Asturias small group vacation, Spain

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

There are no internal flights during the journey. In rural areas, where public transport is limited, we use appropriately sized private transport and organise each section geographically to avoid unnecessary backtracking and mileage. We recognise that private transport still has an environmental impact, so our approach is to keep transfers purposeful and spend longer in each area rather than traveling continuously.

The journey operates in May and October rather than during the peak summer months. This helps spread visitor demand outside the busiest season and allows the programme to respond to the natural and agricultural calendar: spring plants and rural production in May, and apples, cider-making, chestnuts and harvest traditions in autumn.

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

The Green Awakening is designed as a slow, small-group journey through rural Asturias, with a maximum of eight guests and only three accommodation bases over nine days. Spending several nights in each area reduces unnecessary transfers and allows us to explore the surrounding landscape more slowly.
Walking is part of most days. Routes are generally around 3–5 km and take us through forests, river valleys, rural paths and coastal landscapes. These are intentionally gentle walks rather than high-impact adventure activities. Guests are asked to remain on established paths, respect farmland and wildlife, avoid disturbing or collecting plants unless this forms part of a guided activity, and leave natural areas as they found them.


Activities such as contemplative walking and Plant Meditation require little infrastructure or equipment. Guests are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle and minimise single-use plastics, while pre-departure information and most journey materials are supplied digitally rather than through printed packs.
We favour small-scale accommodation, restaurants and suppliers rooted in the areas through which we travel. Our aim is not to move quickly through as much of Asturias as possible, but to experience a smaller number of places with greater care.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Local people are an essential part of The Green Awakening. Much of the journey is built around meeting people whose livelihoods remain connected with the Asturian landscape, food traditions and rural economy.

Our Journey Host, Åsa Jelena Pettersson, has lived in Asturias for many years and brings her own local knowledge and network into the journey. She facilitates a sensory Plant Meditation in the landscape and a participatory Herbal Table, introducing guests to local plants through aroma, taste, touch and traditional knowledge.

Beyond these experiences, we spend time with small-scale local producers. Depending on the season, these may include cheesemakers, cider producers, farmers, food producers and rural craftspeople. We deliberately keep these encounters small and informal, creating time for conversation and allowing guests to understand the person behind the product rather than simply attending a demonstration or tasting.

The May and October departures are not designed to be identical. In spring, encounters can focus more on plants, dairy production and rural life as the landscape becomes active again. In autumn, apples, cider production, harvesting and chestnuts can become a more important part of the programme. Working with the agricultural calendar allows local people and seasonality to shape the experience rather than asking producers to reproduce the same activity for tourists throughout the year.

EMPLOYMENT< INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

We use independent accommodation, locally owned restaurants, regional transport providers and small producers wherever the itinerary allows, helping keep more of the money generated by the journey within Asturias. Guests also have opportunities to buy products directly from the people they meet.
Our maximum group size of eight is important. It allows us to work with small rural businesses and producers that would be unsuitable for large groups, and makes the encounters conversational rather than transactional.

For this particular journey, our local benefit is therefore not based around a separate charitable contribution. It comes through paying local people for their time and expertise, using locally owned businesses, purchasing local food and services, traveling outside the peak season and giving small producers a meaningful role in the journey itself.