While romanticizing rural life is currently in vogue, it doesn’t enable some villages to thrive on its own, especially amid the exodus from cities. Some of these towns, however, are trying to attract new residents with interesting initiatives like Holapueblo. Guadalcanal has joined this platform —sponsored by AlmaNatura, Red Eléctrica, and IKEA—and offers incentives for entrepreneurs and their families to move to the area: free office space, remote work spaces, or a bakery ready to open.
The proposal is straightforward: to attract young people, families, and new residents—in short, to help them integrate into the town and boost its vitality.
Free offices and businesses ready to open
Guadalcanal, bordering Badajoz and about 110 kilometers from Seville, currently offers many attractions.
- No-cost offices. The municipal Business Initiative Center offers free-to-use offices designed for entrepreneurs and projects in the acceleration phase.
- Through Punto Vuela and the municipal library, new residents have access to remote work spaces with high-speed internet at no additional cost.
- Furthermore, following the recent closure of the town’s only bakery, the town council is looking for someone interested in taking over the shop to bake artisanal bread and pastries. In short, a bakery ready to open and start a business.
- In addition, Guadalcanal’s farmers’ market has vacant stalls, and industrial warehouses are available in the industrial park for larger-scale projects.
Business opportunities waiting to be tapped
Beyond the direct incentives, Guadalcanal offers an ecosystem with enormous growth potential for new projects.
Opportunities are highlighted in the local agri-food sector —such as cheese-making, olive oil production, Iberian pork products, and the revival of the area’s winemaking tradition—as well as in the sustainable use of raw materials like wool from native Merino sheep.
In any case, the town offers great potential for businesses focused on active and nature-based tourism (hiking trails, cycling, and adventure sports), recreational services for children and youth, initiatives for active aging among the elderly, and complementary businesses in the hospitality sector.
A natural setting with affordable housing
This town, located just over 100 kilometers from Seville, combines a historic heritage surrounded by nature with a real estate market—both for rent and for sale—at prices significantly lower than those in the capital.
The initiative seeks not only to stem depopulation but also to attract digital talent, sustainable livestock farming, and businesses linked to rural tourism or the use of local resources.
