Who we are?

Hey, nice to have you here! On your Camino 🙂 we all are walking our own way, coming from far from each others, but something, just like a magnet brought us here. Camino is a place that keep bringing us together and connecting us forever. Camino is our Home.

I am very grateful for all the volunteers, guests, participants, artists who helped to create Camino! We all know who we are and it is an always growing family. Thank you for being here, and staying forever! I love you all from the deepest corner of my heart. — bea

I am trying to make this list as long as it’s possible, and update it with new and old family members. I will include our animals, because they also play a big role in our daily life.

So let’s see, who we are:

————————————————————————–
————————————————————————–

Olga

Hello everyone, I’m Olga and I’m a very big fan of Camino Art. Bea, amazing soul, is a master in keeping the place as a celebration of creativity and freedom, which encapsulates the spirit of the hostel.

I volunteered here once in spring 2022 and it was the perfect place at the perfect time with the perfect people. I grew up spiritually, mentally and as a person.
Camino Art, like the word “Camino” suggests, is a journey. Here the time runs differently that the other places, cause magical places and magical moments don’t follow the normal laws of physics. It’s a sanctuary for those seeking a break from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Then I came as a guest in December of the same year with my fiancée and the atmosphere was enchanting like usual. From the moment you step in, you’re embraced by a wave of positive energy and relaxation. The Christmas and New Years Eve gave us a dash of excitement to our stay but also encouraged us to be part of the vibrant and welcoming community. The line is blurred between guests and volunteers.

We are going to come as volunteers at the end of November 2023. We don’t want to loose the opportunity to embrace again that aura of serenity that makes it easy to unwind and connect with other travellers. We can’t wait to attend at all the amazing events. They’re a testament to the hostel’s commitment to creating an unforgettable experience for all who pass through its doors.

————————————————————————–

Hannah

Hi I’m Hannah! I come from australia, After spending some time exploring australia I had my first big travel overseas and towards the end of my time in Europe I found Camino. It was the first place I arrived on the island and it was just unbelievable. I could never of expected a place this special so it just blew me away. Instantly it felt like joining a family and in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. perfect for the quite reflective time you wish for, while your still surrounded by incredible inspiring people. A place to reconnect with yourself in a bright atmosphere.
many unforgettable moments which will stay close to my heart, the simple beauty of the clouds rolling in at night under the moon light is a big one . This place holds so much magic and power to grow and connect . Also….. so much delicious food shared with laughs and music.
was such a special experience I will always treasure .
Endles thanks to bea and everyone else who was a part of this 🌀.

————————————————————————–

Daniboy

Greetings! My name is Daniel (aka Dani-boy) a traveler who comes from Venezuela, I have been 3 years outside of my homeland and 1 year volunteer in Camino Art. For me has been a new home which opened the doors into a wonderful experiences, I hold dear my time there as one of the best experiences in my journey.

I was amazed by the creativity and energy that the place bring into me since the first day I went, I love the people who takes cares of the place they are a team so close to be a family and you can feel part of it and learn a lot. Over there you have the opportunity to start or keep building great memories with the travelers, enchanting your journey with art, music, super nice food (Thank you friends!), animals (Minino Art family and Dublin) and nature. With 1 year being part of the house I am grateful for sharing and learning many good things that leads to a nicer path.

2021 all year

————————————————————————–

Zsombor

People call me Zsombor Kása because this is the name I was born with, but I don’t think that I am my name. I try to be peace, and love and fun at the same time so everything I am doing is in connection with these feelings. Now in my life I try to be more peaceful, more loving and more fun as possible. In order to reach that I do a lot of chi kung (Qigong) and meditation practices. I also like to do sports in my free time and of course adventures like hiking hitch-hiking and all the unexpected fun of Gran Canaria, which you probably heard from tales but it’s good to experience them by yourself.

Camino means to me a base, a place where I can be free and I can recharge, in both aspects of existence: physically and energetically. I came here to become free from my thought-patterns what were with me in my whole life and create something new in the outside and in the inside. I could find beautiful help and connection in this place, from the people who arrived here, and from the volunteers. The place and the nature is very supportive as well.

2022 spring

————————————————————————–

Claudio

I am Claudio, I come from Italy, I’m a kind of person who sometimes like to talk a little bit, and have conversations. I am always open to discover something new and meet new people and try out new things. I also enjoy nature and culture and i am also very interested in herbs and plants. The sea is also my passion, and surf is one of the element of my life. I always have a really good connection and feelings to whom are around me.

I came to Camino without knowing anything about it. I just heard a little bit about about the place and i wanted to see it myself. I didn’t have any expectation about the place, I just had the idea, to come and see, and find out everything about it. When i arrived, at the very first moment I really felt something different, it’s a kind a thing that is very difficult to explain.
Camino is an unbelievable place, all the spaces are beautiful, the people are beautiful, and the vibe is beautiful, so you can tell a little bit about what Camino is. But if you are a curious person like me, than you really need to come and experience by yourself what Camino can offer to you.

2022 spring

————————————————————————–

Rutger

My name is Rutger and before I started traveling, I worked as a photographer/Creative re-toucher in a photo studio. 8 months ago I began my journey in Portugal and went to Gran Canaria for a small break and to visit a friend. To have my own space I came to Camino as a guest and became later volunteer to work on the land before the Let Me Bloom ’22 Festival.

From day one there was a very good atmosphere in the hostel. Great conversations and a lot of music and creativity in a finca on top of this beautiful green barranco. The possibilities to go hiking from here are endless and well worth it in any direction. Walks to the Cruz of San Mateo or getting lost in the area of Pico de las Nieves gives you stunning views. Eating together in the evenings is also a great aspect of the Camino Art House and also a good opportunity to connect with people more. After six months being here, it still feels like home.

2021 winter and spring

————————————————————————–

Francesca

Hello ‘ I’m Francesca and I come frome Italy. I arrived in Camino because a friend have been voluntering there and he says to me:- if you re going to Gran Canaria you must go there! You will fall in love with that place you will see.- He was right.
I’ve been volunteering in Camino for 3 months also during Let me bloom Festival and was an amazing experience.
In Camino you can travel standing still, you can live surrounded by nature and beautiful people, you can be your self and do what you like. This is a place where you can have dinner all toghather in a very small living room but doesn’t matter ; you can always find a space and feel at home . You can live with simple things and you don’t need anything else.  At Camino you can make your art and be encouraged from others to do it. You can play improvised music with improvised musician and real ones mixed toghater without shame. You can wake up in the morning and see someone decide to build a flute from a bamboo cane. You can learn everyday something new, also about your self.
Thanks Bea to give the way and make all this possible,  thanks Alessio for tell me to go, thank for the past volunteers that I haven’t meet to help to build this and  thanks to all the awesome people I meet in this journey that I ll never forget.

————————————————————————–

Andrii

Hi, I’m Andrii
When i went to Camino for a short visit I’ve already decided that i want to stay longer. Fascinated by the landscape and atmosphere of the place. Walls breathing with art followed by music convinced me to become a volunteer. Which was truly exceptional experience. I had a chance to make an art exhibition together with Bea. And play a few songs created in Camino at the festival. I gained the confidence to express my voice thanks to the incredible people and such a magical environment.
Camino has a special spiritual meaning for me, it has a power to heal and transform your sorrows into something beautiful.
No doubt to call it home.

————————————————————————–

Mona

I am Mona, perhaps an art, sound, and cat-sensitive one. My last long occupation was to be a volunteer. Once my friend gave me the link to the Workaway page. I texted Bea for placement in Camino Art House, and I read: Come, Mona! Volunteering at Camino Art House was the same: easy and very nice. What is unique in Camino Art House is the way this place brings people together. Here, I got to know the right people for my story, to meet and work with. This was an extraordinarily beautiful and cool experience! And Camino is lovely, a gypsy-bohemian place to fall in love with. This is a full-on adventure of arty mosaics everywhere to find! The corridor is a kaleidoscope of decorations, and old vintage furniture, all of which steam up the House’TEA. The OUTDOOR is full of alternative places to enjoy and real caves to stay in. The building is set up on the hill and is facing a huge Barranco – a real Canarian landscape, and we look at the MOON which hangs in front of the house every night… This scenery holds many magical stories and events of all of us, whom Camino was destined to meet, and feel at home. Thank you Camino Art House, Bea, Cats, Dublin, and also Ingrid!

2016-2017 and 2019-2021

————————————————————————–

Ben

I have been travelling for almost a decade now. I left my home after or rather during my studies. I was studying philosophy in Brussels, I was in my master and only had my thesis to write. In 2012, 4th of August I left to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. From France, the 2000 km took me 2 and a half months on foot and when I came back I never really felt at home in Belgium again. I decided to leave, mainly for my own mental health. I really like Brussels, but the rest of the country is really not my place.

The most important thing about myself that I have a nomadic heart and I think it will never change. I was travelling with a girl for 3 and a half years, we got engaged, she wanted to settle and it seemed ok but at some point I just felt stuck and we decided to part ways. And I had that everywhere, every time when I feel at home after one year – I actually don’t think I ever made it up to one year in one spot – I feel that the road calls me again, and I need to change horizons. It was a bit hard at first but I got to peace with that and I understood that there is nothing wrong with this lifestyle. So I live like a nomad for quite a while still. The thing that attracts me about travelling is the people .. it’s cool to see new places but for me it has been always about people. Especially when you live in hostels. There is no space for judgement no matter if people are coming from a very different background. We should live always and everywhere like this, with no judgement. This was the main thing that attracted me in Camino because there is even more acceptance there, than in a regular hostel. I was coming to Camino already four month before I started volunteering there. That time i was helping in Columbus Hostel and when I had a day off at least every other week I would come up to Camino. I already new everyone and absolutely fell in love with the place. I wanted to volunteer there for months already so when a spot opened up i didn’t even think twice I wanted to be there.

There is a special vibe in Camino that makes it different from other hostels, and it calls different type of travelers as well. There was just this great atmosphere between the guests, the volunteers and the project leader. There is so much love in Camino you just feel good when you are there and it is such a good place to work on your personal things, or to do projects and just step back from travelling life and calm down for a while. It was very beneficial for me, that attracted me and this is why everybody should go there. I spent 5 months in Camino and I had so many interesting, life changing experiences there. The best parts were for me just hanging out with people in the evenings, playing music, having some beers and everybody is just sitting there in the little living room in winter or outside in summer. The whole experience was fantastic. I have left the Canaries, but if I ever come back to the islands the first place I come to will be Camino. Camino has been one of my favorite places on earth!

2021 winter

————————————————————————–

Daniel

My name is Daniel and I grew up in Germany. Before I started to travel I was living a regular life in my homecountry, going to university and being all planned down for the next few years. Having had the taste of travel in Australia already in my early twenties led me wanting to explore beyond my horizons. One day life wanted me to change everything, so I opened my eyes and stepped outside. Ever since I follow the sound and smells of distant countries, being attracted to learn natural ways of living as well as adapt myself to diverse environments. I was asking questions like “what is the purpose of your passion, if not practiced passionately?” or “how can you sustain yourself and nourish your environment at the same time?”
As I walked through the gate of camino, I was in awe about everything, for many hours I was practically stunned by the beauty of many impressions that came over me while I was seeing the house and its surroundings for the first time. It hasn’t changed ever since, I am happily calling Camino my home, it has a special place in my heart wherever my feet will be walking.

Camino is full of wonders and magical moments, that shape the memories of the many people that share this experience together. Any day can have a unique taste, like a freshly made cake that covers the already beautiful hallway in a delightful chocolate aroma, or a unique sound, like the birds wake up call at sunrise in the morning blended in with someone playing the guitar. It is a very vibrant place, that nourishes the people who come to spend some time in the barranco.

————————————————————————–

Pia

Hi, my name is Pia and I come from Croatia. I spent 2 periods of time here in Camino, both were beautiful, fun, healing and inspiring. I found Camino by chance while looking for a place to volunteer and I knew I’m gonna stay for longer the moment I’ve seen the view. It was love at first sight.
For me Camino is a piece of heaven here on Earth. It’s a loving, welcoming, nurturing and inspiring place that gives you freedom – freedom to be and to do. Everyone can express themselves freely (Im still learning this while slowly making my way thru, and camino is helping by inspiring). Your imagination and creativity will go boom!
Art, art, art everywhere, natural and man made. Nature here gives you all you need, the sun, the moon, the rain, the trees, the orchestra of the birds, the barranco is full of life – the greenest green.
This place is very special, it makes you slow down and reminds you how magical and simple life can be. And how everything is possible (thank you Bea).
The people that cross Camino are mostly wonderful, like minded and like hearted, with amazing life stories. Here I met many beautiful souls that became friends n family… all of them touched me, taught me a lot and changed me for the better. I’m so grateful for the crew we had!!
Nothing left to say but a big Thank You to all the people, fairies, dragons and our furry friends ❤

2019 to july 2020 and 2021 winter to 2022 may

————————————————————————–

Karin

Hey! My name is Karin.
I am from Germany and 19 years old.
After my high school degree I had no idea what I want to work, so I started to travel alone to kind of figure it out. At the other side I wanted to be out of my comfort zone (What being in a foreign land with school English totally is!) My first stage was Gran Canaria. I stayed on the island for 3 months and in Camino for 2.

I came to Camino because I really love arts and I wanted to be in a Inspiring place where my mind can grow.
That’s totally what I found in Camino.
But it’s not only a beautiful piece of Land with oranges and nispero (wich i love a lot)… the Place itself is magical, the people I meet there became my family.
Also the work felt more like living. I learned how to cook for many people and made delicious food. And now I can count another hobby: cooking (Very exhausting sometimes, but its worth it).
I am very grateful and happy to be a part of the Camino family.

2022 spring

————————————————————————–

Bea

My name is Bea Baltavari, I am the founder of Camino Art House. I am also hatha yoga and vipassana meditation teacher, traditional thai masseur, passionate cook and art lover. I enjoy to create spaces to inspire others and I like to bring people out from their comfort zone to motivate them and show them a unique perspective.

Most of the time in my life I felt different from “normal”. My way of doing things were always weird, unusual, or even astonishing. But I kept doing what I felt was necessary. This made many things happen: exhibitions, theater shows, art pieces, gatherings, articles, books, art pieces, festivals, exchange programs, large sport events, music programs, photos shoots, publications and many more.
I have been learning and developing myself since early child hood. Studying and creating were always my passions and still they are. It is easy for me to create cozy spaces and to make people (and animals) comfortable (and uncomfortable, by bringing them out from their comfort zone). I am able to make something from nothing. Sensitivity and adaptivity were always my basic skills from very early age, and helped me to become who I am today: a strong but sensitive woman who goes for her dreams, helps others for achieving theirs, and passionate about giving.

Camino Art House is one of my biggest and still growing project, and it could never work and live without the love and help of my friends, volunteers and artist who devoted their time and energy to walk with me on the way. We are still walking that path.. we walk the Camino.

————————————————————————–

Jack

Hello, I’m Jackson! An artist and musician from Wales. I usually make money as a Chef. But my main passion is exploring the world. I love immersing myself in nature, and discovering exciting places and the peoples these places harbour.

Camino Art House was one of those crazy last minute finds whilst waiting for take off about 4 years ago now!

Camino is our home from home. The ethos and ethics of the hostel seem to attract the right kind of people to create a safe environment in which personal growth, self discovery and/or just a place to be and co-exist with other international creative minds in which to find yourself. All of this in happening in Barranco de Amour?! Bliss x

————————————————————————–

Charlie

I am the one they call Charlie. I was born in Ireland and came to Gran Canaria two and a half years ago, living free and easy. Before coming to the island I had been on a pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St James, which by several twists and turns lead to here, the Camino Art Hostel. No hay camino sin caminante. Since coming to the island, I have lived on beaches, in caves, amidst forest trees, with hippies, punks and grannies. This is my first time volunteering in a hostel. It’s nice, taking care of people, the place, treating the house like home. Some day, I would like to join or help establish an eco community of people that live self sustainably in a place, growing their own food and building their own houses, teaching their kids to live in harmony with nature, away from capitalistic style society. My current goal is to learn and improve some skills and find a reasonably pleasant way to make some money to be able to continue my journey.

At Camino I feel at home. I love waking up in a big, comfy cave to the musical stylings of a million birds every morning. I love the walk up to the house amidst the flowers and greeting good mornings to the sleepy early risers. I love the dog, Dublin, the fact that he seems to be right behind me every time I turn around. I love that there’s so many cats roaming around. I love meeting new people from all over the world, different people from many varied ways of life, sharing stories with one another, talking about cool places to see and visit. I love singing with people, be it random kitchen karaoke, acoustic jam sessions or mantra chanting circles. The place is so beautiful, so peaceful and so liberal, anyone can be as free as they like here. The creativity is abundant and it’s wonderful that everybody here has some form of expression to show others the colours of their soul. Here is an amazing place.

2022 spring, summer

————————————————————————–

Nathan

Hola ! I’m Nathan from Belgium. I always enjoy travelling, meet wonderful people and discover new places. I choose to not go to university because I believed that there are other ways to learn and to be honest school was not my thing. So since I finished high school, i tried to do as many different things as I can when home or abroad.

Beginning of this year, I decided to try Canaria island and see what could be possible to do there. I choose Gran Canaria and spend my first week looking around.
I found Camino art house and it’s one of the best place I discover so far. I knew as soon as I pushed the door that I would stay for a while. There is a house in front of a valley with a huge piece of land and a lot of nice spot to chill. The way Camino is made is amazing! A lot of art, music, shared meals, beautiful view, orange/lemon trees, pets, campsite… The place is also very nice to take a break from the society that we live in.
I spend 3 month there first as a guest and after as a volunteer. It is for sure a very nice project to be part of. I met true people with wonderful ideas/knowledge which alowed me to grow a lot and be even more open minded. There was a lot of nice tasks to realise inside or outside and this year Bea wanted to make a festival which was a great idea.
After a while we all knew each other very well (guests and volunteers) as guests kept coming back or extending. It felt like a big familly.

Now I still feel that I need to go further around the world but I know that one day I will go back to Camino and this will be amazing because there I feel like home.

2022 winter/spring

————————————————————————–

Leslie

My name is Leslie, I am French and I arrived at the Camino in the spring of 2021. I came with my dog Haku. I stayed there for 3 weeks before becoming a volunteer. It was a very nice experience. I did not expect anything when I arrived there, and I found a lot of things there. During these few months that I was a volunteer, I found a family. It is a place where everything is possible: being alone in nature, being in a community, creating, gardening, any idea finds a place. It is an inspiring place, which has brought me a lot.

2021 autumn/winter

————————————————————————–

Panka

Hi, my name is Panka, I came from Hungary to Camino Art House after two different people in different countries told me about the place at the same time. I thought this could not be a coincidence. I wrote to Bea, the founder of the place in Hungarian, because she is also Hungarian and she did not answer for 2 weeks, so I wrote the exact same letter in English. Then I got an answer that I could go volunteer there. At that time, I was working as a pastry chef, so I quit my job and went to Gran Canaria on my first solo trip. I was terrified, but I knew that I had to do this to overcome my fears. My original plan was to volunteer there for 2 months, but I enjoyed it so much that I ended up staying there for four and a half months. I was lucky enough to have the biggest cave for myself for 3 months. I had such a good time in Camino with all the animals, humans and nature.
After that I went to Tenerife to volunteer – I fell in love with the islands. Now I have just finished walking the Camino de Santiago by myself, so i can say I have totally overcome my travelling fears thanks to this amazing starting point, the Camino Art House, where I could meet so many different and amazing people.
My favourite part of being there was the food and the cooking time together, with great music, good laughts and the guests chattig in the background, waiting for the food.
Hmm, such nice memories… ❤