Stay with us

The Sanctuary of Joy is not an eco-village or community: only our family lives here.
If you would like to meet us and spend some time at the Sanctuary of Joy, you have a few options:

Day visits

You can come to meet us and/or take advantage of specific services we deliver (i.e. card reading, Reiki session, relationship consultation, etc).
If you also wish to stay for lunch and eat with us, we ask a small donation to support us, since we live on a tight budget.
It is necessary to contact us beforehand (a few days earlier is usually OK) and agree on the day and time of your appointment.

Work Exchange

You can come to help us work on our projects and stay with us for free (includes accommodation; depending on the season we might ask you for a small contribution for the food that needs to be purchased).
We typically need help in the period from March till October.
To participate in a work exchange, we expect a commitment of 1 or 2 weeks.
We are a homeschooling family and we have a preference for established couples and families with kids.
Different projects and work to be done depends on the needs of the moment and can vary. For example: in autumn we will be collecting olives and hazel nuts and then pruning those trees; in spring we will need to collect cherries and keep the grass from growing too tall, and so on.
There are some ongoing, routine activities such as cooking, babysitting, cleaning, de-weeding, watering the plants, sorting out wood, etc; in specific periods we might need help with construction and restructuring work.
During the warm months we work in the field from 7am till 10 or 11am; we take it easy and rest during the warm hours; we resume some work from 4pm till 6 or 7pm.
It is expected that you have an ability to adapt, you are versed into working and collaborating with other people, don’t mind sharing resources and spaces.
Previous experience in farming, recycling, woodworking, building and plumbing are welcome, but not necessary.
Current needs and dates will be agreed beforehand.
We also reserve to evaluate each request based on the period and what activities are planned for that time.
Note that we don’t accept minors for work exchange, even if authorized by their parents.
During your stay you can of course also take advantage of the services we offer (i.e. card reading, Reiki session, relationship consultation, etc).

If you are interested or want to know more, we are listed on Workaway.info or you can contact us.

Eco tourism (prolonged stay)

Unless specified differently, during a prolonged stay we don’t have a fixed/precise planning for each day; we are often pretty busy with our ongoing farming tasks and we don’t always have the time to entertain visitors. Nevertheless, activities and rest periods naturally alternate and flow, based on the situation and the energy of each day. In some periods (especially when the weather is good and with some advance planning) we can for example take you to nature and archaeological walks in the surroundings.
During your stay you can of course also take advantage of the services we offer (i.e. card reading, Reiki session, relationship consultation, etc).

We offer different kinds of accommodation:

Tiny Stone HouseMongolian YurtAgri Camping
YurtTent
This tiny but cozy stone house can host a single person or a couple. It features a romantic independent fireplace.The Yurt has plenty of room for three people but can accommodate more if needed (i.e. couple with 2/3 children).Camp on our property. You can plant your own tent or rent our tent (max four people).

If you are interested or want to know more, please contact us.

Specific Events

Occasionally we plan specific events such as Reiki courses, Spiritual retreats and more. Keep an eye on our our Facebook page to be informed about those.


Past events:

  • Reiki Vacation – May 28th to Jun 3rd 2018
  • Reiki Vacation – Aug 26th to Sep 2nd 2018

General notes

We cook vegetarian food.
Specific diet needs need to be communicated upfront.
Please do not bring alcoholic beverages.
It is possible to place your own tent on our field, or we might ask you to share one of our own tents with other people.
We all share the same bathroom/restroom facilities.
Hot water is solar powered hence it’s not available when the weather is not sunny.
In the colder months you need to be able to operate a wood stove.
As we advocate a detachment from routines and rhythms of modern society, we don’t offer an Internet connection for guests.
Pets are currently not allowed (while we love animals, we have animals ourselves, including several cats and a dog who might not like to share their ‘territory’).
We are on a hill, in the countryside, close to forests: this means that, for how much we can strive to keep everything tidy, there will still be dust and ground even in ‘closed’ space. We have pets (cats, dogs, hens) and there are also wild animals roaming the land (especially at night) and insects. Please consider this information before deciding to come visit us, especially in cases you are affected by allergies for animals or for dust.