Located on a small remote island of La Gomera in the Atlantic Ocean, Awid Aman gave us the opportunity to have a glance inside its sustainable coliving and share with us its vision.

We’re very grateful to have the opportunity to share this experience with you!

Disclaimer: This piece of content may contain some affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase or book through one of our links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

What is sustainable coliving?

Sustainable coliving means sharing your accommodation with like-minded people while practicing a sustainable way of life. That means recycling, not over-consuming, eating fresh locally grown produce, avoiding mass-production, and giving back to nature as much as you take.

A coliving is a great way to start living sustainably because it teaches you how to act towards this goal in a group. A group is a very influential factor so having the support and examples from others will help one learn their way in this way of life.

Even though you can practice sustainability everywhere, being surrounded by nature and candid culture is definitely more inspiring. Living in a village makes local produce more accessible, and mass-production products less accessible and more expensive.

In villages, a lot of people practice a sustainable way of life even without knowing it, so being in this environment can inspire one to see that a modest way of life can be easy and satisfying.

In the past couple of years, people have started to go back to the villages and modesty. It has become apparent that city life can be smothering and unhealthy, so many people are starting to take interest in living for at least a few months in villages.

On top of that, over-consumption took its toll and many people realized that we’re harming the planet so badly by not living sustainably. Because of that, people started to reach for solutions.

Many colivings that have opened in the past year or two are practicing exactly this way of life and acting as a solution for this problem. They are opening their doors in rural places and focusing on slow and conscious living.

One of these projects is Awid Aman – conscious coliving – that we visited in March 2022, and we want to tell you all about it.

What is Awid Aman?

Awid Aman is a concept created in 2021 with the idea of making a valuable community that will leave an impact. We spoke to the creator of Awid Aman, Sonia Amroun, about her vision and ideas in the recent interview we did, so if you missed that, check it out.

Awid Aman first started as a retreat, an event, where women came to live and work together for 21 days and learn and share experiences during that time. After that, the house Casa Benahoares opened its doors to all interested in this lifestyle, and who wanted to experience living in a community.

The coliving was located in La Palma and was a huge success until an unfortunate event took place causing everything to be shut down. A volcano erupted in 2021 and brought the end of Casa Benahoares.

Sonia’s ideas didn’t go down with it, and soon she continued working on the project and finding a new place to make an inspiring home for people searching for communities.

In March 2022, we decided to visit Awid Aman’s new place and experience this vision ourselves.

La Gomera – Awid Aman’s new location

We joined Awid Aman in Vallehermoso on the island called La Gomera, a beautiful small island that belongs to the Canaries.

If you have never heard about La Gomera before, then it’s about time! A hiker’s paradise and the uncanny beauty of the mountainous slopes will leave you speechless. But, let’s start from the beginning.

La Gomera Island

La Gomera is one of the eight main islands that form the archipelago that we know as the Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic ocean. Even though they’re so far away from Europe and their closest neighbor is Morocco, the Canary Islands are Spanish territory and a part of the EU.

La Gomera is the second smallest of the islands and has around 20,000 people.

The island is rich in extraordinary nature and biodiversity and was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. In 2012, UNESCO also proclaimed the island’s capital San Sebastian de La Gomera a Biosphere Reserve.

La Gomera climate

In La Gomera, the climate varies depending on the region. Even though this island is only above 350,00km2 big, its dramatic relief creates microclimates all over the island.

On the coast of La Gomera, in the capital San Sebastián de La Gomera, the climate is subtropical and mild, and mostly sunny throughout the year.

It receives very little rainfall and is normally a nice vacation spot from May to October. From December to March, the temperature can fall to 10 degrees celsius during the night, but it normally stays above 15 degrees celsius during the day.

In the interior of La Gomera, the climate is a bit different than in the coastal parts. The interior of the island receives much more rainfall and winds, and the temperature gets lower with the altitude getting higher. From December to March some parts of the island can get very misty and windy.

During our stay, the weather was not the best. We had heavy and long rains for a few consecutive days, and only a few sunny days. Although Vallehermoso is in the interior part of the islands, such bad weather is not usual.

When coming to La Gomera, we would definitely recommend preparing yourself for wind. Bring a wind-proof light jacket and a raincoat just in case. You should also always pack a pair of hiking boots because there are some worthy hiking spots.

La Gomera towns

Speaking about La Gomera’s towns, there are quite a few charming places that you could visit. Here’s a small list to get the idea.

• San Sebastián de La Gomera – capital and the biggest town on the island.
• Valle Gran Rey – the most popular place to visit during the summer days. Taking into consideration all the beaches in La Gomera, the beaches in Valle Gran Rey are the most beautiful ones.
• Vallehermoso – a beautiful village abundant with greenery and one of the biggest towns in La Gomera. This is where the coliving was located.

How to get to La Gomera

The easiest way to get to La Gomera is from Tenerife, the closest Canary Island to La Gomera. From Tenerife, you can come by ferry (Tenerife South) or plane (Tenerife North).

Ferry to La Gomera

The ferry from Tenerife to La Gomera is approximately 1 hour long, and it costs between 30 and 50 euros per person in one direction. Two ferry agencies do the route – Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas.

If you take the car with you, you can get a round trip card for about 80 euros. We came with the Fred Olsen company and paid 45 euros for a one-way ticket each. They didn’t have any discounts on the round-trip ticket, and we didn’t have a car.

The other company – Naviera Armas – has a discount for the round ticket and they might have some perks if you’re taking the car with you.

The ferry leaves from Los Cristianos port in Tenerife and arrives in San Sebastian de La Gomera in La Gomera.

To come from San Sebastian de la Gomera to Vallehermoso, you can take the bus to the bus station. It costs 4.5 euros and takes about an hour to get to the village.

Plane to La Gomera

Another way of arriving at the island is by plane from Tenerife North or Gran Canaria (another of the Canary Islands). The airline that does this route is Binter Canaria and you can find affordable tickets from and to all the Canary Islands.

The bus from the airport to Vallehermoso will cost around 10 euros.

And now you’re here – in Vallehermoso!

The neighborhood

When you arrive in Vallehermoso, you will get down to the city center. There will be a small plaza with restaurants and supermarkets. The whole valley will be rounded by enormous green mountains. The sight is beautiful.

The village is tiny, but very well organized. There are three supermarkets (Spar, Coviran, and Suma) and a few local shops in the city center. It also has 5-6 restaurants very close by with some delicious food. There is also a bank and a small farmers’ market.

Nearby, there is a pharmacy and a clinic in the city center, and the school is just a few minutes down the street.

Our house was only three minutes walk from the city center and all these necessities.

Unlike in typical Spain, during siesta hours, the supermarkets are working. Also, on Sunday, Suma is open.

So, all in all, this small village provides everything you need to feel comfortable and situated.

The house

As we already mentioned, in the period we visited Awid Aman, we stayed in a house in Vallehermoso called Casa Gara.

The house consisted of 3 bedrooms, one double and two shared rooms, with 12 beds in total. Not counting the bathrooms and the kitchen, the house had two communal spaces where colivers could hang out – the living room and the rooftop terrace.

Rooftop terrace

The rooftop was huge and an amazing place to soak up the sun and breathe in some fresh mountainous air.

When the weather was nice, a lunch or a snack on the terrace was the perfect decision. Unfortunately, we didn’t have many sunny days during our stay, but some people knew how to catch the morning sun for some yoga and stretching.

Living room

The living room was quite nice and cozy, but a bit on the smaller side. There were not many different nooks, so when more than 5 people wanted to be inside, it could get a bit crowded. We organized games, group activities, and movie nights in the living room, and we were almost always 5 to 6 people at the time, which I think was the perfect number for the space.

Workspace

This particular house didn’t have a designated working area. We would often work in the living room or our bedrooms, but that was not always ideal. When the working area is also the dining area and the living room, there are so many distractions that can make work harder.

However, even though that working area was not IN the house, we had access to a co-working space just around the street. This space is a public space for local events and needs, and Awid Aman was the holder of one key. While we were there, not many others were using this space, so we would mostly be there alone and could concentrate on the work.

The place was well-equipped with a reliable and high-speed internet connection, free water, coffee, and tea, and you could be there for as long as you wanted and come in and go whenever you wanted.

So, even though there was no working area in the house, the co-working area nearby was a great option, especially if you wanted some privacy.

With Awid Aman, the focus is not as much on work but more on the community and creating new experiences together. If you’re the type that works a lot during the day and you require a lot of privacy and alone time to focus, you might not fit in perfectly.

Who we met there

The average age of people that decided to join Awid Aman is between 30 and 40.

All the colivers that decided to come here loved nature, traveling, hiking, and enjoyed peace.

Common interests were nature, sustainability, veganism, meditation, and yoga.

Most people were either freelancers or working remotely.

During our stay, we had the opportunity to meet people from Latvia, Italy, Canada/Romania, France, and Algeria.

Activities offered at the coliving

Activities are one of the pillars of coliving. They are the thing that makes the difference between a standard accommodation and a coliving.

Awid Aman also had organized activities that the colivers should attend, and here is what they were during our stay.

Permaculture class

At the center of Awid Aman’s concept is sustainability. Living, eating, and acting sustainably is what this experience helps you learn, and one of the ways of doing that is by visiting a local permaculture garden.

Through a local partnership, colivers can experience a true eco-garden with fresh, healthy, and chemical-free produce.

Family dinner

It is a popular communal activity in many colivings, and it was in this one. Family dinners have many benefits in making the community stronger by building trust among the people, telling stories through food, and enjoying a nice tranquil time together.

Dinner is a good activity because everybody can fit into it.

Family dinners are the best when everyone prepares something they like or something from their country. This way, people not only enjoy the food, but the food also sparks conversation about one’s culture, likes, opinions, etc.

Another aspect of family dinners, especially when all participants prepare food, is that all people are equal. There is no one marked as a leader, as a host, no one that feels like a guest.

Eco-guide

On Saturday, we had an organized tour around the island with the amazing local tourist guide Rebeca. Rebeca’s interests as a guide are focused on the natural treasures of the island, and so was our tour.

We started our tour from the Garajonay national park, where Rebeca told us all about animal and plant species native to the park. We had a nice short hike to the waterfall and enjoyed the forest.

After that, Rebeca took us to see the fortress of Chipude. She told us a bit more about the fascinating history of La Gomera, as well as El Silbo Gomero, a whistling language native to the island.

Then, we took a stroll to a local ceramics museum to hear about an old tradition that is living on the island to this day.

After that, we went to the Mirador de Los Roques to see the Roque de Agando, a massive rock formation that looked like it was floating in the mist. We finished our day with some local food while enjoying the views in Las Hayas.

Rebeca also gave some hiking tips and secrets so we could go ourselves.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming was an interesting activity we did as a group. The principle is to have a few people sign up to talk about an issue they have or an obstacle, or anything really that they need help with.

Then, when the session starts, the person explains their problem, and others try to brainstorm the solutions. However, the form is very strict, with limited hours of speaking and a strict pattern to follow.

The strict plan might seem unnatural in the beginning, but it is actually very productive and inspires conversations that will continue in the next few days.

This activity is very helpful for bonding with the group but also for sharing different views and skill-sharing.

Movie Nights

We tried to organize movie nights as often as we could. Movies were a voluntary activity that we came up with as a group. They weren’t pre-organized, and there were no obligations to joining.

However, almost everyone joined every time. We found that activity to be inspiring and to have a good impact on the group.

The philosophy behind Awid Aman Conscious Coliving

The philosophy behind the concept is building the community on the principles of shared governance; a community without a leader.

This means that the group will come together and make decisions about managing the space and the group. Everybody will step out and take a role, and everyone will be in charge of something.

Also, the philosophy is tightly related to sustainability and nature preservation, as well as reviving small towns like Vallehermoso.

The idea is that when people find themselves in nature and see its beauty, they would understand how important it is to preserve it.

The period we stayed there was a trial period for a project that Sonia (the founder) is currently working on. Even though our group might have not completely succeeded in the philosophy of shared governance, we did come out with valuable insights and learned a lot about nature and the importance of sustainable living.

We appreciate your support!

Thank you for reading our content and following our journey! We are working towards becoming full-time content creators and being able to share stories with you even more frequently. If you’d like to support us to be one step closer to that goal, you can do it through Ko-Fi! 👇🏽

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.

Learn more about coliving

• • Interviews with Coliving Operators

Awid Aman – Conscious living community

• ByMarko
• March 29, 2022

• • Coliving Movement

Coliving 101 – Become a part of a global movement

• ByMarko
• March 12, 2022

The post Coliving Spain 2022: #1 Awid Aman – Sustainable coliving in La Gomera appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

At the center of the concept are nature and the preservation of natural treasures, as well as collaborative governance – a unique way of organizing and managing the communities.

Take a look at the interview we did we the founder – Sonia Amroun, and dive deeper into her vision.

How it all started

“We should have more “third places.” More places where people can get together that’s not work, not home, and where they can interact with people who are different from them”

–Eric Weiner

1. Hi Sonia! Can you introduce yourself to our audience and give us a couple of words about your journey so far?

– I am a serial entrepreneur born in Algeria and moved at 8 to France.

I started my career as an actress and part-time worker in high-end hotels and restaurants in London and Paris.

After that, I decided to apply my knowledge and opened my first vegan and slow fashion brand called La petite Kabyle to show the reality of North African culture in 2017. With this experience, I tested a very special concept – gustative and cultural conferences, which were the starters of my research around coliving (vivre ensemble) and the Third Place.

Followed by more than 10K on Instagram, La Petite Kabyle created slow fashion products, cultural events, books for children, and jewelry.

Besides this, I became a business developer for ecological start-ups in order to get a sustainable cash flow. 

I am passionate about solutions to help the Earth to survive in the massive industry era. In 2020, after canceling my third festival about sustainable food and slow life cultures (Covid restrictions), I decided to take some inspiration from the Canary Islands because of its Berber roots. But, during my research, something unexpected happened – I fell in love with one specific island – San Miguel de la Palma.

2. When did you decide to start hosting this type of coworking retreats, and what was the driving force behind your decision?

– I started my journey with a coliving called Casa Benahoares in La Palma, in collaboration with Nacho Rodrigues, founder of Repeople.

For three months, this shelter company allowed me to incubate my ideas and we hosted 40 colivers and coworkers from all around the world. 

In May 2021, I decided to manage the house alone, and Awid Aman Conscious living was born. 

Awid Aman means “bring me water” in Tamazight ( north African language). As we are composed of 82% water, it is a way to represent the collaborative aspect of the project; bring me water means bring me yourself! 

First, I created a women’s 21-day coliving retreat in July. So far, so successful. I was about to open a new place and a coworking place. But mother nature decided to change my plans. A volcano erupted at only 1 kilometer from where the coliving was, and I had to close it in less than 24 hours.

After two weeks, when the grief went away, I decided to change the concept of the brand. The new purpose was not to be a place but a lifestyle based on collaborative governance and reconnection to mother nature and the others.

I made the first trial in Tenerife, but La Gomera, or more precisely, Vallehermoso, offered the same combination of nature and cultural connection as La Palma. 

Currently, I am hosting my fifth group, and I am about to co-create a program with the local community.

3. Have you ever had the opportunity to stay in some type of coliving space or any type of shared accommodation before you decided to start your own project?

– Yes, I started my journey as a digital nomad, first in Portugal, then in the south of Spain, and then in Canarias.

I also have more than ten years of experience in hospitality and event organizations which gives me a solid vision of how hosting people should be and how it shouldn’t.

4. Can you tell us a little bit more about the Awid Aman concept? What is the main difference compared to standard coliving accommodation?

– Awid Aman is a collaborative experience where people are keen to find a new way of living, more connected to nature and their true selves. 

We decide how we will live together and make decisions during the experience by co-creating the rules. I am mentored by a governance specialist who helps me find the right balance. 

Every group is different, so we are never bored. Collaboration means that there is no leader in the project. At Awid Aman, everyone can be the leader for at least one hour.

I believe that coliving is like a small world, our world or family. The vision is to create a new way of living where improvisation, acceptance of others, and gratitude are the keys to creating a better world.

I created this concept by taking my North African roots like a map. I used three words to build it: 

• Awid Aman – to share my will to learn from others
• Tuiza – that pushes every participant to help others
• Tajmaat – the democratic governance that we find in all Berber villages of my country.

5. Do you remember the first retreat you organized, and what was the most difficult thing for you?

– To please everybody. But it is a project that attracts very grateful people most of the time. Sometimes as a founder and host it is hard to receive very demanding and critical people. But it is part of the hospitality game.

The other challenge was to host people during the covid time and protect all the colivers. It was a big responsibility to introduce new people every month. But I am happy that no one got Covid in any of my colivings in La Palma, Tenerife, or La Gomera.

6. Is there something that you wished you knew before starting this project?

– I wish I had known my mentor Sacha, the founder of Governance integrative. A community project is challenging, and knowing different techniques of governance is a real bonus!

We are working on creating tools to give the opportunities for every group to learn about new ways to make decisions and become unique in their way to function and make decisions.

7. Have you had the opportunity to visit other similar coliving/coworking places since you started yours?

– Not yet! But, I want to visit four communities this summer to see how they can manage a bigger one!

8. How do you choose the location, and what is the story behind choosing Spain for your project?

– I chose to start my project in La Palma and then in La Gomera because they are both protected biospheres.

Bringing people here is the best way to show them what nature is and why we need to protect it. If you know, it will become a treasure you will want to protect. The same goes for the culture. If you are curious enough to learn about the culture of the place you visit, you automatically have more consideration and want to share its beauty.

On top of that, the Canarias have North-African roots linked to my own origin, the best European weather, and are a hub for digital nomads. It was the perfect match ever!

My dream is to offer experiences to a maximum of 10 people in towns of less than 3000 inhabitants, surrounded by protected nature with a permaculture farm not too far.

9. What are the advantages of hosting this type of event in a remote rural place, and are there any disadvantages?

Advantages

– The advantage is that the community must engage more with the locals in their language (no one speaks English here), and the participants are the only ones with whom you can share big discussions so you get to know people very well and quickly. We are a unique community of digital nomads in the area.

Disadvantages

The disadvantage is that some people feel overwhelmed to be disconnected from their city life so much. They sometimes feel the need to have big parties or to meet many more people. Slowing down is not easy. But most of them said that this experience changed their life.

Awid Aman Community

“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.“

–Nate Berkus

10. What is the profile of people who are most likely to stay at your place/ be part of your coworking retreats?

– I would say curious, open-minded, easy-going, and conscious people with the ability to accept that it will never be perfect.

I have had 160 clients so far, and I still have five stars on Google. But like Americans say: Shit happens. Sometimes the group doesn’t go very well together. In other cases, a colivers lies in their purpose to be there. Sometimes the team is tired and not perfect.

So I think that the best client is the one who takes this experience as a challenging experience where we will all learn something and thrive together. I don’t offer service with plastic rules that people need to follow like the Bible.

We are here to learn, grow, share and make mistakes.

11. What is the average age of people who are visiting your accommodations?

– 30.

12. How long do people usually stay, and do your visitors tend to return?

– Minimum 2 weeks and up to 5 months.

13. What activities are included as a part of your coworking retreat?

– I always include: a permaculture class, a weekly family dinner, a tour by an eco guide, and a team-building activity (brainstorming, cooking class, creation of an object, mastermind by a coliver).

14. What do you think is the best value Awid Aman has to offer?

– Humility, deep connection, and conversation. You can show your real self even if it is hurtful. We change all the codes of big cities!

15. Do you have some special offers for startups and group bookings?

– At the moment, I want to focus on solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and creatives, not groups.

About the Coliving Movement

”You can’t force people to care about the natural environment, but if you encourage them to connect with it, they just might.”

–Jennifer Nini

16. Do you think that coliving is only dedicated to a specific group of people such as freelancers, digital nomads, and remote workers, or do you think there is a possibility to gain popularity beyond that group of people?

– Living inside a community is a must-do. It is a great school for people who need to relearn how to live together.

Big cities have changed a lot in the way of seeing communities. For a lot of people, it is just having likes on Instagram. No. A community is a smart collective intelligence that can be a great support system to face big challenges and make us grow as human beings.

So definitely a coliving experience can build great humans and teams.

17. Do you think that coliving cannot exist without some type of coworking?

– I think having a coworking in the same city as the coliving is really nice. It helps not to be at home all the time and gives the colivers a routine.

18. One of the main selling points for the coliving movement is the possibility to meet new people, share experiences, and maybe even develop new partnerships. Is that really the situation?

– Yes, you create a deep connection. So definitely an experience to find partners with whom you can travel and work!

19. Do you have some examples where people who had the opportunity to meet on your retreats later managed to develop successful partnerships or relationships?

– Yes, every group sees the birth of a strong friendship. Some started to live together. Others started to work together. But more often they become a partner in travel and visit each other in their respective countries.

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! You will find more than 3500 native speakers are waiting to help you with your Spanish.

Disclaimer: This article contains some affiliate links.  At no additional cost for you, we can earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase.

Coliving movement

• • Interviews with Coliving Operators

Kalart: a holistic coliving experience to awaken your inner creative self

• ByMarko
• March 3, 2022

• • Coliving Movement

Why are the Canary Islands one of the most popular places for coliving?

• ByMarko
• February 8, 2023

The post Awid Aman – Conscious living community appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.