Page 58 - DreamScapes Magazine | Winter/Spring 2023

BESALÚ VILLAGE, LA GARROTXA
GARROTXA VOLCANIC NATURAL ZONE PARK
MUNIELLOS BIOSPHERE RESERVE
4 Spanish
NATURE ESCAPES THAT HIGHLIGHT SUSTAINABILITY
Nature Lessons Lead The Way in Spain
BY ADAM BISBY
Spain punches far above its weight when it comes to natural preservation. While the country is the world’s 51st largest by land area, it is home to more UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, 53 in total, than any other nation on Earth.
That said, quality outweighs quantity. Spain’s national park system spearheaded the 1973 creation of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST), which works to combine sustainable visitor experi- ences with environmental protection. On the eve of the charter’s semi-centennial, 44 Spanish preserves have earned ECST certification, with the four that follow standing out as iconically Spanish, and uniquely sustainable, natural destinations.
SIERRA NEVADA NATIONAL PARK
Embracing environmentally sustainable tourism is as easy as putting one foot, wheel or ski in front of the other in Sierra Nevada National Park. The preserve’s 25 multi-day footpaths, 13 cycling routes and 100 kilometres of downhill ski trails criss-cross stunningly scenic land- scapes. Over 15 mountains top 3,000 metres, including Mount Mulhacén, the highest peak in the Iberian Peninsula. Picturesque vil- lages, such as Barranco del Poqueira, Bubión, Capileira and Pampaneira, welcome visitors into a culture that has co-existed for millennia with the mountain goats, wild boars, golden eagles and griffon vultures that populate the park’s lush meadows, oak forests and pine groves.
58 DREAMSCAPES WINTER/SPRING 2023