These short introductions also serve as icebreakers for a great weekly planning sesh.
Weekly planning
Weekly planning consists of 2 parts.
The first part is the “Collaboration board”. This is a shared sheet where everybody writes what they can share with the group, what they’d like to learn during their stay at Sun and Co., and what they’d like to do. This serves as an inspiration and prep for the community meeting.
You can write on the Collaboration board at any given time, but at the community meeting, you will always get a chance to add something that you might have forgotten.
After all the things are added to the collaboration board – it’s voting time. The group votes for activities they’d like to attend and the 3-4 most voted activities make their way onto the weekly plan for the next week.
This system works well because each group can tailor the experience to their liking.
Social and leisure activities also go on the weekly schedule, but they get up there more spontaneously and are not voted for.
So, what are these professional and personal development activities that Sun and Co. is so famous for?
Types of activities
There are 5-6 different types of activities depending on the structure and the model.
Masterminds
Mastermind sessions are one of the most beloved activity models among Sun and Co.’s community and they’ve helped many people find guidance, and confidence, and kickstart their next life chapters.
This is because this model is focused on one community member who has an issue, an idea, or needs help and brainstorming around anything in his or her life. This can be a professional venture such as starting a new business, or a personal one such as guidance on how to improve one’s relationships.
This is typically a 1-hour session, facilitated by one of the staff members and made up of 3 parts:
- The first part focuses on the person whose mastermind it is to share the issue, and the background, and give their perspectives. The facilitator helps this person find concrete questions and expected outcomes of the mastermind. The facilitator also typically has a conversation with that person even before the mastermind to understand their needs and plan on how to guide them.
- The second part focuses on questions from the participants. So, in this part, people would ask questions to further clarify the issue, the obstacles, and the needs of the presenter.
- The third part is the “brainstorming” together; sharing ideas, advice, or personal experience that can help the presenter gain new perspectives on their issue.
This approach is an amazing opportunity for individuals to get some new ideas and broaden their perspectives on matters that are important to them.
And coliving is a great setting for this as it is one of the few places where so many different people with unique experiences and backgrounds find themselves in the same room.
And of course, although this session focuses on one person’s problem, thinking together and listening to others gives everybody new perspectives and generates value for all participants.
Sharing circles
Sharing circle is a bi-weekly activity introduced with the new team. This activity is led by Ana, who has been a part of many sharing circles before and has tested out different approaches and methods.
Because it’s such a deep-connection activity that asks for the participants to be grounded, and look deep into themselves, it made the most sense that it would happen once every two weeks.
Before each session (on the Monday meeting) Ana shares the topic for the upcoming sharing circle and invites community members to think about the topics and some specific questions upfront. This is not mandatory as the conversation in the sharing circle should be natural and from the heart, but it’s good to give a bit of guidance and set expectations.
Even though they last around an hour, sharing circles opens the room for more conversations and connects the people on another level. This experience always helps community members feel more comfortable around one another and feel more connected to each other moving forward.
Skillshares
A skillshare is a model in which one person who has expertise to share with others, either professional or life-related, prepares a presentation (according to their liking) to introduce the participants to the topic and help them gain new knowledge.
Mostly, skillshares are based around something narrow and clear and are made for the participants to be one step closer to understanding and developing a new skill.
While we were at Sun and Co., we had skillshares on storytelling, writing, and SEO (this one was done by us), but also ones focused more on personal development such as the skillshare on ayurvedic nutrition or personality types.
People come with different jobs, hobbies, and interests, and it is extremely interesting to see what everyone has to offer.
A skillshare is the most structured activity because it resembles a presentation or a class, but it is also the one that gives the most concrete information on a certain topic and generates the most hard knowledge.
Roundtables
Roundtables are typically something in between skillshares, mastermind, and sharing circles.
Roundtables typically come from somebody proposing something they would like to discuss with others to gain new perspectives.
For example, we had a roundtable on freelancing and roundtables on relationships and love, so these are typically topics that a lot of people have input on and can share their views on.
Roundtables are about sharing experiences and thoughts, but they can also be about sharing inspiration, motivating each other, or adding some new value.
These sessions are not facilitated. The “host” is typically the one who proposes the roundtable and they are responsible for drafting topic guidance, some questions, and some points that the roundtable should cover, with which Sun and Co.’s team can always help.
Support board and 1-on-1
Lastly, when some activities have only one or 2 people interested in them, or when a person is asking for help in a certain area but others don’t seem interested, they can have a 1-on-1 session with a person willing to help or share expertise.
To further support that, Sun and Co. also has a Support Board, which is right next to the weekly plan in the dining area, where people can write in things they need support with, and people who can and want to help them can reach out to them directly.
Social and Leisure Activities
Of course, on top of the above-mentioned activities, each day there is a Social and/or Leisure activity.
Some of the most popular recurring activities like these are yoga and meditation sessions that happen every week, hikes that are a beloved weekend activity of many community members, family dinners that always bring a new level of connection to the group, and games, movies nights, nights-out to the town, and many other creative social activities that come and go with the groups changing.
A tiny recap of our month at Sun and Co.
After a month in Sun and Co., we have seen 2-3 group dynamics changing. We had 15 people in the house, then 6, then 10, then again below that. We had people going and coming, and all bringing their personalities to the community completely reshaping it.
It is so interesting how one person can bring something with them that has such an impact on how we develop as a group. And with each group – there was something that became a signature of that period.
We had sunrise swims with Alice; a new cake every day with Stephanie, unforgettable karaoke with Ania, late-night conversations with Shlomo, peaceful days and movie nights with Naja, and not-so-peaceful hikes with Bjorn, daily Italian cuisine with Manu, coffee talks with Tal, and of course, the werewolf nights with Serghei, and many many moments more that all went down in history and gave a bit of reshaping to the coliving’s community.
This experience taught us how much impact we all carry as individuals, and how valuable the footprint we leave behind us truly is.
Thank you Sun and Co. for a wonderful month – and please, keep creating the space for these wonderful human connections!
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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.
