Summer is here and with it, the perfect opportunity to plan an unforgettable vacation. With longer days and warmer temperatures, it's the ideal time to explore new destinations.

With so many options to plan our getaways in Spain, we bring you some of the best options to make your trips more sustainable, respecting both the environment and the local culture. But before we start with the travel ideas, let's remember some basic recommendations so that, wherever you travel, you always travel responsibly:

The first thing is to be very careful with forest fires and all kinds of fires. We must avoid making any kind of fire in the countryside, and if we smoke, extinguish cigarettes well avoiding cigarette butts falling to the ground.

Another aspect to consider is the sun cream. Always use biodegradable creams, better in cream than in spray, and that support committed brands. There are many options on the market to take care of both you and the environment.

And finally, choose lesser-known destinations so as not to suffer from tourist overcrowding, and thus support the local economies of tremendously attractive places that are off the beaten tourist track.

Some of the best little-known places are the ones you will discover in this article on what sustainable getaways to do in summer in Spain.

Staying in an Eco-Village

With the good weather, one of the most attractive plans is to go to the village, away from the heat of the asphalt, the burden of the city, the rushing days. In summer, in the village, one enjoys the sound of the cicadas, the quiet afternoons, and even the siesta after lunch.

A fantastic idea when going to these villages is to visit one of the eco-villages in the country, such as Matavenero in Leon or Lakabe in Navarra. There are many other sustainable villages where you can find accommodation by searching EscapadaRural. In any of them you will learn to live a life more connected to the land, practice permaculture and ecological construction.

Regenerating the environment

Practices such as permaculture or ecological construction regenerate the environment, and from this has emerged a new type of tourism, regenerative tourism, which not only seeks to be sustainable with the environment, but also to improve the place you visit.

Thanks to activities such as cleaning beaches (an activity that is done in most of the autonomous communities, as in the Costa Brava or Asturias, or the restoration of trails in the Aragonese Pyrenees, in addition to enjoying our trip, we leave our mark to improve where we have been.

Cycling

Get ready for a great adventure on two wheels thanks to the good weather. Doing a great bike route, with your tent on your back or staying in hostels, is a journey that you will always remember, besides enjoying the trip like never before.

To give you ideas, here are a couple of suggestions: Via Verde de Ojos Negros, a path recovered from old railroad tracks, in its more than 170km is made up of several stages between Teruel and the Valencian Community. But if you are attracted to great adventures, Camino del Cid, with its more than 1,400 kilometers, is a great challenge to get to know one of the most unknown areas of the country. From Burgos to Alicante, this route visits the most emblematic places in the life of the Cid Campeador, and you can do it either by road bike, on secondary roads, or on mountain bike tracks.

Traveling by sailboat

Summer is synonymous with the sea, so why not travel by sailboat along the coast? It is one of the oldest and most sustainable transports in existence, as you are propelled by the force of the wind, without the need for any fuel. Besides enjoying the sea breeze, there is no engine noise!

Traveling by sailboat between the Balearic Islands, or visiting some of the Canary Islands, is a relaxing and sustainable way to explore the island's coastline, knowing the life under the sea, and being totally sustainable. A great plan for the summer.

Enjoy local festivals

Summer is also synonymous with outdoor music, with many festivals that are committed to sustainability to offer a better experience.

In the Biosphere portal you can find events and festivals that are committed to responsible practices, such as the Festival Cinema Natura in Cervelló and Drap-Art Festival Internacional d'Art Sostenible de Catalunya.

Undoubtedly, having a good time is not incompatible with a sustainable lifestyle.

Hiking under the stars

Summer is the perfect time to go hiking in the mountains, because at night the temperatures are pleasant, and on full moon days there is good light to enjoy this experience. In addition, at night it is easier to hear the fauna of the area, and to better perceive the smells of the flowers.

You can experience night hiking in places such as the Montseny Natural Park in Catalonia or in the Picos de Europa in Asturias. You can even do it in the Canary Islands, for example on the Teide, in Tenerife, or on the Roque de los Muchachos, in Gran Canaria.

It is advisable to do this activity with a professional guide, as it involves more risk than a day hike, and it is always better to minimise the risks.

Nature conservation projects

Vacations are synonymous with enjoying our time, which we can use to support a purpose as enriching as the conservation of natural places.

A good way to be in contact with nature, and to feel that our work contributes to the improvement of nature, is to sign up as a volunteer for a conservation project. There are many and of all kinds, so to find the one that best fits you, you can search for volunteer programs.

This is a good starting point so that at the end of the summer you can fondly remember the day you helped in the protection of turtles on the beaches of Cabo de Gata, or reforestation in the Sierra de Guadarrama.

These are some good ideas for you to enjoy this summer being even more sustainable, and live new experiences that allow you to learn more about the environment in which we live.

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