Volunteer in Exchange for Lodging in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle WorkAway
go to original January 19, 2014

We are a German family running a small business in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, 20 miles/30 km north of Puerto Vallarta on the Bay of Banderas, Riviera Nayarit, in Mexico.

The population of La Cruz is a mixture between a Mexican village, a snow bird population during the winter months, and year round or part time sailors anchored in the the La Cruz Marina.

As a family we have been operating our restaurant since 1998, featuring European cuisine, and seating 50 people at full capacity.

We also manage a small guest house, a 5 minute walk from the restaurant. It features 6 guestrooms for short and long term visitors, and 3 apartments with long term renters, some of whom help run the guest house.
 
Our volunteers help with art projects, deal with tourist needs, general household and maintenance, cooking, shopping, building and repairs.

1. Last minute help:

In January 2014 we are renovating our guest house, which features six guest rooms. We are specifically looking for a person to renovate our 6th guest room, which includes setting up a small kitchen area, fixing up the bathroom, painting walls, tile work in both the kitchen area and the bathroom, etc.

We are looking for someone with handy man/woman and maintenance skills in the above areas. Ideally we would like someone to stay for a couple months, but 2 weeks is a great start.

2. Year round help:

We are always looking for help in both our businesses.

3. June till September 2014 help:

In the summer months tourist business drops off, as it gets quite hot (30 - 33 degrees Celsius or 85 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit on the average) and it rains on the average every other day. During the low season, we would like to renovate our restaurant. We would like to build a bar, a couple shelves, paint the walls, custom build a closet, some repairs to the roof, etc.

We welcome participants of any age over 18.

We welcome a variety of skills and interests, that can be shared and incorporated into your work contribution. As important as the skills and experience you have, is a willingness to be open, flexible, and to try new things. It is also important that you know your limitations and are able to ask for help where necessary.

Although English and German (plus some Spanish) are the main languages spoken, we are happy to take volunteers whose language skills may be limited.

Accommodation

In the summer months (June till September), which is the low season, our guest rooms are available to the Workaway crew.

In the winter months (October till May) which is the high season, rooms are available if not booked, otherwise there is a dorm room or individual tents under a roof.

We offer:

• a fully equipped community kitchen
• free drinking water
• free internet access
• a swimming pool
• a 5 minute walk to the nearest beach
• 3-5 minutes to grocery stores and live music bars
• inexpensive local buses, that more or less take you wherever you want to go
• an on site manager

We do NOT offer food as part of the exchange, as there is a community kitchen and food in Mexico is inexpensive, both in Mexican restaurants and if you prepare your own food.

What else ...

We are a drug and alcohol free house. Yet there are a lot of options to party in the neighborhood.

What to do locally:

The Bay of Banderas with surfing, boogie boarding, wind surfing, surf kiting, fishing, turtle egg laying watch, hiking, local markets, artisans, Huichol Indian crafts, sailing and whale watching (November till April) thru contacts in the La Cruz Marina.

Benefits for WorkAwayers:

• Inexpensive way to spend the summer months in a tropical climate directly on the ocean
• Exposure to Spanish thru shopping, sight seeing, and getting around
• Exposure to (or familiarity with) English thru the Gringo community of expats living in the Bay of Banderas
• Exposure to (or familiarity with) German thru the host family and some of the residents at the Agave Azul
• Room for creative expression
• Close to international airport in Puerto Vallarta

We are interested in creative people with all kinds of skills and passions. We are also interested in people who enjoy the balance between working hard and getting to know a foreign culture.

We look forward to welcoming you into our extended and multicultural family.

Volunteer hours expected is around 3 hours for 5 days a week, average of 15 hours a week.

To connect with Agave Azul and the Schwarzwald Family, visit WorkAway, register, login and contact.