The first event of this year’s CWSC was the casual meetup set in Fabrica del Hielo, an old ice factory right on the gorgeous Valencian city beach.

Travel & Tapas arrived on the 8th, like most folks, and headed out to the Fabrica del Hielo to have a few drinks and check out the atmosphere of this year’s CWSC.

To welcome the guests and attendees, there was Manuel Zea, one of the founders and organizers of the Coworking Spain Conference. Manuel proved to be an amazing host, welcoming all guests with smiles and warmth as if he was welcoming us to his home.

The night went on for a few hours, but after a few drinks and good talks, we called it a night. Of course, we wanted to be fresh and ready for the real deal tomorrow morning – and we know that’s what you’re here to read about so, let’s dive in – but, first, let us tell you about the venue.

The venue and organization

The conference took place at the cultural-sport complex La Petxina, located on the outskirts of the city center.

The venue was addressing the needs of the conference, providing ample space for networking and comfortable surroundings for attendees, as well as two conference rooms.

The organizers made a concerted effort to cater to non-Spanish speakers by ensuring that 80% of the sessions were available in English. This made the conference more inclusive and accessible, allowing attendees from diverse backgrounds to benefit from the knowledge and insights shared during the event.

In between the rooms, there was a large area for networking with coffee and snacks available throughout the day, as well as an expo zone for the conference sponsors.

What we most liked about the venue was that, even though it was very professional, it also provided a comfortable relaxed atmosphere that encouraged connections, handshakes, and sharing conversation over a hot coffee.

Our favorite sessions

Each year, CWSC delivers an incredible and diverse program for the coworking industry and this year was not any different.

As a media platform for coliving in Spain, our interest fell a bit more on those sessions that were a bit closer to the world of coliving.

Coliving and coworking worlds can be incredibly close or incredibly far away from one another, depending on their location, type, target customers, and many other factors. In that sense, we can find a lot of similarities when it comes to management in some coliving.

So, some of our favorite sessions at this year’s CWSC delivered insights and tips relatable and valuable for both industries – coworking, and coliving.

The Anatomy of Coliving: Jon Hormaetxe

We began our focus on coliving with a session on the “Anatomy of Coliving” delivered by Jon Hormaetxe, a renowned coliving experience designer and co-founder of one of the oldest nomad colivings in Spain.

Jon started the session by sharing some insightful statistics regarding the living situation in Spain and the prevalence of coliving arrangements in the country. He showcased how coliving is a growing trend and an important solution for social challenges faced by many people in Spain.

Jon introduced the concept of coliving and shared some definitions, inviting the audience to share their opinions on what constitutes coliving and sharing his own opinions on different definitions. Different answers from the audience only emphasized Jon’s most valuable point and that is the importance of differentiating between types of coliving spaces. He then shared his knowledge of how to distinguish different spaces and their customers based on the average length of stay and the level of community connections in the space.

Jon also provided examples of various solutions, including Nomad coliving, Rural coliving, and different types of Residential colivings.

Overall, Jon’s presentation was engaging, informative and insightful. He shared his vision of the future of coliving and coworking, providing valuable insights for anyone interested in the industry.

Rural Coworking Roundtables

During the second day of the CWSC, attendees had the opportunity to participate in two engaging roundtables that focused on the topic of rural coworking. As we previously mentioned, rural coworking solutions are gaining popularity, but there are still some challenges that need to be addressed for this business model to be sustainable.

The roundtables highlighted the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors, with suggestions such as organizing events with public libraries or using public spaces. The speakers shared their experiences of not having public sector support initially, but after demonstrating the positive impact of their work in bringing people to the villages, the support changed.

The main goal behind rural coworking is to bring back talent to the villages, as many young people leave for urban areas for better work infrastructure. Remote work and improved infrastructure could help reverse this trend.

The speakers also acknowledged challenges such as limited transportation in rural areas and difficulty in marketing their spaces.

To overcome these challenges, they shared strategies like creating rural coworking networks and a specific strategy called a rural pass, which allows people to switch between rural and urban coworking spaces.

The speakers also emphasized the need to proactively market rural coworking spaces by educating people about what coworking is and how it can be used. They pointed out that no one will understand what a coworking space is unless they are informed about it, so it’s important to go out and approach people to educate them.

Overall, the rural coworking roundtables provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of this business model and highlighted the importance of collaboration and proactive marketing to make rural coworking sustainable.

An interactive roundtable on conflict resolution

The final session of the conference was a highly engaging and interactive roundtable discussion on conflict resolution, where attendees openly shared their experiences and anecdotes as coworking operators.

The conversation covered a wide range of topics, including dealing with strange requests, struggles faced by female operators in being taken seriously, disrespectful behavior, non-payment of fees, conflicts between coworkers, and setting boundaries with long-term coworkers who have become friends.

What set this roundtable apart was the level of participation from the audience, which made it the most engaging session of the conference. The discussion was honest, raw, and at times even funny, reminding all the attendees that such problems are a part of operating a coworking space.

We believe that more of these interactive formats would be extremely beneficial for future conferences, as they provide a valuable opportunity for networking and learning from one another’s experiences.

Other sessions we enjoyed

Despite not being directly related to coliving, there were other sessions that we found particularly engaging.

IOS Office: Leading the industry in Mexico by Javier García Iza

“IOS Office: Leading the industry in Mexico” was one such session, where Javier García Iza, CEO of IOS OFFICES, shared an honest and humble story of their journey from opening a single space to becoming the industry leader in Mexico.

This inspiring session served as a reminder to new entrepreneurs to remain patient and steadfast, as success often takes time and effort. García Iza also emphasized the importance of maintaining a passion (and happiness) for one’s work as that is what customers will recognize.

Space as a Service: Spaces under Management by Óscar García Toledo

Another session we enjoyed was the session entitled “Space as a Service: Spaces under Management,” during which Óscar García Toledo, CEO of First WorkPlaces, provided insightful tips on the advantages of acquiring a management contract instead of renting a space for operators.

He outlined the necessary steps to take and emphasized the importance of considering legal and financial implications during the negotiation process.

Additionally, he shared his company’s successful approach to acquiring management contracts and discussed crucial elements to include in the contract when making a contract with a landlord. His expertise provided invaluable guidance to attendees, making the session feel like a comprehensive consultation filled with concrete advice.

State of Coworking in Spain 22-23 by Manuel Zea

Lastly, an additional compelling session was “State of Coworking in Spain 22-23,” presented by Manuel Zea, the CEO of CoworkingSpain.es.

The session included extensive data on around 1000 coworking spaces in Spain, covering aspects such as their geographic locations, quantity, occupancy rates, comparisons with other Spanish cities, variations in space types, payment options, and more, which was incredibly insightful.

The post CWSC 2023: A summary of the 12th edition of Coworking (and Coliving) Spain Conference appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

The two-day event will feature the presentation of the State of Coworking 2022-23 report, highlighting the size of the market and competition between major operators.

With 32 presentations by national and international experts from Europe and Latin America, the program will cover new coworking locations, the automation of spaces, and the development of coworking in the rural world.

The conference will bring together over 200 attendees from the coworking, coliving, and flexwork sectors, including real estate professionals, entrepreneurs, startups, and HR managers.

Over the years, CWSC has positioned itself as the second oldest and most important coworking conference in the world, attracting industry benchmarks, startups, and freelancers alike. This conference is an excellent opportunity to network with influential players and learn about new trends and business models in the rapidly growing coworking industry.

Other than that, we expect even more focus on the coliving sector this year, with some presentations especially focused on it.

Here is our breakdown of this year’s program:

Coworkings & Flexible Workspaces

First and foremost, there’s going to be a lot of talk on coworking and flexible workspaces. Of course, nothing surprising, but as per usual, most of this year’s conference will revolve around flexwork and coworking solutions. From spaces for small groups to those for enterprises, from management style to creative solutions, this year’s CWSC has prepared a rounded talk about coworking.

This year, we see some major topic areas surrounding flexwork, which we can use to group the speeches into 3 big categories:

• How to manage the space
• Unusual coworking solutions
• Rural coworking

Best practices for managing a coworking space

If you’re new to the coworking industry – maybe you’ve just opened a space or you’re thinking of doing it – you will see that one of the most complex parts of the process is figuring out how to manage it. 

If you’re attending CWSC this year, then you probably know that coworking is much more than a space with a few desks and chairs, and you want to learn how to create an experience from it. 

Luckily, CWSC puts a lot of focus on management and is bringing a lot of answers and insights based on the type of space or experience you strive to create. Let’s see what’s in for the first day:

Day 1 – 9th of May

(12:30h, Room 1) Xavi Bassons take on Managing the community in a coworking

In the past few years, coworking spaces have become partially a third place – a point for socializing, building a community, and surrounding yourself with people who share your lifestyle and routine. But how do you make your space community-focused?

Xavi Bassons, the Co-founder, and CEO of Monday Working Spaces, will give his take on creating a community in a coworking space that receives a very diverse pool of people, from freelancers to teams, and get real about the challenges behind managing them.

We anticipate this session to be very insightful from the community perspective and open discussion about some possible solutions for managing a diverse customer pool.

(13:15h, Room 1) Alessandro Nacci on Automation, Simplification, and Opportunities

Speaking of the management solutions, on the same day just before lunch, at 13:15, attendees will have the opportunity to join an interesting session from Alessandro Nacci, the founder of Sofia Locks, focusing on automation and simplification in space management. Alessandro will bring up some interesting solutions that “reduce workload and friction between members, as well as more effectively monetize the space.”

(15:30h, Room 1) Javi Moral’s take on The 10 Most Common Questions when managing a coworking space

If you are interested but still not sure which questions to ask and which answers to seek, then we highly recommend Javi Moral’s session on the top 10 most common questions when managing a coworking space. As the founder of one of the first coworking spaces in Spain and a moderator of CWSC’s Discord group, Javi knows exactly what coworking operators struggle with the most.

Other than being super interesting for those who are just entering the industry, we expect Javi’s talk to be very insightful for coworking consultants, thought-leaders, but also different providers of management solutions.

Day 2 – 10th of May

(10:30h, Room 1) Óscar García Toledo talks about Management Contracts and How they can be Beneficial for your coworking

After registration and coffee, one of the first sessions attendees will be able to join is “Space as a Service: Spaces under Management”, a session by Óscar García Toledo, the CEO of First Workplaces.

Oscar will focus on the growing trend of management contracts in the flexible workspace market, which has up until now been the exception in the Spanish market.

Attendees will hear about his company’s experience in managing different spaces under this type of agreement and learn when it is a good idea for an operator or property to reach this type of agreement instead of resorting to a conventional lease. As the flexible workspace industry continues to evolve, it’s important to understand the various options available for managing spaces effectively and efficiently and we expect this session to provide valuable insights for operators and property owners who are looking to optimize their operations and achieve long-term success.

(12:30h, Room 2) Ben Kolp asks “Can a man who does not exist manage Coworking?”

In the session curiously titled “Can a man who does not exist manage Coworking?” Ben Kolp will take us through a journey of automation and optimization. As the creator of a bot named Ken Bensley, Ben will share his experience with automating tasks related to member management.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the specific actions that can be automated, the level of technical expertise required, and the benefits that can be achieved through automation.

This will undoubtedly be an amazing session for operators who are looking for insights on how to streamline their operations and improve member experiences through automation.

Unusual coworking spaces

One major area topic of this year’s CWSC will be some unusual/special coworking establishments. Whether it’s reinventing a function of popular spaces, using spaces we already have at our disposal, or taking a challenge and taking the coworking space outside urbanism, attendees will have the chance of hearing a lot of different perspectives this year.

Here are the main sessions talking about this:

• (Day 1 – 9th of May, 12:00h, Room 1) Coworking in historic buildings by Marta Gracia
• (Day 1 – 9th of May, 16:15h, Room 2) Coworking in Shopping Malls by Carlos Gonçalve

Rural coworking

Lastly, we will have the opportunity to hear about a category that has become a movement over the past few years – rural coworking. A fully equipped working setting surrounded by tranquility and nature has become an ideal for many digital nomads, but is it challenging to create a space that will answer the needs of both worlds?

This year, we will have two round tables, one after another, which will address the reality, challenges, and specifications of running a rural coworking.

The round tables will gather speakers from Cowocyl, Codinse, ANDA Cowork, Cowocat_Rural, OpenOrbi, Vortex Coworking, Aurora Coworking, and El Taller Coworking.

Our suggestion is to stick around for both round tables to make it into a full story. They are happening on the second day and the specific times are below.

• (Day 2 – 10th of May, 15:30h, Room 2) The development of Rural Coworking
• (Day 2 – 10th of May, 16:15h, Room 2) Coworking in special places. The Reality of Rural Coworking

Coliving concept

And lastly, as a media platform and number one source for colivings in Spain, we’re especially excited about this (still) small part of the CWSC conference. Not every coworking is tightly connected with coliving, but vice versa – yes. Coliving operators are often coworking operators as well. Sometimes, it’s an enclosed service open for residents only, but other times, coworking is a way of connecting the residents with an external community.

This year, we’re especially eager to hear the talk from Jon Hormaetxe, a coliving experience designer, and the co-founder and operator of one of the pioneers in the coliving and coworking industry in Spain – Sun & Co. Jon will give an overview of the coliving concept, “the different models of coliving that exist today, specific problems they solve, and who they mainly address”.

Lastly, Jon will also explore the relationship and coexistence between coliving and coworking looking into the future. The exact time and date are below:

• (Day 1 – 9th of May, 12:00h, Room 2) Coliving Anatomy by Jon Hormaetxe

Other than Jon, on their take on the shared living concept, the attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Naiara Chaler, Chief Innovation Officer and Partnerships Manager at Aticco Ecosystem, Michael Erd, the CEO of Enso Coliving, and Carlos Perez Fur, a Product Manager at Suiters.

These are only some of the sessions you will definitely find us at this year’s CWSC 2023.

We’re also looking forward to exploring some other topics and sessions!

The post What Can We Expect from the CWSC 2023 in Valencia appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

Cities like Valencia that are rich in cultural events and opportunities have always attracted those who seek experimentation with urban culture, exploration through art and music, and those looking for liberating growth.

However, coming to a big city, especially not in your home country, can be scary at first, and figuring it out might take a lot of time. With daily events all over the city, it might be hard to know what is worth it and what isn’t at first, and connecting with people might not seem that easy.

Busy streets give the impression of busy lives, so it can be intimidating to start making acquaintances from day one.

That’s why Vivarium exists, to act as a starting point and a center of community building for those who are beginning their curious exploration journey in Valencia.

Vivarium acts as a safe nest for those who are on a verge of a personal or a professional change and are looking to stay for a few months in Valencia and connect with others like themselves. In a busy street, you never know who is in a similar phase of life like you, but in Vivarium, you know people came for the same reason.

Being in a living community in the center of Valencia run by a true Valencian can help you explore the city in the right way and connect with people that share your interests.

For these reasons, we chose Vivarium as our third stop in Coliving Spain 2022 project and are bringing you our experience. Hope you enjoy it!

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.

Inspiration behind Vivarium

As creatives themselves, and led by previous experience of working and living together, Pablo and Mar wanted to create a coliving and coworking space that would inspire ambitious and innovative people to share their ideas and grow together.

We only have a few easy options in life to make these kinds of connections – through school, university, and sometimes work. But even work can sometimes be more a salary resource than inspiration, so we often find ourselves not being surrounded by people that share our passions.

The idea behind Vivarium was to make a space where people can surround themselves with others that can bring them value and make these types of connections. Of course, to do so, and like in most colivings, the stays should really not be shorter than a few weeks at least, but even better for a few months.

The idea was not only to share their lives as roommates but to share knowledge and skills and actively engage in learning activities with others. Creating a network of people that, moving onwards, could share ideas and advice, work on each other’s projects and be a support in each other’s professional and personal lives.

Just like people, Vivarium is also changing and growing with every new experience. Collecting insights and exploring the dynamics, Pablo and Mar try to stay innovative in order to bring more value to colivers every time.

An idea for the near future is to build a collaborative learning community where people can actively work on common goals like resolving certain issues or helping one another take on some professional challenges.

Why is Valencia the perfect place for a coliving community?

Valencia is a very popular place for digital nomads. It’s not too big and doesn’t have as many tourists as Barcelona or Madrid. On the other hand, it’s urban, and it is a metropolitan, so there are so many options for everyone’s taste.

Valencia is a city with young and vibrant energy, an amazing “food and drink” culture, and loads of cultural events and opportunities for sports, leisure, and just recharging your batteries.

Having so many digital nomads, it also has a strong nomad community. This means a lot of events directed toward expats and foreigners coming to Valencia, like language exchange sessions, live international music concerts, free dance classes, etc.

Coworking places in Valencia

Valencia has some of the best coworking spaces in Spain. The most popular ones are WayCo and CoworkUp.

Vivarium actually works closely with WayCo, so if you decide to stay at Vivarium you can also choose this to be your working area. They have two locations, both spacious and equipped with all needed for any type of digital work.

They also often organize networking events for their members and have many international members as well, so being a member might serve as a great opportunity to find someone to connect with.

Diversity of laptop-friendly coffee shops

If you’re not a big fan of coworking spaces and you prefer working from cafes, there’s also good news. Valencia has quite a few places that are laptop-friendly.

We found a great place thanks to an app called Maika that helps you find cafes to work from all around the world. We were lucky to know about the app because it was actually created by Alex, one of the colivers at Vivarium!

If you’re like us and you’re often working from cafes, then you know the struggle, so definitely check the app out, and, hopefully, it helps you as it did us. By checking it out, you will also support our friend Alex! 🙂

How to get to Vivarium?

Because of its centric location, coming to Vivarium should not be a problem at all. From wherever you’re coming from, there will probably be a bus or a metro line connecting to the city center.

Coming from an airport is also easy. There is a metro line from the airport going directly to the metro station Colon, which is a 5-minute walk from Vivarium. The ticket costs around 3 euros and it takes you about 20 minutes.

The coliving is only two streets away from the metro station, and it is very easy to find it.

The neighborhood

Vivarium coliving is located in a centric building just a few minutes from the city’s most popular locations. It’s only a 10-minute walk from Eixample, 15 minutes from Russafa, and around 20 minutes from the Old City.

It is also only an 8-minute walk to the famous Valencian park Jardin Turia which stretches for 7 kilometers through the city and provides an escape into nature in the middle of the urban area.

Since it is a coliving in the urban center of Valencia, there is an abundance of restaurants, supermarkets, and stores around. There is Lidl on the corner, and Mercadona is only a few minutes away.

The neighborhood is nice and tranquil, considering it is in the center. There is not much crowd in the street, so you will still have privacy even though the place is in a centric area.

The flat

The flat occupies the whole third floor and has eight private rooms with each one having its private bathroom. The rooms are simple and minimalistic which gives that clean authentic city vibe.

When it comes to common areas, the central room is the living room with a big dining table and a chilling corner right next to huge windows. The design is clean and minimalistic, with some boho elements that add fun!

The kitchen has two stoves and two fridges so that people can use them simultaneously. It also has plenty of pantry storage.

There is another shared space that serves as a room for hanging out and relaxation, but also for work. Next to this room, there’s a shared bathroom open for everybody to use.

The house also has two balconies. On one balcony, there are a few spice plants from which you can pick up leaves and use them in your cooking.

There are also a lot of books throughout the whole flat that you can borrow and read while you’re here. If you’re more into music, there is a guitar and a ukulele as well.

What can you expect while staying in Vivarium?

Vivarium believes in an organic approach when it comes to community building.

The activities are rarely the same for each group but come spontaneously from the group’s vibe and needs. The hosts are there to start an open discussion about the colivers’ interests and wishes and inspire the group to come together and create an activity that suits all members.

Because of its special location – in the center of a big city – there is no certain way of telling which hobbies or interests people that come to Vivarium would typically have. For rural colivings, it’s much easier to predict common interests (like gardening, nature, hiking, etc.) When you’re in a big city with lots of different things to do, you cannot be confident about what people enjoy.

Pre-organizing a hiking route in rural coliving makes sense, but pre-organizing a strict event or an activity like that in a coliving like Vivarium, might not be as successful. The founders believe that groups connect better when they choose activities themselves, of course, with a bit of external facilitation.

When we say external facilitation, what this means is giving the space and opportunity for colivers to express their needs and get creative. By asking questions, creating polls, and giving recommendations to explore what the group likes and doesn’t, instead of making a schedule and pushing it on the people, you can organically spark the interaction.

Here are some of the past activities happening in the Vivarium community:

Jamming get-togethers

Every once in a while, especially when the day is nice, Vivarium hosts suggest having an open jamming session. Of course, this is the case when the groups have music enthusiasts who know how to play an instrument or two (or at least want to try).

Again, in a very spontaneous and natural way, the group would go to the park, bring a guitar and just play, sing, and enjoy the music together.

Concerts and live music events

Besides that, Pablo has some great recommendations for concerts and live music.

For example, one Wednesday, to celebrate one coliver’s birthday and say goodbye to another one, we went out to Black Note Club in Valencia.

Every Wednesday, this club hosts an open rock jamming session. Talented amateur and professional musicians who are in the city can sign up and perform for the night.

The atmosphere is incredible, the music awesome, and the musicians very talented. And the entrance this time was only 5 euros!

Using Slack to communicate all related to coliving, Pablo often shares recommendations for interesting events and shows, which can be super helpful when you’re new in the city.

When the colivers have already spent a few days/weeks in Valencia, they start suggesting as well. And this is exactly how a group spontaneously starts to connect.

Foto guestbook

One ex-coliver from Austria, Barbara, loved Vivarium’s concept so much that she decided to stay in the city and unofficially join the Vivarium team while going through a career change.

Being very community-oriented, Barbara always thinks of ways that could emphasize the people. Coming from that, one of the micro-project she introduced to Vivarium is a foto guestbook.

In a nice journal, there are two pages for every coliver to write down a bit about themselves. Also, there is space for a photo that you take with a polaroid camera and tape in the guestbook. Then, there are a few questions that help to write a bit about yourself, and after a whole blank page for yourself, so you can add whatever you want.

Such a simple idea, but it’s very interesting to see more about the people living there before you. It’s also kind of fun to do it if you’re into scrapbooking.

Wine and learn (skill-sharing)

Started as Wine & Learn Tuesdays (although the wine part is not obligatory), this is a space of a few hours every Tuesday evening to share something that you’d like with the group. This can be a skill you have, some piece of knowledge, or anything really that you think would be fun to share and teach to others.

The activity spot exists as a suggestion, but it’s on the colivers to share recommendations and sign up to lead the session or a workshop. It’s not obligatory, and the same goes for attendance. It is certainly not a must for everyone to join, the only important thing is letting the hosts and other colivers know if you will participate or not.

Just before we came, one coliver (Ines) held a yoga and meditation session, and during our stay, we had an amazing life coaching session with another coliver, Steffi, that was embracing life coaching as a new career path.

These sessions can be very interesting as we don’t even realize how different our sets of skills are. It’s super fun and useful learning about something completely different. Even if you are familiar with the topic, it’s surprising how different a different approach can be from what you know. This gives so much value.

Other than that, it’s also very beneficial in strengthening the group because while one coliver is presenting, the others are supporting. Participants are also grateful for the new free knowledge they are receiving and tend to feel closer to the presenter and more open to starting the conversation with them.

Who we met in Vivarium

Vivarium is mostly fully booked, so there are always between 8 and 10 people in the flat. The hosts try to organize the stays so one group can stay more or less coherent from the start to the end. This helps the groups connect better and get used to each other.

In the ten days we stayed there, we met ten people and a small good boy 🐶, altogether from Germany, Austria, Spain, Holland, and France. The average age of people was between 25 and 30.

Most of them are frequent travelers and digital nomads trying to travel full time. Most of them spoke Spanish, but it was not a necessity. In the house, we spoke English all the time. Even though they were together for at least a month before we arrived, they were very welcoming and helped us become a part of their community even for the ten days spent there.

The things we all had in common were more or less the age, love for traveling and experience in traveling, love for good wine and beer, tasty food, and cool events that cities have to offer.

This community was definitely a big part of our experience. It allowed us to really see and feel what Vivarium has to offer – a space where one can connect with others and find their path through these interactions.

With its philosophy, Vivarium really proves a point that Pablo once made, that you don’t have to go to the remotest places to find yourself. You just need to surround yourself with situations and people that help you grow. And that is what Vivarium is there to offer.

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

Vivarium: Urban nook for the city-loving nomads in the center of vibrant Valencia

• ByMarko
• April 22, 2022

• • Coliving Movement

Why Spain should be your first coliving experience?

• ByMarko
• November 18, 2021

The post Coliving Spain 2022: #3 Vivarium – Urban coliving for creative entrepreneurs in the center of Valencia appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.

Spain is not lacking in this either. In fact, it is one of the most progressive countries when it comes to the coliving movement.

That lets us wonder, what is the reason behind this? Why Spain is one of the pioneers in this field?

To explain that, first we need to take a deeper look into the Spanish culture.

Let’s dive in!

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

Coliving culture in Spain

The first thing you realize when you come to Spain is that the flats are very big. It is common for apartments in Spain to be over 1000 square feet (or 100m²) with a lot of rooms and spacious shared areas.

The reason behind that is probably that traditionally in Spain big families used to live together under the same roof. It was not uncommon to see multiple generations living together in those big apartments. So it is not hard to understand why the coliving way of lifestyle fits into the Spanish culture.

How popular is coliving in Spain?

As we already mentioned, Spain is one of the most popular countries when it comes to coliving.

First, we have remote workers and digital nomads from Spain and other countries who are most likely to stay in this type of co-living accommodation during their nomadic journeys. They are usually looking for places to meet and hang out with people with similar mindsets.

Secondly, Spain is one of the most popular countries for all kinds of student exchanges. Many students from all across the world come to Spain to study every year. Even though in the start coliving places were leaning more towards travelers and young adults, now more and more students are choosing this as a solution for their accommodation during their schooling days in Spain.

Which cities in Spain are the most popular for coliving?

It is hard to choose just one specific part of Spain as a center of coliving because it is so popular throughout the whole country. Spain is a big and colorful country with many different regions and places that each one carries different experiences.

Some offer that crazy big-city party vibe, some act like retreats with surfing, beaches, and yoga classes, and some focus on nature and simple raw experiences. That’s why we’ll cover a couple of those that could proudly hold the title of centers of coliving in Spain.

Coliving Barcelona

Barcelona has always been one of the biggest cultural centers in the whole of Europe.

In addition to that, with its strong presence of hostels, it has already been established as one of the leaders when it comes to accommodation for working travelers.

With many people choosing Barcelona as a go-to place to spend their 20s and 30s, it is no wonder why there are so many coliving places in this Catalonian capital.

Barcelona is a vibrant and exciting city. It’s perfect to meet new people, try out new experiences and live your best life. Surrounded by cultural events, concerts, ambitious people, and a city that never sleeps, it can be a perfect next destination.

If you think you would thrive in Barcelona check our article on how you can experience it to the fullest while saving money, only by choosing coliving.

Coliving Canary Islands

A remote Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa is one of the most exotic locations in the world.

It attracts millions of tourists each year, according to statista.com, so it is a no-brainer why it is one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads all across the world. Its remote nature and beautiful beaches perfectly follow the idea of coliving.

For example, Tenerife gives you that small community vibe and an opportunity to reconnect with yourself. It’s great to slow your pace, and truly be a hedonist and enjoy every second of your day.

If this seems interesting to you and like a place you’d choose for your stay, feel free to check our newest article on why the Canary Islands are the most popular place for coliving and see if it truly matches your vibe.

Coliving in Valencia

In general, Valencia is one of the most modern cities in the whole Spain. It is filled with tons of opportunities for all groups of people.

On top of that, Valencia is one of the pioneers in the coliving movement in Spain. It is perfect for those who want to try out something new and experience coliving/coworking culture.

There are numerous coliving and coworking options all across the city, especially in Russafa and Eixample neighborhoods. Because of that, many people have already chosen Valencia as their new home.

And to be honest, we are also one of those people – or at least we are planning to be. During our last trip to Valencia, we decided to try out some of the coworking places. We wanted to see if they would be suitable for our lifestyle.

One of them, CoWorkup, stroke as a great place to work and to build community. That is especially important if you’re just moving to the city. The staff was super welcoming and invited us to their Friday hangouts. Sadly, we couldn’t go, but it was a nice thing of them. They were particularly open about wanting to make a community and connect.

Coliving in other parts of Spain

Besides Barcelona, the Canary Islands, and Valencia there are a few more coliving centers in Spain. Most of them are concentrated around larger cities like Seville and Madrid.

On top of that, there are also a lot of independent coliving places all across the country in rural locations.

Digital nomads often choose rural places because they offer an escape from everyday chaos in bigger cities. In addition, those places let them connect more with nature. Working on a laptop is often very tiring so a quiet environment provides a necessary balance to a healthy life.

The average price of coliving spaces in Spain

One of the main pillars of the coliving movement is to solve the problem of overpriced hotels and help travelers stay on their budget.

When it comes to Spain, it is hard to specify the exact price of coliving arrangements. The main reason for that is because it is a big country and standards vary from city to city.

However, based on our research and depending on the type of rooms you are looking for, prices of coliving spaces in Spain can be divided into two groups.  Coliving spaces mostly consist of dorms of 4-10 bunk beds, but also have a few private rooms. So, usually, you will have the option to choose between sharing a room with other people or going with the more private option.

Based on that, you can expect the following:

• Bed in a shared dormitory: Between $600 and $1200 per month
• Private (single) room: Between $1200 and $2500 per month

Even though these prices do not seem like a cheaper option at first glance, they often come with a lot more than just a place to sleep. So, to really put it all on paper, you need to take into consideration everything else that is included.

What else is included in that price?

The purpose of coliving is not just to provide cheaper accommodation, it is much more beyond that. This concept was built from the idea to deliver a space where visitors can meet other travelers, hang out and share ideas.

On top of that, these accommodation provide their visitors with a working space, which is another big thing that differentiates them from regular hostels. It is hard to imagine coliving without coworking.

That is why one of the first things that a coliving place needs to provide is an environment suitable for work.

Some of the amenities that can be found in many co-living accommodations in Spain are fast WiFi, meeting rooms, Skype rooms, projectors, etc. Everything that is necessary for digital nomads to continue their jobs without any problems.

Secondly, a coliving provides you a place to relax from your work, and not to feel like you are stuck in a cubical. That is why there are usually a lot of chill-out areas and outdoor spaces that can help you with that. Again, these features come from the needs of digital workers, and a need for that healthy balance between the digital and the real world is a top priority.

Finally, coliving places usually try to retain the authentic local feel by providing visitors with an opportunity to try some local food at reasonable prices.

Additional features you can get depending on coliving space

Coliving spaces can have only the basics like sleeping areas, workspaces, and shared areas to cook, relax and hang out. But often they can have extra options that bring even more value.

In fact, it’s a well-established practice for these places to provide extra activities included in the price. Usually, it is some kind of physical recreation that you can practice while staying there, such as yoga, swimming, biking, surfing, etc.

On the other hand, some try to go one step further by organizing some unusual and unique coliving activities that you can experience while staying there.

Coliving places in Spain that we’re planning to visit in 2023

Coliving Valencia – WayCo (Valencia)

The Coliving Valencia provides you with a 2-in-1 solution. Their offer includes both coliving and coworking options. During our most recent stay in Spain, we had an opportunity to experience working in one of their two coworking spaces (Wayco Abastos).

Their space was fully equipped with everything necessary for remote work, from isolated Skype rooms, different sizes of meeting rooms, fast internet, and lots of desks. You can choose between a flexible and fixed desk, as you can in most coworking spaces. On top of everything, it is really quiet and people respect that, which can be important for most people.

They also have a kitchen and a dining room where you can leave your food and share a meal with others. They also have free coffee, tea, and water for every visitor.

Besides that, they provide you with accommodation. To be more precise, boutique apartments, in some of the best neighborhoods in Valencia. Since we are planning to return to Valencia by the end of this year, we are definitely going to check their coliving spaces, too.

Sun and Co. (Xabia)

Located in Xàbia, a small coastal town in the province of Alicante, Valencia, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Sun and Co. is one of the first coliving places in this part of Europe.

It is a 19th-century house renovated with the purpose of creating space for digital nomads and other travelers alike to gather, hang out, and share ideas with people that nurture similar values.

Nine Coliving (Tenerife)

Nine Coliving is one of the many co-living spaces in beautiful Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. Based in the historic center of La Orotava, surrounded by the astonishing nature of this touristic paradise, it provides an oasis for digital workers.

Once again, it is situated in an old house restored to satisfy the needs of modern travelers. It is a perfect place for digital nomads who are looking to meet people with similar backgrounds, learn some new things, and charge their batteries in Tenerife.

Sende (Senderiz)

Sende is a countryside coworking and coliving space in northern Spain. Stationed in a small village Senderiz in the Galicia region with less than 20 inhabitants.

Protected by a range of mountains from all stresses that can be created by city life. This place consists of a few old Galician houses transformed into functional areas for coliving and coworking.

This place provides a feeling of community and gives you the opportunity to reconnect with yourself, nature, and others like yourself.

How to find coliving places in Spain?

Booking platforms for co-living spaces are definitely the easiest way to start searching, especially if you are new to this. They provide you with numerous options all in one place. Two places to start this search are Coliving.com and Anyplace.

What is the best platform for finding coliving spaces?

There are a couple of places online where you can discover places for your next trip. We would recommend Coliving.com. It is the most popular platform for finding coliving spaces online. On top of that, they have the biggest base of coliving accommodation in the world.

Why should you use Coliving.com to find a coliving place for your next trip?

First of all, each listing on the Coliving.com website is rich with all necessary information describing every single aspect of accommodation.

In addition to that, there is also information about the neighborhood and tips for local opportunities for each place listed. It is convenient to have all the information in one place because it can help you with your decision.

If you are new to this and are just looking where to start your search, we think Coliving.com is definitely the best place online to book your coliving accommodation. Because of that, we decided to partner up with Coliving.com and to offer you a 2.5% discount on your first month’s booking if you decide to book through our link.

We hope that will help you start your new adventure!

In addition, as affiliate partners, we will receive a small commission for any purchases made through our link.

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

• SafetyWing – The best travel insurance for digital nomads and remote workers. It is perfect for all people who want to experience a coliving way of lifestyle.
• 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

The story behind Anceu Coliving – a rural escape with strong community

• ByMarko
• January 6, 2022

• • Coliving Movement

List of most unique activities that coliving places in Spain offer

• ByMarko
• April 13, 2022

The post Why Spain should be your first coliving experience? appeared first on My Coliving Space: Spain.