Rustic shack or similar wanted to rent in Spain Jan-Mar 2019

I am looking for a very low cost rental OR to negotiate doing some work in exchange for the rental...

Izzat legal?

Assuming you're coming as a tourist (no work visa) I assume that "working" isn't allowed. Is working for rent in lieu of money a violation of the tourist entry privileges? I don't know (my guess would be yes it is), but if that's really part of the plan, it's worth finding out in advance.

Would it be legal for someone from Honduras who was visiting the US as a tourist to work while here in exchange for a place to live?

Given the current highly volatile concerns and politics around immigration, this could easily be a very delicate subject.

awawhatkeyeheathens doesn't say what nationality (s)he is, or even where (s)he lives. I wish people would at least fill in that in their profiles, it would be so useful (end rant).

If (s)he is an EU citizen, then no restriction on living or working in Spain or Portugal. If (s)he ain't, then (s)he izzn't allowed to work (whether it is paid in money or in accommodation) and is limited to "90 days in 180" in the Schengen Area.

But, to the OP, sorry, I can't think of any such places. I think it would require local knowledge of a particular area or even village. Have you tried contacting local tourist offices?

And, do you speak Spanish/Portuguese. Even "off-grid" you need to shop and interact somewhat, and outside tourist areas few will speak English.

I know nothing about it other than by reputation, but what your describing sounds like Órgiva-Beneficio. I'm sure you can find out more via the WWW. Note, that it would be very cold up there in the months you are considering.

To Nick - Many thanks for a direct and helpful response. Though I'm not looking for a hippy community, which I gather Órgiva-Beneficio is, but thanks for contributing.

You might try some of the Ex-Pat websites, probably more people there that stay in an area for a period of time, so might have some direction.

As for what you are proposing, by the letter of the Law, performing a service in exchange for something of value technically violates rules against work by a non-citizen (even volunteer work can violate the rules), but it can be a murky area. For example, negotiating a lower hotel bill by saying you do not require maid service (I can make my own bed and clean up after myself) or do not require breakfast (I can buy my own items and prepare my own breakfast) can be construed as "work", but you wouldn't get tossed out of the country for it. I think you should be prepared to pay what is market value, which may not be much, any discount the owner decides to give you is up to them. Heck, some tourists wind up paying premium prices for the "experience" of helping at grape harvest or other Agritourismo activities.

AN edit: it appears your response above was posted while I was composing mine, so EU, so not an issue. I would maybe still look at some Ex-Pat type sites, maybe specifically for Portugal and Spain, they may highlight some areas common to travelers to create a lead.

Thanks Paul, but I am an EU citizen and these work restrictions don't apply to me.

Sounds like a great plan. Wish I had the time/skills/funds to do something similar.

Unfortunately, I doubt you will get many helpful answers here for such an adventure.

And, in defense of the other posters that may have come across as not so friendly, this forum often gets postings from US citizens along the lines of "Hey, I'm moving to Europe, what part should I move to" from people who have done zero research and have no idea of the difficulties of making such a move and are very unaware of the immigration restrictions, so the questions asked are intended to guide the questioners down the right path.

No offense intended. I think the initial questions were fair.

The reasons I raised the question about working there (and how that might relate to your legal status there) is that A) the overwhelming majority of posters here are from the USA; B) Many naive first-time posters drop in and ask questions that suggest they are quite ignorant of basic visa rules, eg "hey, I want to spend the next year working in France, where should I go?"; C) These two were your first posts, so nobody knows where you're from, and the default would usually be not an EU citizen; D) as I'm sure you are acutely aware, issues around immigration and work are touchy subjects today, and what might have once been shrugged off and ignored (tending bar or picking fruit on your summer backpacking holiday) is now at least a little more carefully watched.

Play on.

Have a look at a website called WorkAway. I browsed the site a bit and there's a "remote and beautiful organic farm in Genalguacil, Spain" looking for someone to stay on the farm into March while they are in England working. Having said that, I myself have not done anything like this and can't speak to the pros or cons, but I have heard of WorkAway here and there.

Giving people unsolicited and irrelevant advice about things they
haven't asked about is frankly bizarre.

Welcome to the internet.

Many thanks Brenda

Random ideas in the wrong (neighboring) country:

• This guesthouse in the former Marvão/Beirã train station is on my wish list: http://trainspot.pt/en/

• Here's another article I saved about Portugal: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/in-portugals-mountains-an-ecotourist-haven-rises-from-abandoned-stone-villages/2017/03/09/9ffdf378-e262-11e6-ba11-63c4b4fb5a63_story.html?utm_term=.f858016f7bf0

I also often see tempting ideas on the Guardian news site:

• Links to mountain cabins, camping, Workaway, and such: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/apr/01/spain-budget-hostels-camping-hotels-brexit

• National parks: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/mar/01/top-10-national-parks-spain-andalucia-tenerife-balearics

Also parks specifically in Asturias: http://www.walking-holidays-spain.com/nature-parks-asturias.htm