Sustainable and Responsible Travel:

Spain Less Traveled’s Commitment

Originally published April 22nd, 2021. Updated September 26th 2023

All images are courtesy of the Spain Less Traveled team, unless otherwise stated.

Beautiful Spanish landscapes near Ronda, Málaga province, Spain.

How is Spain Less Traveled committed to responsible and sustainable travel?

Here at Spain Less Traveled, we have always been committed to promoting responsible and sustainable travel to Spain. When we work individually with our clients through our personalized travel services, we raise awarness and make sure to weave these practices into our itineraries.

We are truly dedicated to helping to be at the forefront of the shift in global travel and tourism, to respect and protect Spain, the Earth, and the communities we send our clients to. That way, travel truly is beneficial to all and promotes a truly sustainable global exchange.

(Here’s more about our commitment as a travel business to responsible and sustainable travel!)

Top travel tips for traveling responsibly and sustainably

Don’t fly within Spain (when possible)

Once you arrive on your international flight, that should be all the flying you do. Don’t fly domestically unless absolutely necessary.

Instead of using internal flights to bounce all around the country, consider creating a Spain travel itinerary that focuses on just one or two of Spain’s beautiful and diverse regions.

For example, why not spend your entire Spain trip in beautiful Andalucía, exploring Southern Spain off the beaten path too? There is so much to see and do in the South of Spain that you can easily fill an entire Spain travel itinerary with it!

Or base yourself in Madrid, Spain’s vibrant and authentic capital, and use it as a base to explore the surrounding area through some of the best day trips from Madrid.

If you are a nature lover, a foodie, or just want to see a completely different part of Spain, focus regionally on the north, planning a trip around Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, or Basque Country.

Go shorter distances and stay in each place longer eliminating the need for a domestic flight in peninsular Spain.

Of course, there are times when domestic flights work out the best logistically in our clients’ itineraries, so we always discuss best practices with this and with getting around Spain as well.

Use public transportation

Spain has a wonderful network of public transportation including trains (high-speed trains too) and busses that connect the country. Make use of them. Public transportation is much more sustainable and responsible than private transportation.

Most cities in Spain have great public transportation. Bike rental is really popular too and is a great way to explore the city on two wheels. And most of the cities pedestrian-friendly, making walking a great zero-emissions way to see a city.

AVE Trains: Spain’s high-speed rail service.

How can I rent a car and drive responsibly?

Sometimes, to get to certain places, especially locations off the beaten path, renting a car, or hiring a private driver, is necessary.

But there are ways to rent cars more sustainably. Whenever possible rent an electronic car or a hybrid. And if the option to rent an eCar or a hybrid is not available, choose the smallest car that consumes the least amount of emissions possible.

And it is very rare you will need a rental car for your entire trip. Make use of as much public transportation as possible, renting cars only for a few days, or even just a day trip.

In fact, you do not need or want a car in most of the cities of Spain. Traffic is horrible, parking is expensive, and again, public transportation is easy. Spaniards living in cities do not generally use a car to get around the city.

Costa Blanca, Alicante Spain.

Stay in hotels and guesthouses that employ sustainable practices

Think about where you are staying.

Choose hotels and guesthouses that are committed to sustainability. Pay attention to how they really lessen environmental impact by using renewable energy sources, reducing waste, and employing and empowering locals.

And save resources by not washing sheets and towels every day. Most of us don’t do this at home, so there is no reason to do it while traveling.

Say no to disposable products

Travelers do not need to be wasteful just because they are not at home.

In all of Spain, tap water is safe to drink. In fact, some regions of Spain such as Madrid and Granada are known for having delicious tap water. Bring a reusable water bottle and refill it instead of buying countless one-time-use plastic water bottles.

Another tip to travel as responsibly and sustainably as possible is to bring a reusable shopping bag instead of accumulating plastic bags every time you go to the mercado.

Cabo de Gata, Almería Spain.

Support local business and communities

Stay in locally owned and run guesthouses, and hotels. If you want to stay in larger hotels, support Spanish brands.

Book day tours, walking tours, gastronomical experiences that use local guides.

Avoid cruise ships and large packaged tours. Many of those companies do very little to support local communities. But if you will be visiting Spain as part of a cruise or group tour itinerary, there are still ways to support local businesses. For example, eat at local restaurants and book local tours from the port.

Don’t buy souvenirs that were no made in Spain. Look for “hecho en España” or even better, made locally in the region you are in. Buy from small shops instead of large corporations.

Eat Locally

Spanish food is amazing. Instead of eating at large chain restaurants that import their food (and that you can eat at home) enjoy Spain’s seasonal and local specialties.

The closer your food is produced to where you are, the more sustainable it is.

Go to local markets for fresh and seasonable specialties and locally produced specialties.

Trust us, by eating locally you will get to try some of the best food in Spain!

Fresh Padrón peppers in Galicia.

Leave no trace and respect nature

It should go without saying, but don’t leave anything behind in nature and at the beaches.

And don’t take anything that does not belong to you such as sand, rocks, or seashells. That all belongs to Spain and should be left where it was found.

Littering anywhere is just bad karma.

Say no to unethical animal tourism

Donkey rides to Mijas Pueblo?

The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona?

A bullfight? Horse and carriage ride in Seville (or anywhere)?

Just say no to all of these. None of these experiences are ethical because the animals are treated very poorly.

Don’t support animal cruelty.

No doubt that bullfighting is a Spanish tradition, but if you are interested in it, go to a bullfighting museum instead of going to a fight.

If you want to get up close and personal with Spain’s wildlife, consider heading to Doñana National Park in Huelva province, where you can spot many birds living in their natural habitat (and an elusive Iberian lynx if you’re super lucky).

We do not recommend or support activities that are rooted in animal cruelty. Period.

Doñana National Park.

The good news is, responsible and sustainable travel can be very enjoyable

In fact, it is one of the biggest travel industry trends going forward.

It is all about taking steps to save our planet. And who doesn’t want to do that?

And here at Spain Less Traveled, we put in use all of the above points when working with our clients to plan their trips to Spain.

There are a myriad of reasons why you should use a travel advisor to plan your trip to Spain. And with a focus on sustainability, we’d love to help you plan your trip to Spain with responsible travel in mind.

Let’s all do our part to keep Spain and the world clean and beautiful. Picos de Europa, Asturias, Spain.

If you liked this… Check out our other resources!

Ready to start your journey?

Book a FREE 15 minute discovery call

to help you decide which of our professional Spain travel planning services suits you best.