Village in world's 2nd most visited country turns to digital nomads to fight depopulation

The whitewashed Andalusian village hosts remote workers through Rooral, a nonprofit program that allows them to stay for two weeks to two months while encouraging them to become temporary members of the community.

Typically, six to 12 participants live in Benarraba at a time, most in their mid-30s to mid-40s. They stay in three shared houses and have access to a co-working space with common areas, meeting rooms and a terrace overlooking the valley.

Participants are encouraged to take Spanish lessons, join community dinners and attend other local activities, while some organize workshops of their own. Visitors have joined residents for activities ranging from painting and gardening to basket weaving, hiking and traditional goat farming.

Sabrina, a tech entrepreneur from Germany who joined the program, said conversations with Benarraba residents initially proved difficult because of the language barrier. But she eventually found locals who spoke English and discussed their backgrounds, work and aspirations with her. She said the experience led to "lovely personal connections" that she had not expected before arriving.

Digital nomads in Benarraba, Spain. Photo courtesy of Rooral

The initiative seeks to address a broader demographic problem in Spain, the world's second-most visited country in 2025 after France.

Spain welcomed about 96.8 million international tourists last year, compared with 102 million in France, according to Euronews. It is also one of the world's leading destinations for remote workers, ranking first among 64 countries in Global Citizen Solutions' 2025 Global Digital Nomad Report.

Yet while major destinations such as Barcelona and Madrid contend with overtourism, many of Spain's rural communities face the opposite problem: too few people.

Young Spaniards have increasingly left remote areas to pursue education and jobs in larger cities, putting 42% of the country's roughly 8,000 villages at risk of complete depopulation, according to government projections cited by travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler.

The rural-urban divide is often referred to as España Vaciada, or "Empty Spain." Population decline also threatens traditions and industries that have sustained rural communities for generations. Practices such as cork harvesting, traditional crafts and farming risk disappearing as populations age and younger residents move away.

Rooral founder Juan Barbed developed the program after working remotely in more than 40 countries and seeing the potential for digital nomads to contribute to rural communities. He said he "wanted to build something where the community is at the core."

"If it doesn’t work for them [local residents], it makes no sense."

For a village as small as Benarraba, even a modest number of remote workers can bring additional spending. Each Rooral participant spends an average of about US$1,765 a month in the local economy, according to Condé Nast Traveler, generating revenue for accommodation providers, bars, shops and other businesses.

The program runs during spring and fall, bringing customers to the village outside the busier summer season, when many homes are occupied by seasonal residents, according to Benarraba Mayor Silvestre Barroso Jarillo.

The impact extends beyond spending.

Some participants have used their stays to create projects for the village. Artist Kristinka Lazar produced a collection titled The Gift of Being Seen, featuring 45 portraits of local residents, while another participant, Kristel Peijnenborg︎, created a map identifying businesses such as the village pharmacy and grocery store for future visitors.

Residents say the arrival of temporary neighbors has also made the community livelier. "It’s nice to see new faces in the village," said Anabel Zurdo, a longtime Benarraba resident. "Rooral participants have taught me that everyone can fit in."

Rooral currently operates only in Benarraba, although similar rural co-living initiatives are emerging elsewhere in Spain. The organization reinvests excess funds in local projects and is developing resources that could help other communities replicate its model.

Barbed, however, cautioned that attracting remote workers alone cannot reverse the decline facing thousands of Spanish villages. "One program like ours can’t save all villages, and the only way for an initiative like this to work is to advance at the speed of trust."