Responsible tourism in Andalucia
Perhaps the most pressing issue today however is climate change. Extreme weather events in Andalucia such as the regular summer heatwaves put at risk the environment, jobs and lives. It’s easy to feel powerless when it comes to the issue of fixing global warming, but traveling smarter, and more sustainably, certainly doesn’t hurt.
Our Andalucia Vacations
Altiplano de Granada activity vacation, Spain
Multi-activity Family vacation in the Spanish Lake District
Andalucia self guided walking vacation, Spain
Moderate walking in foothills of Olive and Almond groves
Walking in Andalucia, Spain
The olive groves and rugged hills of Andalucia
Las Alpujarras hiking vacation, Spain
Guided walking vacation, Andalucia, with writer Chris Stewart
Andalucia walking & self drive vacation, Spain
Self drive, mountains, cities and walking in Andalucia
Painting vacation in Andalucia, Spain
Explore your painting creativity in delightful Andalucia.
Sierra Nevada and Granada walking vacation in Spain
Beautiful walks through Spain's highest sierra
Walking in Andalucia, Spain
Guided hill walking vacations in Torrox, Andalucia.
Photography vacation in Andalucia, Spain
New! Capture beautiful Andalucia with camera & smart phones.
Spain hiking vacation, Walking in blossom
Guided Walking In Blossom - Winter Sun
Andalucia self catering accommodation, Spain
Farmhouse accommodation on 2 acre finca with swimming pool
Andalucia villa near Malaga, Spain
Idyllic Andalucian farmhouse with stunning private pool
Almeria walking vacation in Andalucia, Spain
Walking in the surrounding hills of almond and olive groves
Historic Andalucia tour, Spain
From great cities of Seville to the stunning horse show in Jerez
Andalucian mountains self-guided walking vacation, Spain
Self-guided and guided walking in Spanish Lake District
Vacation cottages in Andalucia, Spain, sleeps 2
One bedroom vacation cottages with stunning mountain views
Aracena Hills walking vacation in Andalucia, Spain
Self-guided walking trip in the peaceful hills of Andalucía
Family vacation cottages in Andalucia, Spain
Family cottages with stunning views
Andalucia self guided cycling vacation, Spain
Cycling in the surrounding hills of almond and olive groves
Sierra Nevada self guided hiking, Spain
Sierra Nevada and Las Alpujarras self guided hiking
Hiking vacation in Las Alpujarras, Spain
Guided hiking vacation, Las Alpujarras Valley walk
Southern Spain self guided walking tour
Discover Green Andalucía on foot
Spain self guided walking vacation in Andalucia
Discover the beauty of Andalucia on foot & at your own pace.
Walking vacation in Grazalema, Andalucia, Spain
Flowers, wildlife,Eagles, guided walks,stunning scenery.
Sierra de Aitana walking vacation in Andalucia, Spain
Magnificent trek with views over the sparkling Mediterranean
Wellness vacation in Andalucia, Spain
Relax, enjoy and recharge in Andalucia, Spain
Luxury wellness, bootcamp and detox retreats in Spain
Exclusive Fitness Vacations in Fab Marbella; Above & Beyond!
Sierra de las Nieves walking vacation in Spain
Hill walking behind Spain’s Andalucia coastline
Cabo De Gata National Park guided hiking vacation
Stunning coastal walking in Andalucia, Spain
People & culture
Coastal carbuncles
Mass tourism also puts huge strain on water supplies in Europe's most parched province – not just to satisfy the thirst of the concrete forests of high-rise beach resorts and plains of golf courses (which can sap the same amount of water as a town of 15,000 people), but also with the mania for vacation villa swimming pools. The problem is exacerbated by climate change. 2014 saw the country’s worst drought in over a century and a half, with soaring temperatures to match. Low rainfall has traditionally been one of southern Spain’s biggest tourism draws – but there is a real danger that the line could be crossed, as demand for water outstrips supply, and the damage to the economy and environment becomes too great. The ensuing failing agriculture, sandless beaches, loss of wildlife (Doñana National Park’s bird population dropped by half as they took flight in search of water) and subsequent risk of flash floods when the rains finally do fall could prove to be a turn off for even Northern Europe’s most hardened sun seekers.
Source: The Olive Press
What you can do
A lack of employment options has created a mass exodus from rural areas to the cities, and with the people go centuries of tradition and connection with the land. By rejecting the widespread package tourism model, and staying in rural guesthouses, fincas, farmstays and other more unusual accommodations, you will generate income and jobs in some of Spain’s neediest communities. Traveling off season is not just more pleasant if you are planning an active vacation – but it also spreads the income across the year, preventing places from becoming cultural deserts outside of July and August.
Not so sunny for the people
In 2014, the EU issued a report on Europe's five worst unemployment black spots. All were in Spain – and the worst of all was Andalucia, where unemployment is approaching 40 percent. The situation thankfully seems to be improving – by 2018 it had fallen to 23 percent – but that doesn’t mean the underlying causes have been fixed.As well as wider economic woes affecting Spain and the rest of Europe, the bursting of Andalucia's property bubble caused financial mayhem. During the property-fuelled boom, many young people left school to work in construction – now that work has disappeared they are left with no work and no education.
While property was a temporary major industry, agriculture has been a mainstay of Andalucia's economy for a long time, with olives to the fore. Jaén alone accounts for nearly 30 percent of the world's olive oil production, and olive oil production accounts for 90 percent of its jobs. But not only does such intensive olive production pose environmental issues (see environment section) but it leaves the region vulnerable to dreaded events such as disastrous crop failures, which blighted production in recent years.
A more deep-seated problem is the ownership of land. SAT, the Andalucian workers' union, says that just 2 percent of the population own 55 percent of Andalucia's arable land, and that job creation is not a big priority for these huge landowners – only profits.
Tourism provides some grounds for optimism, with tourist numbers rising – along with inward foreign investment. But it is merely a sticking plaster on a wound that needs intensive care.
Source: The Guardian
What you can do
Focus your spending on local enterprises – especially ones away from the main tourist centers – to help direct money where it can most benefit struggling communities. That doesn't mean don't spend in the cities - spending generously in small locally owned restaurants and shops helps just as much there as it does in a rural hamlet.
Wildlife & environment
The frying pan of Europe
August 2018 saw some of the highest temperatures yet in southern Spain, soaring as high as 45°C in some places. Beaches and coastal resorts, always busy in the summer, get even more crowded as locals and tourists alike flock to the water’s edge to escape the baking heat. These heatwaves can last for weeks, and frequently claim lives.
But it’s not only the sweltering heat that you need to be concerned with. In summer dry vegetation is a tinderbox, and forest fires are a regular hazard in Andalucia, often leading to forced evacuations of homes and hotels, as firefighters struggle to contain and extinguish the flames.
Sources: The Guardian, El Pais
What you can do
The most obvious answer here is not to travel during the summer when temperatures are at their most intense. Andalucia is lovely throughout the year, so there’s no need to subject yourself to the heat, or the crowds, or the higher prices. Many of our Andalucia vacations take you away from the coast and up to higher elevations where temperatures are usually significantly cooler. Even so, in summer you’ll need to ensure you stay well-hydrated and consider adopting the locals’ approach of taking a shady siesta for a few hours from midday. Remember that water supply is a major issue in Andalucia, one of the driest regions in Europe, so keeping your showers to a minimum is important. And of course be as careful as you can not to accidentally start a fire, such as with a carelessly discarded cigarette end.