Building an Ecosystem for Remote Workers in Lanzarote
As the first coliving in Lanzarote, Pitaya coliving carries the responsibility to create an environment that will spark a connection between remote workers and the island.
Being the first coliving somewhere is, at the same time, a great thing and a great challenge. On one hand, Pitaya already attracts all those who wanted to visit Lanzarote and were waiting for remote-work-friendly accommodation, but on the other hand, Pitaya carries all the weight of representing the island as a suitable location for digital nomads.
Community people laughing in Pitaya Festival
Being the first coliving in Lanzarote, Pitaya is not only responsible for how they will showcase their business, but also how they will represent the island - and that can be quite a challenge.
Luckily, Pitaya was born with this mission - to give the best experience for remote workers and share the love and awe its founder has for the island. Coming from these perspectives, Pitaya is carefully building an ecosystem that benefits remote workers and the island at the same time.
Let’s take a look at what this ecosystem at Pitaya coliving is.
Lanzarote
In the center of the Pitaya experience is, of course, Lanzarote. This coliving couldn’t exist in another place because Lanzarote paints the soul of Pitaya and gives it its uniqueness.
The inspiration behind Pitaya coliving was drawn from all the island’s treasures that resonate with a slow and healthy life, nature, and an adventurous spirit.
What makes Lanzarote special?
As you probably know, all the Canary Islands are so much different than one another, and so is Lanzarote. It is safe to say Lanzarote’s scenery is one of the most unique of all the islands.
With its black volcanic rocks, Mars-like landscapes, and crystal clear ocean, iti s a place that seems like from a movie and not real life. But, in this boom of remote work and digital nomads, Lanzarote hasn’t received as much attention as some of its other neighboring islands, and Pitaya wants to show why it deserves the attention.
Sports
Lanzarote is a perfect place for outdoor sports lovers because it has a lot of different types of terrains, very mild and stable weather, and otherworldly scenery.
It’s perfect for running, cycling, wind and water sports, climbing, etc. Adrenaline lovers will find a lot of fun and exciting things in Lanzarote, like bungee jumping, mountain biking, diving, and so on.
Compared to other islands in the area, most people, tourists as well, that come to Lanzarote, do it for the sports and to stay active.
In Pitaya Coliving, this culture is also nourished, and the love for the outdoors is often shared among the colivers, so activities like climbing, yoga, hiking, or snorkeling, are very much loved and encouraged here.
Art & Culture
Lanzarote is not only a place for adventurers but also a place for those who know how to appreciate local art and crafts.
Along with encouraging you to enjoy the wonderful landscape, Pitaya also wants its colivers to discover the cultural and artisanal heritage of Lanzarote.
That’s why they plan on organizing workshops with local artisans where the colivers will be able to learn about the tradition and the culture of the island. For example, in Lanzarote, there is a traditional way of making baskets out of palm leaves, a legacy kept by one man who still does it to this day so visiting and learning about this man can be a great lesson about the island.
Another tradition that Pitaya would like to show to its colivers is an antique way of making ceramics from volcanic stones of Lanzarote. All these are plans for the future but they will add a new value to Pitaya’s ecosystem and help visitors connect to the island even more.
Other than this, colivers will be able to enjoy the impact of a local artist Cesar Manrique who has done so much for the uniqueness of this island.
Remote Work
The second part of the Pitaya ecosystem is remote work. In the creation of something “for digital nomads” or “remote workers”, it’s crucial to put their working needs on top of the priority list. As logical as it sounds, it’s not something all coliving operators truly do. For Pitaya, it was the number one priority to make a place where people could uninterruptedly work from. The real challenge wasn’t so much in the making of a cozy home-like place for people, but in enabling them to work in it without restrictions as well.
Being in a situation to work remotely herself, Laura, Pitaya’s founder, was aware of what the needs of a remote worker are and put a lot of effort into creating a space that answers these needs.
To bind this remote work philosophy and make it easier for people to transition from corporate worlds to coworking on an island, a lot of energy went into making a bright, inspiring, and functional coworking office. The idea for the office was to match all the amenities of a corporate office so people can work uninterruptedly for 8 hours (fast and reliable connection, comfortable, but flexible desks and chairs, etc.), but at the same time, to give a healthy work-life balance twist with inspiring and relaxing decor, plenty of natural light, and a great view.
The goal was to make the office healthy, functional, and reliable, and that goal was made one of the priorities in making the Pitaya ecosystem.
Community
Naturally, in a coliving, the community plays the key part - and so does in Pitaya’s ecosystem.
Lanzarote already attracts people with a similar mindset - with a love for the outdoors and active life, but Pitaya creates the space for these people to gather, share interests, and experience the island together.
In Pitaya, every member of the community is also a creator of the experience and the activities and experiences come naturally and organically. For example, Pitaya organizes weekly sessions where the group plans their next week together. Everyone is encouraged to put in a suggestion, share their interest or pitch something new. At the end of the session, the activities made for the week are in tune with the group and not something pre-organized that can or cannot resonate with people.
At the center of the experience is the community, and the approach to building it comes from the inside and not the outside. When the activities or environment are strict, the community organization can feel like a work environment. In Pitaya, this experience is aimed to be open, casual, and human-centered, and coliving members are always heard when they give input or feedback, whether on the experience, the space, or something else.
Active Lifestyle
Lastly, in Pitaya’s ecosystem, there is a certain type of lifestyle that makes this experience unique. The goal of the ecosystem is to build an immersive stay connected to the island and beneficial to remote workers.
Many location-independent workers have become that so they could escape the big city life and engage themselves in more down-to-earth in-the-moment experiences. In Pitaya, this adventurous spirit is very much nurtured. Pitaya wants to enable these deeper engagements for its guests. That’s why here you will find weekly yoga and fresh community breakfast included in your stay, many sports, and outdoor recommendations and suggestions, and a community with whom you’ll be able to spend time healthily and actively.
With Pitaya, you will find it easier to participate in local and soulful activities: markets, festivals, workshops, hikes, sightseeing, etc., and that’s another big value of the ecosystem.
How does Pitaya bind this ecosystem together?
To bind this ecosystem together, Pitaya uses multiple channels and creates an immersive experience. These channels are:
The Coliving and Coworking
Of course - the first channel of enablement is the coliving and coworking. For many people, Lanzarote would not even be a destination if there was not a coliving available. Secondly, for many people who wanted to visit Lanzarote for a longer time but couldn’t because of the lack of good and reliable places to work from, Pitaya now provides the solution.
Lastly, the whole experience that goes deeper than only visiting as a tourist is enabled in this experience of working and living with others, which brings us to the second channel and that’s community.
The Community
Traveling alone, especially on an island pretty far from continental Europe can be quite a challenge. People like to share experiences, meet others, and have support from a like-minded community wherever they go and that’s why they typically choose places where they know they can find new people and connect with others.
With Pitaya Coliving, Lanzarote is also becoming a place like this - a place with a promise of a community, which opens the opportunity for many new people to feel encouraged to come and visit.
Pitaya is growing the digital nomad and remote workers community of the island and enabling these connections to happen.
A local and dedicated host
Another channel of enablement is the host herself - Laura. Laura makes herself responsible for the experience of her guests and brings with her the energy that drives the coliving. Many people return to Pitaya only because of Laura’s hospitality and vibrations.
As a host, she is positive, happy, energetic, eager to help, listen, and ask you questions; eager to learn, improve, and spend time with amazing people. She always makes sure to be responsive, and understanding, and to help get Lanzarote closer to your heart.
She is what ties this ecosystem together and she knows how to rock in that role.
Pitaya Festival
Lastly, a big part of the ecosystem is the Pitaya festival - a local festival created 6 months before the coliving by Laura and her 3 friends.
This festival is made to show the real face of Lanzarote and emphasize all those treasures that are often lost with classical tourism. This is a one-day event with food, yoga, an artisanal market, and live music that captures the soul of the island.
As a coliver in Pitaya, you will receive a discount for the ticket and will be able to enjoy a full day of amazing activities that will bring you closer to Lanzarote.
Pitaya festival is like a cherry on top of this ecosystem as it summarizes the culture and magic of the island.
