We had heard so many things about the award-winning coliving space Sun & Co in Javea and we were excited to visit.
After seeing many other popular coliving and coworking spaces that so often get mentioned on the European digital nomads’ circuit, it was great to eventually make it to Sun and Co. in Javea.
Table of Contents
Is Sun & Co Any Good for Coliving and Coworking?
Where Is Javea and How Do I Get There?
Javea (also known as Xabia) is a beautiful town located in the province of Alicante, on the southeastern coast of Spain.
Javea has a population of around 35,000 people and covers an area of approximately 8 square kilometers and the town’s name comes from the Arabic word for “jewel”.
Javea is located about 100 kilometers from the city of Valencia, and about 50 kilometers from Alicante. It is easily accessible by road if you are driving, or you can reach the town via one of the regular bus services (you can book via Alsa).
About the Town of Javea
The town is divided into three main areas and these areas are the:
- Old town (where Sun and Co is)
- Port area
- The main beach
The old town is a lovely place to explore, with its narrow streets and traditional Spanish architecture, and is where Sun and Co is located. The port is where many of the boats come in and is a hub of activity, while the main sandy beach is obviously the main attraction for many visitors.
Climate and Weather and the Beaches in Javea
Javea has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
The average temperature in the summer is around 30 degrees Celsius, while in the winter it drops to around 15 degrees.
The most popular beaches are Playa de la Grava which is walkable from the Old Town and has a stony pebbly beach and is near the port area (where the fish market is). There are a number of bars, restaurants, and shops in this area.
The biggest and most popular beach is the sandy Playa de Arenal. This is a wide, open beach that is perfect for sunbathing and swimming and is also served by a range of shops and restaurants.
What Type of People Stay in Sun&Co Coliving
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A question I get asked often by people interested in trying coliving (learn what coliving is here) and coworking is what type of people will you meet, where they are from, and what kind of work they do.
You can actually meet quite a range of people in terms of the country they are from and age groups.
The age range generally starts from about 21 with many people in their twenties and thirties, some in their forties, and some in their fifties.
In terms of where people are from and their nationality, whilst we were in Sun&Co we met several Germans, Americans, Canadians, Italians, Irish, Italians, Israelis, French, Belgians, and a few other countries and nationalities.
Work-wise, the nature of coliving is that you really need to be someone who works online.
Jobs-wise, the majority of the housemates were working for companies, one was a Master’s student, and a few of us (including myself) were people who run their own companies.
Sun & Co and Getting Your Job and Work Done
One of the key elements of being a digital nomad is the need to get work done.
It’s all about balancing the need to both work and the desire to socialize. For some people, time zones also become a consideration (such as if you work for an American company in U.S. hours. and are staying in Europe).
There are numerous places you can work from though when staying at Sun & Co and these include working from:
- The coworking space (less than 5 minutes walk from the coliving and included in the price if you stay with Sun and Co). There are plenty of desks and it includes 2 private soundproof booths for conference calls. Accessible 24 hours a day.
- In the kitchen/conservatory area – several people enjoy working from the kitchen/conservatory area and enjoy being in the midst of the social life whilst also working.
- There is a quiet room area with two desks and also a meeting room you can book.
- Depending on what room you book and the space you have, you might also consider working from your room.
- One of my favorite places to work from was the courtyard inside Sun & Co. In fact it’s where I am right now as I write this sentence 🙂
Meeting Others and Socializing at Sun & Co
Whether you are a single person traveling alone, a couple, or a few friends traveling together as digital nomads, Sun & Co is a great place for meeting others.
One of the great things about Sun & Co and the team who run it is that they put a heavy focus on making everyone feel included and a part of the weekly activities.
There is a weekly meeting at which you are encouraged to offer ideas for things you can teach and help others with. You provide an idea of activities you would like to do or things you’d like to learn.
In order to give back to the community, I offered to teach other housemates how to play backgammon and Valeria cooked Italian food for everyone one evening and she also provided belly dance lessons.
Skills sharing and doing activities together is a valuable part of the Sun & Co coliving experience and whilst we were there, activities and skills sharing that took place included:
- Beginners Spanish lessons
- A ‘Slow Living’ roundtable discussion
- Belly dance with Valeria
- Yoga
- Negotiation skills masterclass
- Volleyball and Paella on and by the beach
- Italian food night
- Permaculture experience and talk
- Shuffle dancing lesson
- Beginners lesson on online marketing
If the weather is good then the chances are that there will be days also when everyone heads down to the sandy Playa de Arenal.
A Day Staying at Sun & Co – Work Hard, Play Hard
Here’s a short video I did on a day staying in Javea and Sun&Co.
By the way, make sure to follow me on Youtube and Instagram as I will be adding regular videos on coliving from hereon)
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FAQs
1. Is it possible, realistically to get work done when staying in a coliving/coworking place like Sun&Co?
Sun & Co is known for being a highly sociable coliving space and so it’s a good question.
Is it all about spending time on the beach and socializing or can you get vital work done throughout the day (or night if you work for a company in a different timezone)?
What we found is that whatever your situation, you can make it work in Sun&Co regards getting work done and whatever timezone you work with.
The majority of people staying in Sun&Co really need to get work done and so most of the people are working 30 – 40 hours a week.
2. Is it easy to get to the beach?
I have to admit that when staying in Bed and Desk Coliving in Palma De Mallorca, the beautiful sandy beach was literally 100 meters away from the house. But very few coliving places will be as close to a beach.
With Sun & Co though you have a significantly far better social life than in a coliving such as Bed and Desk and this is what really makes Javea worth a visit.
So the beach options in Javea are:
- You can go to the rocky beach by the port and walk it in 20 minutes from the coliving in Javea.
- You can borrow one of the bicycles for free that are inside the courtyard in Sun&Co house and cycle to the beach. There’s not much traffic and there are bicycle lanes part of the way to the sandy El Arenal beach.
- There is very often someone in the house driving to the beach so you can get a lift
- There is also the tourist train that runs between the Old Town, Harbour, and El Arenal beach. For Euros 4 you can use it to do a round-trip on the same day.
3. Will I like Javea (Xavia)?
Javea is a small town so, if you are looking for wild nightlife and a busy thriving location, then Lisbon or Barcelona, for example, might be more suitable for you.
If you need to work but want the chance to meet lots of other people then sun & Co is a great option!
Tip: If you love to cook seafood and want to cook it in the coliving space, the public fish market is a 20-minute walk (8 minutes cycle ride if you use one of the bicycles that are available in the courtyard of Sun&Co). The market I believe is open from 3 pm to 8 pm on weekdays
A Tour of the House and Coworking Space
In case you are also interested to see what it looks like inside the Sun and Co House and inside the coworking space, here is a short Instagram video I made.
Getting Connected
- Sun & Co website (for bookings)
- Sun and Co Online Community (follow the events & add events when you are staying in the house
- Sun&Co Alumni Facebook group ( join if you have stayed in the house and want to keep connected with your ex-housemates)
- We Love Javea Facebook Group
- Javea Connect Facebook Group
- Gym – Within 10 minutes walk of the coliving is Plaza Fitness and a bunch of us from the coliving joined. They allow daily or weekly passes, and month-long memberships so I joined for 2 weeks.
Javea, Spain Travel Resources
I have been traveling for many years and have come to use a lot of travel sites and resources for booking my trips. They represent the companies that I often use and have served me well and they are the first ones I use when booking new trips.
- Booking.com – they tend to provide very competitive prices and the reviews are easy to view, and they normally have something available wherever in the world I am going to. They also now provide airport transfers, local attractions, and flights.
- Safety Wing Travel Insurance – Safety Wing has become one of the leaders in travel insurance, especially for remote workers and digital nomads as they provide cover that includes for long-term stays.
- Get Your Guide – is the site on which I normally book tours (I love to visit the local sports stadia, aquarium, royal palace, and some cultural attractions). With get Your Guide they have excellent customer support and have a wide range of tours.
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