Hola! I’m Pauline, from France, and I was a volunteer at La Jarilla from February to May.
The albergue is located in a beautiful place, surrounded by nature: green hills, flower fields, oak trees, and large granite rocks. The region is well known for its high concentration of birds, which you can observe and hear everywhere, as well as insects, snakes and vultures. It has a rich and diverse biodiversity and is perfect for those who are looking for quiet places.
At La Jarilla, the day always starts with feeding and taking care of the animals: chickens, pigs,
sheep, donkeys… We take the time and energy needed to observe them, care for them if necessary, and sometimes bring them back to their field if they escape (special mention to the clever sheep that always manage to escape).
During the day, the activities are quite varied. I did a lot of construction work (making concrete, building stone walls, maintaining roofs made with escoba) and gardening (planting, weeding, harvesting, watering the food forest and vegetable gardens). We also cut wood, move animals from one field to another, and occasionally we clean our common zones. Usually, we focus on more physically demanding work in the morning and lighter tasks in the afternoon.
What is great about volunteering is that you learn by doing, which, in my opinion, is the richest and most interesting way to learn. Working on concrete projects and seeing their progress creates a special connection with the place, making you feel emotionally attached to it.
We all learn from each other, and everyone shares their knowledge, sometimes traditional kno
wledge from their own country. These moments of sharing happen especially during lunch, which we all share together with the other volunteers and the family. When possible, we eat delicious vegetables from the garden and meat produced on the farm, mainly pork (I would recommend having an omnivorous diet!).
On days off, it is always possible to go hiking or visit nearby towns. The villages and the surrounding nature are truly beautiful and worth visiting: rivers, churches, mines, large rock formations.
