This volunteer exchange is in Aspromonte, Calabria (southern Italy), with Maria and Eusebio on a family olive grove redevelopment project. You help with building, gardening/farming, cleaning and general help for 4 to 5 hours per day, 4 days per week (usually mornings), with flexibility depending on weather. Room and board are included, but food is clearly guaranteed for the days you work, and days off are your responsibility. The experience feels quiet and nature-based, with local village life, hikes to waterfalls, and a slower rhythm in a remote mountain area.

Volunteer exchange in Aspromonte, Calabria, Italy

Volunteer exchange in the South of Italy – Update July 2024

Hi all, we are Maria and Eusebio. We’re working on the redevelopment of an olive grove where olive oil is produced. It’s been in the family for a few generations, yet needs a little love and good energy to keep it going.

We are in Calabria, in the south of Italy, in the Aspromonte area. This is a place where people can find time to work and be involved in a project that is growing.

Currently, we are working on a few things at the same time, such as a garden share for campers, fencing, building a second “outhouse”, and more. Creative travellers are welcome too, for building, painting, and similar hands-on tasks.

Some of the most wonderful treks can be found in this area, leading you to waterfalls, past villages, and up the mountain.

We encourage people to use their free time well. Take advantage and be proactive in getting to know the area. The locals here are rich in history, everyone has a story. Sit at the bar with the guys, go to a church service and feel what faith means to the locals, and of course get lost in the little vicoletti (roads).

July, August, and September are the times to embrace the festivities in Aspromonte and its surroundings. Your imagination is the only thing that will limit you.

Here in Aspromonte, we are immersed in nature, and the project is redeveloping a beautiful part where olive oil is produced.

As an Australian living in Italy, I loved the fact that there was so much you could do as a volunteer, and this is how my project started. I started volunteering some years ago and loved the hands-on work and the interaction I had with locals. This is what I want to offer the volunteers who come here: an opportunity to experience and see a part of Italy which is rarely visited, to taste the wonders that we produce from the land, to observe a culture old and quaint, and to discover the mountain and waterfalls which surround this unique area.

Host type and help needed

What type of host are you?

• Private individual, family

What are you looking for help with?

• Building
• Cleaning
• Farming and gardening
• General help

What’s the mission of your community?

As an individual starting from scratch, my mission is to share that which once was, to keep tradition and culture alive, but in a fun way. One where a project can branch out to other areas and involve individuals with the same taste, dreams and desires. My mission is to share and keep sharing what knowledge of the land there was, and to incorporate better and more sustainable ways of doing things.

We are not running a business, and the produce and food are not for sale. It is only for our own consumption.

I’d love anyone who, after this date, may want to continue this for the long term to contact me. Someone who is able to be somewhat self-sufficient, perhaps has a camper, and can manage well in a remote area. Let’s chat.

Availability, hours and days

How many volunteers could you host?

• A couple of volunteers

When would you need volunteers?

It varies yearly.

How many hours of help per day?

4 to 5 hours of help per day

How many days of help per week?

4 days of help per week, 3 days off

Days of work can be discussed, and I am flexible, as should you be. Work is usually in the morning, depending on weather.

Accommodation and food

Are accommodation and food included?

Yes, room and board are included.

Accommodation notes

Cleanliness in the apartment is really important. It is a shared space, even if you are the only one there. Things should be put away and clean all the time. The kitchen and bathroom should be respected and cleaned after individual use.

You will find most things in the apartment, yet your toiletries are your responsibility. This includes toilet paper, so make sure you do not run out.

Diet and nutrition information

Food is included for the days you work. Days off are each person’s responsibility, although I do try to supply as much fresh produce as possible.

Most of the time lunch and dinner are together. Sometimes, due to my schedule, I leave you to cook for yourselves. Most food requirements can be accommodated, but if you have allergies it is a good idea to bring your own items or be prepared to buy special foods if needed.

Most produce is grown. I do not cook meat nor buy it for volunteers, but you may do so if you wish. This is a mountain area, so you will find typical southern Italian cuisine: tasty and wholesome.

Fees and visa

Fees transparency

No fees. We provide accommodation and will be adding a budget for daily food.

Visa support and invitation letters

No, we cannot help with visa or invitation letters. Similar requests will be ignored.

Benefits and free time

Volunteers’ benefits

The benefits are certainly that of culture and tradition. Depending on when you come, you will experience different aspects of what goes on in this village tucked away in Aspromonte.

• Olive groves and the oil (normally October to February, cleaning of land all year round)
• Tomato sauce (August)
• Pork sausages and meat being cured (November, winter)
• The Italian vegetable garden (all year round)
• Wine and picking grapes
• And so much more

What to do in free time

Hiking, camping, horse-riding, off-road or on-road bike riding, relaxing, historical towns to discover, and more.

Location, transport and internet

Language

Italian and or English.

Additional information for volunteers

Here in Aspromonte we are basically surrounded by nature and the project is evolving. The area is peaceful, and it’s a great place to find time to work on yourself and assist with the growth of the project.

Transport is minimal. It is important to understand that I am not always available, and being able to work autonomously is really important. Please do your research on how to get around if you do not have a car or other means of transport. Walking is the main means of transport to the property, and a good pair of shoes and outdoor wear is needed.

There are guided tours around the area you can take part in, usually on a Sunday, and they are often affordable (approximately 10 to 20 euro for a guided informative trek).

• facebook.com/Asproseby77
• facebook.com/mgoutdoor
• facebook.com/lilloaloiaspromonteinside/posts/170713884589629

(They usually speak Italian, some even English.)

How to get to your site

We are remote, but you can get to us via bus from Reggio Calabria. There is a bus that arrives here in the afternoon (leaves Reggio at approximately 13:40 and gets here at about 16:00). It is a great ride via the coastal towns, and you may want to visit them on your days off.

You can get to Gioia Tauro (RC) by train or bus and I can arrange to have you picked up. It is approximately 28 km away. You may want to ride here if you have a bike, or come by car.

We have two buses a day which depart early morning (05:30) to Reggio (ETA 07:50), and one at 13:40 which arrives at 15:50. From Reggio Calabria the buses depart at 06:20, 13:40, and 18:00, all from the stop across the road from Stazione Lido (near Cesere Ice Cream Parlour). They take approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach the village. Not on Sunday.

The town is Santa Cristina d’Aspromonte (RC), southern Italy.

Is there internet access?

WiFi is available at my home. The volunteer accommodation does not have WiFi.

Contact details 🔍📧

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