The Beginning of the Finca

Emma and her Sister at a Petting farm

Emmas mum with Emma and Harriet the goats

With nothing on the land other than some broken rocks and half a cave house, no water, electricity, or direct access, we started the battle with paperwork! Our story from finding the land to now is short in time but very long, and quite honestly boring to read unless you enjoy stories full of crazy legalities, paperwork, problems with workers, theft, police calls, more paperwork, dust, diggers, carrying endless bottles of water up and down hills, sweat, blood, and tears. Ok, maybe not boring — just long enough for another blog!

But here we are now. Long story short — we haven’t given up yet! Our plan to make a self-funded rescue centre relies on three main sources of income besides donations. We know we can’t rely solely on donations to feed big animals, especially on an island where grazing doesn’t exist and feed has to be bought in.

1. The Petting Farm

Firstly, while this doesn’t bring much money, it’s a lovely way for donors to see where their money goes. Our small petting farm has no entry fee — visitors can bring animal food or kitchen scraps for the chickens and pigs. Of course, we also accept financial donations. Guests can cuddle the guinea pigs and rabbits, feed the goats, play with the pig, and groom the horses. These donations help keep the small animals fed, and so far, people have been incredibly generous.

2. The Horses and Sharers

Secondly, our wonderful horses — not all of them, just the healthy, happy ones that are calm, bitless, and barefoot. These horses look for sharers: people who love and ride them like their own. This helps cover feed costs and keeps the horses active. We’re not a riding school or excursion centre and never will be — the horses’ wellbeing comes first. But we’re proud to offer rides on calm, happy, healthy rescue horses for regular riders. Our yard, close to the beach, allows us to stroll along the coast and enjoy Arico’s stunning views.

3. Holiday Stays at the Sanctuary

This is our main income source — and our biggest dream. We’ll soon offer holiday stays in an amazing environment, 100% non-profit, with perfect views over the horse fields, goat paddocks, and the sea. Guests will stay in our cave house or beautiful Mongolian yurt, surrounded by animals. Must love animals — our pigs, cats, dogs, and chickens freely wander and love to visit guests. By staying here, you’ll enjoy paradise while helping fund rescues and care for more animals.

Challenges and Gratitude

This project hasn’t been easy — it’s been full of stress, tears, heartache, and non-stop work seven days a week. We’ve faced many hurdles, physical exhaustion, mental strain, and relationship tests. But with the help of amazing people, we keep going. Maybe we’re dreamers, but we’re doing it — learning, building, and improving. To everyone who’s helped — lifted rocks, breathed dust, been bitten or scratched, or gone to bed aching — you are incredible.

To our financial supporters: we’re endlessly grateful. Your kindness keeps us going. A generous loan, our horse sharers, and, most importantly, your donations — they keep all of us fed. The plan is finally within reach, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Thank you for your support over the past year and a half — stay with us, and tell your friends! The more we grow, the more animals we can save.