🇪🇸 ESC Volunteering in Spain 🏛️ Heritage Restoration & Community Volunteer 🪨 Dry-Stone Masonry & Cultural Preservation, Roquetes 🇪🇸
Torre Sant Antoni is a historic estate in Roquetes, southern Catalonia, that has served as an international hub for workshops, exchanges, and residencies since 2021. This short-term ESC team volunteering opportunity invites young people — especially those with fewer opportunities — to get their hands dirty restoring a centuries-old dry-stone well, maintaining the estate's structures, and connecting with a vibrant multicultural community in one of Spain's most naturally spectacular regions. Applications must be submitted through a COCAT partner organisation in your country.
🌍 Did You Know? Roquetes is a small town in the Baix Ebre comarca of southern Catalonia, nestled between the Ebro Delta — one of the most important wetland ecosystems in the western Mediterranean — and the dramatic peaks of the Els Ports Natural Park. The area is a paradise for birdwatchers, hikers, and anyone who loves raw, unspoiled natural landscapes.
What Will You Do?
🪨 Lead and participate in the restoration of the estate's historic dry-stone well — stabilising its traditional structure, refreshing its appearance, and improving access
🎨 Carry out essential maintenance tasks including repainting doors and fences, creating signage, and working on stone structures
🏛️ Help preserve Torre Sant Antoni as a living heritage site and international cultural hub
🌿 Contribute to ecological land management and the preservation of the surrounding natural spaces
🤝 Build meaningful connections with the local community, partner organisations, and other international volunteers in residence
🌍 Did You Know? Dry-stone construction — building walls, wells, and structures without mortar or cement — is one of humanity's oldest building techniques, dating back thousands of years. In 2018, UNESCO inscribed dry-stone walling craftsmanship on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognising its deep connection to landscape, ecology, and local identity across Europe and beyond.
Who Can Apply?
🎂 Aged 18–30 and residing in one of the eligible ESC countries
💙 This project especially welcomes applications from people with fewer opportunities — including those facing health challenges, functional diversity, educational barriers, socio-economic difficulties, discrimination, or geographical obstacles
🌿 Comfortable working outdoors and with your hands in a natural environment — including exposure to insects and mosquitoes
🤝 Open to communal living and sharing spaces with other international volunteers and long-term residents
🏛️ Interested in heritage conservation, traditional building techniques, and ecological land management
⚠️
Important: To apply, you must have a supporting organisation from your country. Check COCAT's international partners at
cocat.org/cocat/entitats-internacion and contact them to apply.
Accommodation, Food & Travel
🏠 Communal living at Torre Sant Antoni — two shared rooms with bunk beds; additional participants accommodated in outdoor tents with mattresses provided
🌲 The house is set in a beautiful natural environment — volunteers should be prepared for insects and mosquitoes typical of the region
🍳 All common areas including kitchens, toilets, and social spaces are shared with local volunteers in a collaborative, multicultural atmosphere
✈️ Travel costs covered in line with ESC programme rules
Training & Learning
🪨 Hands-on training in dry-stone masonry led by experienced heritage conservation professionals
🏗️ Practical skills in maintenance and renovation methods for rural and historic structures
🌿 Learning in ecological land management and the preservation of natural spaces
🤝 Collaborative, learn-by-doing approach — skills are developed through direct action alongside fellow volunteers and local experts
Key Information
Eligible Countries
🇦🇲 Armenia, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇨🇿 Czechia, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇵🇸 Palestine, 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇹🇷 Türkiye, 🇺🇦 Ukraine
Application Link
⚠️ Important Notice
1️⃣ Source of Information
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2️⃣ Responsibility for Content
The organiser is solely responsible for the accuracy, details, and updates of the opportunity content.
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💡 Final Note:
All listings are shared for informational purposes only. Please always verify details directly through the official organiser or programme website before applying.
