The Canaries are a popular winter base for nomads worldwide. As a result, several nice Co-Livings exist. One place I’ve heard of many times and received many recommendations for was located slightly up the hill on the island’s northwest coast. Since I spend a month on the neighbouring island, I thought it was a good opportunity to check it out by myself. The minimum stay is 2 weeks, and this worked perfectly for me to be back in Switzerland before a company Xmas dinner.
Arriving in Tenerife
I took a ferry from Gran Canaria to Tenerife. The ride was smooth, and I arrived in the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. I disembarked at the port and strolled down the promenade since I didn’t need to hurry for check-in. I grabbed lunch at a local place and tried to find a bus that could take me to the other side of the island. After some wandering around and figuring out where people queue for the bus, I got into the right line. The bus took me straight to the main bus stop in La Orotava, where the co-working space is located. From there, I had a bit of a walk through the town until I arrived at the location. I could walk straight into my room, which was prepared. Later, a volunteer instructed me and introduced me to the community living there. In the evening, they had already organised a party, and someone was playing DJ.
About the co-living
It didn’t take long for me to feel right at home in this space. The people super friendly and open. The place didn’t disappoint. The co-living space is centrally located in the historic downtown area. Just below one of the main viewpoints. I actually already stood up there and watched from the rooftop of the co-working space without knowing it was there.
The space is quite big and built in an old house on 3 floors, with gardens, a big rooftop, and an event area we can use for yoga or parties, as we just did. On the first floor, there’s the community area/kitchen. Very cosy. So if someone feels like chatting and hanging out, they can head there, and someone will almost always be there. There’s also plenty of space to work, focus, or enjoy the sun. The rooms are spread out over all floors. From single rooms to double rooms and even shared hostel-style setups. Most rooms are shared bedrooms located throughout the house. On the second floor, there are two dedicated, quiet co-working areas. I loved working there, but since it was December and the room had a big front window with no insulation, it was very cold. I was happy to have a blanket with me and usually a jacket, especially in the evening, even indoors. La Orotava is up the hill, and it can be quite chilly. The altitude difference is easy to feel compared to the next city down the coast.
On weekends, the community manager always organises activities. I skipped the first Saturday and wanted to have a cosy weekend. So I worked a lot from the co-working space while sometimes having some nice talks with some co-livers. On Sunday, they organised a big brunch with self-made food. Amazing. Some nomads loved baking and therefore prepared things for breakfast. Almost everyone joined, and it was great fun.
Working routine at the co-living
The weekend passed very quickly. I needed to stay somewhere for a while, and I could socialise without effort. I guess that’s the way many nomads like to live, and it works out very well. Everyone has their own space, while things can be planned and managed very spontaneously.
The work week was quite regular. Breakfast was included, and a volunteer prepared overnight oats and fruit. Sometimes there was also baked food from the evening before. After breakfast, I headed up to the co-working space to get some productive work done. Twice a week, the owner was preparing lunch for everyone – community lunch. It was always healthy and amazing. On the other days, I headed into town to a cafe when I started to feel hungry and grabbed a sandwich (Bocadillo). In the afternoon, I focused on work again until the evening, when I felt like socialising and hanging out a bit. It always depended on how I felt and how productive I was. Sometimes I worked very long hours or had nerdy talks in the co-working space late at night.
One evening, someone organised a farewell dinner. Almost the whole co-working space joined to enjoy local tapas and talk. It feels like a small family, and it is when people are there. They really managed to build such a great vibe. A big reason for that is the way things are organised and set up, and the community managers, who do a great job.
Community events
At least once a week, someone from the community prepared dinner. Once, a girl cooked her favourite dish and decorated the space very nicely. Almost a 5-star experience. Who would have expected that… Another time, our group of Dutch girls and guys prepared food. They made a Dutch soup and special pancakes. They also put a lot of effort into it and made pancakes with cinnamon, sugar, apple, and honey like a small factory. The vibe was always great, and the food was, too.
Almost every evening, one of the community managers came over and had something prepared. Either someone from the community opted in to teach a skill or share knowledge, like baking, cooking, or giving a presentation. Or they planned something fun, like a game evening. It’s never boring in this house. One evening we played an Imposter Game. It was so much fun. We used the whole house and selected two imposters. All members had to do tasks on repeat, and the imposters’ goal was to kill others without getting caught in the regular meetings, which were held in the community space. When someone got killed, they had to lie on the ground and couldn’t talk anymore. Some people took it very seriously and died at the exact place. Watch 😉
Meeting friends visiting the island
During my two-week stay, I met two friends of mine, who were in Tenerife for a workation. One was a co-worker of mine who explored the island a bit with his girlfriend and worked. I met him in a café just next to the co-living while he was passing from the North to the South. We grabbed dessert and coffee and talked. The other friend is a Dutch girl I met in Thailand a year ago in a co-working space, and she was working from another co-living not far outside town. I left work one afternoon and walked down toward the coast to meet her for dinner and to talk. The walk was quite joyful and had a great view. On the way up, I took a bus, which was easy to catch.