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Vélez Rubio · Spain

REC.ON Project Spain

Ratings

Stay

Guests

Work

Living

Best for

Creative Wanderers. Artists, writers, and van travelers seeking creative residency opportunities, eco-conscious slow living, and dramatic mountain landscapes in rural Andalusia.

Unique features

  • Art Residency. A dedicated creative studio with natural light, easel, and projector draws practicing artists for immersive residencies, making this one of the few colivings where professional artistic output is a defining purpose of the stay.

  • Mountain Views. Dramatic Andalusian mountain panoramas shift seasonally from snow-capped peaks to fields of blossoming almond trees, creating a living landscape guests describe as breathtaking and creatively inspiring.

  • Treehouse. A beloved sleeping and relaxation structure that guests enthusiastically seek out and specifically recommend as an unmissable experience, elevating the stay beyond a standard coliving.

  • Upcycling Gallery. An on-site gallery showcasing upcycled and locally inspired Andalusian art, rooted in a genuine zero-waste and permaculture philosophy that permeates the entire space and its handcrafted furnishings.

About

REC.ON is an Ecovillage with Coliving Art Residency located in the picturesque village of La Mata Bolaimi — just 10 houses — nestled in the Sierra María-Los Vélez mountains of Andalusia. Rooted in the values of art, ecology, and conscious community, it welcomes remote workers, digital nomads, artists, writers, and travelers seeking a peaceful and inspiring space to create, reset, and reconnect with nature. The on-site Art & Design Gallery, permaculture garden, and eco installations make it a truly unique creative hub.

Links

Websiterec-on.esGoogle Maps4.9(102)InstagramInstagramWhatsAppWhatsappFacebookFacebookEmailcontact@rec-on.eu

Ratings

7.6/10 OK

Read reviews on Google Maps

Rooms

Single

Single bed
Up to 1 guest
Shared bathroom

A private single room in a restored Andalusian rural coliving apartment, set in the village of Bolaimi at the foot of the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains. Bathroom is shared and eco-friendly. Common spaces include a living room, fully equipped kitchen with fireplace, and outdoor areas including hammocks, a chillout area, and a treetop platform installation.

Included in the stay:

  • Homemade breakfast and coffee 5 days/week (Mon–Fri)
  • Access to common areas: equipped kitchen, living room, chillout areas, art installations, and permaculture garden
  • Access to the Art & Design Gallery coworking space
  • Starlink Wi-Fi
  • Weekly Saturday visit to the local market in Vélez Rubio
  • Transfer from Vélez Rubio bus stop

Residency length 2 to 6 weeks. Suited for digital nomads, remote workers, artists, writers, and those seeking rest and regeneration.

from$848/mo

Single (en-suite)

Single bed
Up to 1 guest
Private bathroom

A private single room with its own en-suite bathroom, in a restored Andalusian rural coliving apartment at the foot of the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains. Common spaces include a living room, fully equipped kitchen with fireplace, and outdoor areas including hammocks, a chillout area, and a treetop platform installation.

Included in the stay:

  • Homemade breakfast and coffee 5 days/week (Mon–Fri)
  • Access to common areas: equipped kitchen, living room, chillout areas, art installations, and permaculture garden
  • Access to the Art & Design Gallery coworking space
  • Starlink Wi-Fi
  • Weekly Saturday visit to the local market in Vélez Rubio
  • Transfer from Vélez Rubio bus stop

Residency length 2 to 6 weeks.

from$1,186/mo

Double

Double bed
Up to 2 guests
Shared bathroom

A private double room with shared bathroom, in a restored Andalusian rural coliving apartment at the foot of the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains. Common spaces include a living room, fully equipped kitchen with fireplace, and outdoor areas including hammocks, a chillout area, and a treetop platform installation.

Included in the stay:

  • Homemade breakfast and coffee 5 days/week (Mon–Fri)
  • Access to common areas: equipped kitchen, living room, chillout areas, art installations, and permaculture garden
  • Access to the Art & Design Gallery coworking space
  • Starlink Wi-Fi
  • Weekly Saturday visit to the local market in Vélez Rubio
  • Transfer from Vélez Rubio bus stop

Residency length 2 to 6 weeks. Suited for couples or pairs.

from$1,574/mo

Double (en-suite)

Double bed
Up to 2 guests
Private bathroom

A private double room with its own en-suite bathroom, in a restored Andalusian rural coliving apartment at the foot of the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains. Common spaces include a living room, fully equipped kitchen with fireplace, and outdoor areas including hammocks, a chillout area, and a treetop platform installation.

Included in the stay:

  • Homemade breakfast and coffee 5 days/week (Mon–Fri)
  • Access to common areas: equipped kitchen, living room, chillout areas, art installations, and permaculture garden
  • Access to the Art & Design Gallery coworking space
  • Starlink Wi-Fi
  • Weekly Saturday visit to the local market in Vélez Rubio
  • Transfer from Vélez Rubio bus stop

Residency length 2 to 6 weeks. Suited for couples or pairs.

from$2,239/mo

Green SPOT (Van/Camper)

Up to 2 guests
Shared bathroom

A dedicated outdoor parking spot for guests travelling in their own car, van, or small camper (no trailers or large RVs; no tents). Only 5 spots are available, designed for longer stays. Guests sleep in their own vehicle.

Included with the spot:

  • Shared bathroom, shower, and toilet in the common area of the building
  • Coworking space with Starlink Wi-Fi
  • Morning coffee and homemade breakfast 5x/week (Mon–Fri)
  • Access to the tree house installation, hammocks, eco shower, tables and chairs on the premises
  • Permaculture garden with seasonal vegetables and herbs
  • Regularly organised workshops and events on site

Adults only; maximum 1 calm dog per vehicle. Reservation required. Access via last 7 km marked with blue REC.ON signs. Located at the foot of the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains in Andalusia.

Policies

Stay rules

  • 7 nights minimum
  • 42 nights maximum
  • Children not allowed
  • Pets may be allowed

Payment & cancellation

  • 50% due at booking
  • Free cancellation 30 days before check-in

Community

REC.ON is rooted in the values of art, ecology, and conscious community. The special value of the coliving space is the presence of an artistic and literary residency on site, which enriches shared life by creating a space for establishing relationships, exchanging ideas and experiences.

Cooking and eating together are an important part of everyday life — a time to talk about life, values, and share experiences in an open, relaxed atmosphere. Regular on-site events — shared meals, cultural evenings, live concerts, bonfires, culinary workshops, and thematic meetings — foster genuine connection among residents.

The community brings together artists, writers, digital nomads, and travelers, including those healing from burnout or escaping the rat race. REC.ON is not a therapeutic centre — it simply creates conditions that support regeneration, inspiration, and a return to the joy of living. Residents can be alone or meet others, work remotely, hike in the mountains, tend the permaculture garden, or take part in upcycling and natural building workshops.

Who stays here

Activities

Bonfire Gatherings

Almost every evening, residents gather around the campfire for wine, conversation, and laughter as the sun goes down. A cornerstone of life at REC.ON, guests consistently describe the nightly fire as the heart of community — a warm, unforced ritual that draws everyone together naturally.

7 mentions in reviews

Shared Meals & Communal Cooking

Communal breakfasts with fresh bread, coffee, and Paulina's baking set the tone each morning. Evenings bring grilling chorizo and fish, shared dinners, and Sunday lunches together. Guests describe these moments around food as some of the most memorable of their stay, full of stories and genuine connection.

14 mentions in reviews

Meditation & Relaxation on the Tree Platform

The beloved treehouse is one of REC.ON's most talked-about features. Guests read, sleep, meditate, and simply linger there for hours amid sweeping mountain views. Several long-stay residents effectively moved in. One visiting writer described it as her base for the entire six-week residency.

10 mentions in reviews

Nature Immersion & Garden Relaxation

Hammocks, outdoor chillout areas, and handcrafted seating are scattered across the grounds, offering countless quiet corners to settle into. Guests enjoy fresh vegetables and fruit straight from the garden, listen to birdsong, and simply absorb the mountain landscape at a slow Andalusian pace.

9 mentions in reviews

Upcycling Design Workshops

Led by Paulina and Bart, artists and artisans specialising in eco and upcycled design, these hands-on workshops let residents learn the practice directly from the creators behind the gallery. Guests are inspired not only by the craft but by seeing the finished works displayed throughout the space.

6 mentions in reviews

Art Exhibition at the On-Site Gallery

For stays of four weeks or longer, REC.ON organises an exhibition or presentation of work made during the residency in the on-site Art & Design Gallery. Visitors describe watching a resident artist's pieces develop over two weeks as genuinely moving, with the gallery described as filled with soulful, inspiring work.

5 mentions in reviews

Permaculture Garden Workshops

Hands-on workshops in the organic permaculture garden cover composting, planting, pruning olive trees, and connecting with the earth. Some guests go further, helping with weeding, pruning, and day-to-day garden life. The garden itself, growing tomatoes, zucchini, raspberries, figs, and more, is a living part of the experience.

5 mentions in reviews

Mountain Hiking

Trails begin directly at the residence, heading into the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains with guided hikes also available. Guests describe hiking up the mountains behind the camp as breathtaking, with snow-capped peaks visible alongside blossoming almond trees in spring and spectacular views in every season.

4 mentions in reviews

Hosts

How it started

REC.ON Ecovillage was founded in 2019 by Bart and Paulina Bielecki as a creative hub, after they decided to slow down, leave the city, and start living differently. The project serves as a pioneering model for revitalizing the over 100-year-old buildings of a former goat farm in the village of Bolaimi, at the foot of the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains.

Today, they share this space with people who feel the same way: tired of the pace of life, looking for space, inspiration, and a purpose in life.

Work

Amenities

Workspaces

Gallery coworking

Calls allowed

The dedicated coworking space is housed inside the REC.ON Art & Design Gallery, a restored century-old goat farm building. It features a large shared wooden table accommodating several people simultaneously, with natural light from windows framing mountain views. The space is decorated with art installations and upcycled design pieces. Standard (non-ergonomic) chairs are provided. No monitors or standing desks.

Living

Shared spaces

Living room

Shared indoor living room available to all coliving residents, with a cozy atmosphere featuring a fireplace. Part of the coliving apartment.

Kitchen

Fully equipped shared kitchen with a fireplace, available to all coliving residents. Homemade breakfasts with produce from the organic garden are served here 6 times per week.

Permaculture garden

Outdoor

A large organic permaculture garden with seasonal vegetables, herbs, and olive trees. It doubles as an outdoor workspace with tables and chairs set among mountain views, and is a social gathering spot for the community.

Tree platform

Outdoor

A unique eco design installation built on a tree platform, used as a creative, relaxation, and meditation space. Reviewers describe it as a favorite spot for both working and unwinding in nature.

Outdoor chillout areas

Outdoor

Multiple outdoor seating areas across the grounds, including hammocks, wooden benches, tables and chairs. Used for relaxation, informal gatherings, bonfires, and morning breakfasts served on the patio. Art installations are scattered throughout the grounds.

Workshop & studio

An artist studio and workshop space available to residents, equipped with tools for basic wood and metal processing as well as creative work with recycled materials. Access is arranged individually with the hosts.

Eco sauna

An eco sauna available during winter months as part of regularly organized on-site events.

Hot tub

Outdoor

An outdoor hot tub available to all residents and guests, mentioned by reviewers as a community highlight at the end of the day.

Communal meals

Groceries

The residence is in the village of Bolaimi, 12 km from Vélez-Rubio. An on-site organic permaculture garden provides fresh seasonal vegetables and herbs for residents; centuries-old olive, almond, fig and pomegranate trees on the grounds are harvested seasonally and processed into preserves and oil. For additional shopping, local taxis are available.

Nearby vendors

  • Local market (20min drive)
    Authentic local market in the Andalusian town of Vélez-Rubio, visited on the residence's organised Saturday excursion which also takes in historical sites and tapas bars. Offers local produce and goods.

Organised trips & deliveries

  • Shopping trips
    Every Saturday at 11:00 AM the hosts organise a collective trip to Vélez-Rubio to visit the local market, explore historical sites and enjoy tapas bars. On arrival, hosts also help residents with their initial grocery shopping in town. Additional trips by local taxi or host-arranged transport on request.

Location

Paraje Bolaimi s/n, 04820 Vélez Rubio, Almería, España

REC.ON is located in the tiny hamlet of La Mata Bolaimi — a village of only about 10 houses — nestled at the foot of the Sierra María–Los Vélez mountains in Andalusia, Spain. The property occupies a restored 100-year-old goat farm set amid clean mountain air, expansive views, and hiking trails that start directly at the residence.

The nearest town is Vélez Rubio, an authentic Andalusian small town with a local market, tapas bars, and cultural attractions. Guests also mention Vélez Blanco as a nearby town worth visiting. The surrounding area features fields of blossoming almond trees (especially beautiful in March) and is roughly halfway between Valencia and Málaga.

Reviewers consistently describe the setting as wonderfully peaceful, remote, and immersed in nature — ideal for those seeking silence, stargazing, and mountain landscapes. The location is off the beaten tourist track, offering a genuinely rural Andalusian experience far from the bustle of coastal resorts. The beach is approximately 1.5 hours away by car.

Getting around

Getting there

How to get to REC.ON Project Spain from the nearest transportation hubs:

Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport

Murcia International Airport