Coliving in Lobeira, Galicia, Spain

Sende is widely regarded as one of the oldest rural coliving spaces in the world, operating from a village of roughly 20 inhabitants on the border between Galicia and Portugal since 2014. More than 5,000 people from 60+ countries have stayed here, drawn by the combination of genuine remote work infrastructure, deep nature access, and a community culture built around curiosity and collaboration.

What It Is

Sende occupies renovated mountain houses in Lobeira, a small village in northwestern Spain, positioned at the edge of Portugal’s only national park. The coliving is deliberately small — a maximum of 15 guests — and books out months in advance, with 92% of spots filled through the email subscriber list before any public announcement.

The Experience

Daily life at Sende is structured around work and communal meals, with the evening long-table dinner as the social anchor. Cooking rotates among guests, and the ingredients come from village gardens and local markets. Afternoons and evenings open up for hiking, swimming in natural pools, cycling across the Portuguese border, or tracking wildlife. Sende also hosts regular events — creative coding workshops, art residencies, film screenings, and the recurring Bosquexo festival — which means the guest profile shifts throughout the year and keeps the community dynamic fresh.

The Space

Two coworking spaces serve the group, each with individual and shared desks, ergonomic chairs, and reliable fibre internet averaging 160Mbps download and 180Mbps upload — fast by any standard, remarkable for a mountain village. Both spaces open onto views of the Portuguese mountains and can be reconfigured for talks or events. A tool workshop, communal kitchen with open-source recipes, and multiple outdoor garden areas round out the facilities.

Who It Is For

Sende appeals most strongly to independent professionals, creatives, educators, and makers who want deep focus time alongside genuine community. The minimum stay is one month, which filters out short-term visitors and encourages the kind of connections that take time to build. Guests tend to be experienced remote workers — illustrators, programmers, writers, researchers — who are looking for something more intentional than a standard coworking-hotel hybrid.

Location Highlights

Lobeira sits on the edge of Peneda-Gerês, Portugal’s only national park, accessible by mountain trail directly from Sende. Wild horses, cross-border hikes, natural swimming holes, and medieval villages are all within reach on foot or by bike. The nearest city, Ourense, is known for its thermal springs and is about an hour’s drive away. Galicia’s coast — with its dramatic rías and seafood culture — is accessible on day trips.