The shortest of answers is “still here”!

But there’s a little more to it than that and nine months after Series 5 of Channel 4’s ‘A New Life in the Sun’ aired, the team was back again, catching up on an eventful time that none of us had expected.

You may remember we were fortunate enough that the team from True North television, who produce the show, filmed here at Finca Gran Cerros between March and October 2019, capturing us buying our new home and following us through the renovations as we got ready for our first Summer of guests.

We had an unbelievably positive reaction to the show when it was broadcast in January 2020, with more than 900 enquiries in the first week meaning that we were fully booked for the whole of 2020.

Then, just as we’d finished another Winter of renovations, the pandemic arrived…

Like so many businesses, across all sectors, the impact was immediate and catastrophic, with cancellations and postponements flooding in almost as quickly as the original bookings.

Although we still managed to welcome a handful of guests as initial travel restrictions lifted, the lockdowns and curtailments quickly returned.

They were followed by quarantine for returning international travellers and even more upheaval as airlines struggled to remain afloat and cancelled flights at short notice.

It was completely unexpected and, although the measures undoubtedly helped arrest the spread of the pandemic and saved lives, it immediately had a catastrophic impact on travel, tourism and hospitality.

But as Michael’s mum always says, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’.

In this case, she was right.

We needed a plan B and Finca Gran Cerros at Home was born!

The team filming the new series of ‘A New Life in the Sun – Where are They Now’ dropped in during September/October 2020 to catch up on what we’d been doing since we last saw them, and to see our plan B for themselves!

So, a massive thank you to everyone who’s stuck with us and juggled dates or postponed their visits to us.

And to everyone who supported our Finca Gran Cerros at Home ‘side hussle’ either by buying candles, room fragrance, diffusers or soap / body lotion or supported us on social media, the biggest of heart-felt thank yous.  You’ve kept us going through these challenging times!

We really appreciate it and hope you enjoy seeing a little of what we’ve been up to in your absence.  Finger crossed we’ll see you here soon too.

Michael & Shaun x