Eco-tourism in Spain has become extremely popular since the 1990s: in fact Spain is presently the second most visited eco-tourist destination. Eco-tourism is defined as tourism that actively helps to conserve the environment or culture of an area, so eco-tourism is playing an important part in helping to conserve Spain.

There are many possibilities for eco-tourism is Spain. Perhaps most popular are those which offer contact with Spain’s flora and fauna: Spain has a number of native animals and plant life that are protected, which will particularly appeal to nature lovers. Spain also has a number of national parks (parques nacionales), which have been established to preserve areas of ecological importance, such as mountain ranges, wetlands and volcanic areas. At present, approximately 4% of Spain’s geographical mass is protected as national park land.

Camping and Eco-Tourism in Spain

Spain caters very well to people who enjoy camping. There are over 1,000 campsites throughout Spain, which offer pitches for 400,000 concurrent campers, be they eco-tourists or otherwise. You can find some quite basic one-star campsites through to more comfortable, even luxurious, four-star campsites. As well as offering the possibility to pitch your tent, many of Spain’s campsites offer tourists the opportunity to rent mobile homes or bungalows.

If you prefer more eco-friendly tourism, you could try camping at a farm where there will be fewer guests. As with most camping sites in Spain, farms that provide camping provision for holidaymakers will likely be more stringent in imposing a policy of “no-trace” camping. This means that you should leave no trace of your visit for the next campers to find.

Important Areas for Eco-Tourism in Spain

• Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (Catalonia)
• Archipiélago de Cabrera National Park Balearic Islands (Balearic Islands)
• Cabañeros National Park Ciudad Real (Castile-La Mancha)
• Caldera de Taburiente National Park (La Palma, Canary Islands)
• Doñana National Park (Andalusia)
• Garajonay National (La Gomera, Canary Islands)
• Illas Atlánticas de Galicia National Park (Galicia)
• Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Aragon)
• Picos de Europa National Park (Asturias, Castile-Leon, Cantabria)
• Sierra Nevada National Park (Andalusia)
• Tablas de Daimiel National Park (Castile-La Mancha)
• Teide National Park (Tenerife, Canary Islands)
• Timanfaya National Park Las Palmas (Lanzarote, Canary Islands)