A Life-Changing Experience Volunteering in Spain

Joining the GoEco Eco-friendly Hospitality Internship in Barcelona was one of the best decisions I have ever made as it is a great opportunity to meet new people from all over the world and take part in a fun and exciting life-changing experience. If I had one only thing to tell you regarding this internship, it would be: Go for it!

The staff is absolutely amazing: friendly, welcoming and very helpful. They immediately made me feel at home. The location is perfect as it is in the very centre of Barcelona. I rarely took the metro to travel the city as everything was so close! Las Ramblas, the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, Placa Catalunya, Placa Espanya, the mall: Maremagnum, the beach, the clubs, the shopping areas … Everything! You will have no excuse to not walk around the city and discover the beauty of Barcelona as the weather is incredibly amazing.

First I had to take care of breakfast: set up the bar with bread, toasters, kitchen utensils, mugs, jam, Nutella, cereals, juice and coffee.  It was extremely easy and I was even allowed to get my own breakfast during my shift, talk with the guests and make friends.  After I finished cleaning up, I had to offer my help at the front desk and ask if they needed to wake up some guests who overslept or forgot to come at the reception before 11am… which was quite interesting and funny. I started my shift at 8am and was usually done around 11:30am, sometimes before depending on the amount of work.  This was my favourite task as I only had to work for a few hours during the morning and was free for the rest of the day!

Also, you get to decide the time and the place you want to bring people to and, on top of it all, you can get reimbursed for your ticket by the hostel because you are member of the staff. It’s like visiting the famous and touristic places of Barcelona for free!  This task was exciting because I got to visit the breath-taking Montserrat Mountains, the fascinating Sagrada Familia, the unique beaches of Barcelona, great tapas bars and much more!

My last task was to help at the bar and go out with the guests after work. Yes, that’s right – going clubbing with everyone!  It was also a very easy job as I only had to serve three different types of drinks: sangria, beer and orange juice. I would hang out with the guests at the bar which was pretty fun as I got to all spend the evening with them. Afterwards, around midnight, we would walk together to town and party all night! Plus, you get to drink at the bar for free and get free admission to every clubs in town! Isn’t that amazing? I spent my best moments on those nights as we always ended up on the beach doing crazy things and enjoying the moment. Barcelona is amazing at night.

It is impossible for me to give you all the details of my stay at this hostel as I would have to write a novel… but believe me, it was one of the best moments of my life. I made so many friends from all over the world and memories that I will cherish forever. So do not hesitate, go for it and make the best of your stay by volunteering in Spain, you won’t regret it!