RESPONSIBLE
TOURISM
RESPONSIBLE
TOURISM
Responsible Tourism
Equiberia aims to provide pure travel experiences that contribute to the sustainability of rural life and to the preservation of Nature.
We have always taken responsible tourism seriously since our first trip in 1995. After all, traveling on horseback is the ultimate minimal-impact approach to travel. But we also recognize that any travel has an impact, so we do everything we can to make that impact positive.
Some facts about Equiberia
We are contributing to Rural Life sustainability
We employ local people to support our riding operations. We support the local economy with our rides and 90% of our suppliers are local.
We are active members of ASENORG the Gredos Northern entrepreneur’s association aiming to develop responsible tourism to contribute to the present and the future of Rural Life.
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Our local suppliers
Local suppliers for the feeding of the horses.
Local suppliers for hay and pastures.
Local tack shop.
Local products for the “feeding” of the humans- for our picnics, tapas, etc.
Local bars and shops. The picnics are prepared with food bought locally or prepared by the local bars of the villages we ride through.
Local hotels: we stay at the National Parador which is state owned and employs at lest 50 people from the village, as it is their policy to support the local economy. All the other hotels are run directly by locals.
ASENORG
We are active members of the local Northern Gredos Business association ASENORG, which is key for the development of responsible tourism. After 10 years of consistent teamwork, some of the local initiatives have result in great longterm achievements such us:
Broom in Blosson Festival (Festival del Piorno en Flor), now catalogued as one of the 10 major spring events in Spain.
Gredos Dark Sky, officially certified by Unesco Starlight, giving birth to AstroTourism in Gredos.
Other teams in such areas as Gastronomy, Bird Watching, “Mushrooming”, and Active Tourism are all working with the same Ethos of quality, consistency and long-term sustainability.
“Repueblo” and the Empty Spain
This is a recent initiative that started in Gredos just over a year ago and other similar sparsely populated areas of Spain, the now labelled “The Empty Spain”. The long-term objective of this new movement is to create the conditions for new settlers to move to the rural areas to develop their initiatives and create sustainable life improvement for the local community.
Equiberia has been a source of employment that over the years has attracted people to the Gredos area to work with us, a few of them staying and becoming local residents.
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We aim to help the preservation of Nature
We minimize the impact of our activity in the environment and our goal is to have a positive impact in the preservation of Nature. LEARN MORE
Minimizing impact in the environment
Our meals are elaborated with local produce: salad, vegetables, meats, and fruit are produced in the Northern and the Southern slopes of Gredos. Even our olive oil is produced is a small local cooperative. We serve local Spanish wines and beer made in Gredos. Whenever possible our choice is Zero km food (0 km food). It denotes the food produced, sold and eaten locally – the food which travelled zero kilometres. Mainly it refers to non-industrial fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, honey etc, which does not go through global trade chains, therefore it does not have big price margins and quality lose during long storage in international supermarkets. It also has an important ecological aspect which cannot be overseen – since there is no transport involved (we buy from the shop on the corner), the environment does not suffer from direct and indirect pollution. This is the way the local people have always done it and the Gredos gastronomic association is creative and keeps comes up with new recipes. There is such thing as gourmet cuisine in Gredos!
Our rides hardly require transport of the guests, as we usually ride to the hotels where riders and horses stay, and our support vehicle only does the strictly necessary kilometres to support the ride and is regularly checked for emissions.
We minimize the waste in our rides. Our picnics are 99% waste free with proper reusable crockery and cutlery, glasses, and tablecloths – Manet style; we recycle all that can be recycled; we use the horse’s empty feed bags for the rubbish... These are small things, but they count.
Gredos Regional Nature Park
We are active members of the permanent forum of the Gredos Regional Nature Park. This means we are involved in the conservation project and in the development of responsible and sustainable projects – such as rural tourism. The Gredos Park is a member of the Europarc federation and local companies will be able to join the European Charter for sustainable tourism in protected areas.
As a company we have the authorisation of the Gredos Regional Park to organise our rides in the park. To get this authorisation your company needs to respect the environment and contribute to its preservation.
Cattle farmers and Common Land
Gredos economy has been based on extensive free range cattle farming for years. The sustainability of this activity and the Transhumance life tradition, moving the cattle every year from the summer to the winter pastures, are key for the preservation of Gredos life style, its traditions and its nature.
We are members of the association “Trashumancia y Naturaleza” (Transhumance and Nature) for the preservation of the drover’s paths and the traditions and the lifestyle of the cattle farmers and the shepherds moving their flocks across the geography of Spain every season.
Spain in furrowed with countless tracks, across its geography, that tell the history, the culture and the traditions of the people, as if they were the lines of a hand. They are the “Cañadas Reales”, old cattle paths, existing since prehistoric man needed to move his cattle to new pastures. This natural patrimony covers 125,000Kms, fifteen times the length of the Spanish railway network, and a total of 450,000 hectares. The Cañadas Reales have also a unique ecological value because, like rivers, they help the migration of a variety of species. These tracks were the main arteries of communication of the civilizations that for centuries lived in Spain. Therefore by riding those millennial ways, we will help preserve this deeply rooted tradition in the Spanish rural life, that shapes the character of the people from the Sierra de Gredos, and help preserve these unique Natural heritage.
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Giving back
Our goal is to implement a long-term plan to consolidate initiatives to give back to the local communities and to the Land who make possible for Equiberia to create for you the most memorable Pure Life Experiences. LEARN MORE
Come Rest in Gredos
This is an initiative to thank and give back to frontline workers in the healthcare sector during Coronavirus times. An initiative spearheaded by ASENORG that gathered wide participation by many businesses in the Gredos area including Equiberia, workers from 2 regional hospitals and 1 hospital in Madrid were given vouchers to come stay, eat, rest and play in Gredos all compliments of the local businesses.
Riding for the local children
Equiberia is offering special pony park activities and riding programmes for local children, aiming to grow in them their love and respect for horses and Nature.
Charity horse rides
Equiberia is willing to collaborate with the organisation of Riding Holidays to support initiatives to raise money for significant causes. Please get in touch with us if you are part of an organisation or foundation who would like to organise such an event ride.
VIEW LESS
PHOTOS & VIDEOS
Local suppliers
Northern Gredos Tourism Association
Repopulating the Empty Spain
We are active members of the local Northern Gredos Tourisma and Business association ASENORG, which is key for the development of responsible tourism. After 10 years of consistent teamwork, some of the local initiatives have result in great longterm achievements such us: Broom in Blosson Festival (Festival del Piorno en Flor), now catalogued as one of the 10 major spring events in Spain. Gredos Dark Sky, officially certified by Unesco Starlight, giving birth to AstroTourism in Gredos. Other teams in such areas as Gastronomy, Bird Watching, “Mushrooming”, and Active Tourism are all working with the same Ethos of quality, consistency and long-term sustainability.
Local suppliers for the feeding of the horses. Local suppliers for hay and pastures. Local tack shop. Local produce for the “feeding” of the humans- for our picnics, tapas, etc. Local bars and shops. The picnics are prepared with food bought locally or prepared by the local bars of the villages we ride through. Local hotels: we stay at the National Parador which is state owned and employs at least 50 people from the village, as it is their policy to support the local economy. All the other hotels are run directly by locals.
This is a recent initiative that started in Gredos just over a year ago and other similar sparsely populated areas of Spain, the now labelled “The Empty Spain”. The long-term objective of this new movement “Repueblo” is to create the conditions for new settlers to move to the rural areas to develop their initiatives and create sustainable life improvement for the local community. Equiberia has been a source of employment that over the years has attracted people to the Gredos area to work with us, a few of them staying and becoming local residents.
Km Zero Food
Gredos Regional Nature Park
Cattle farmers and Common Land
We aim to minimize the impact in the environment. Our meals are elaborated with local produce: salad, vegetables, meats, and fruit are produced in the Northern and the Southern slopes of Gredos. Even our olive oil is produced is a small local cooperative. We serve local Spanish wines and beer made in Gredos. Whenever possible our choice is Zero km food (0 km food). It denotes the food produced, sold and eaten locally – the food which travelled zero kilometres. Our rides hardly require transport of the guests, as we usually ride to the hotels where riders and horses stay. We minimize the waste in our rides. Our picnics are 99% waste free with proper reusable crockery and cutlery, glasses, and tablecloths. These may seem small things, but they count.
We are active members of the permanent forum of the Gredos Regional Nature Park. This means we are involved in the conservation project and in the development of responsible and sustainable projects – such as rural tourism. The Gredos Park is a member of the Europarc federation and local companies will be able to join the European Charter for sustainable tourism in protected areas. As a company we have the authorisation of the Gredos Regional Park to organise our rides in the park. To get this authorisation your company needs to respect the environment and contribute to its preservation.
Gredos economy has been based on extensive free range cattle farming for years. The sustainability of this activity and the Transhumance life tradition, moving the cattle every year from the summer to the winter pastures, are key for the preservation of Gredos life style, its traditions and its nature. We are members of the association “Trashumancia y Naturaleza” (Transhumance and Nature) for the preservation of the drover’s paths and the traditions and the lifestyle of the cattle farmers and the shepherds moving their flocks across the geography of Spain every season.
Come Rest in Gredos
Riding for the local children
Charity horse rides
This is an initiative to thank and give back to frontline workers in the healthcare sector during Coronavirus times. An initiative spearheaded by ASENORG that gathered wide participation by many businesses in the Gredos area including Equiberia, workers from 2 regional hospitals and 1 hospital in Madrid were given vouchers to come stay, eat, rest and play in Gredos all compliments of the local businesses.
Equiberia is offering special pony park activities and riding programmes for local children, aiming to grow in them their love and respect for horses and Nature.
Equiberia is willing to collaborate with the organisation of Riding Holidays to support initiatives to raise money for significant causes. Please get in touch with us if you are part of an organisation or foundation who would like to organise such an event ride.
Local suppliers for the feeding of the horses. Local suppliers for hay and pastures. Local tack shop. Local produce for the “feeding” of the humans- for our picnics, tapas, etc. Local bars and shops. The picnics are prepared with food bought locally or prepared by the local bars of the villages we ride through. Local hotels: we stay at the National Parador which is state owned and employs at least 50 people from the village, as it is their policy to support the local economy. All the other hotels are run directly by locals.
CLOSE
Local suppliers
We are active members of the local Northern Gredos Tourisma and Business association ASENORG, which is key for the development of responsible tourism. After 10 years of consistent teamwork, some of the local initiatives have result in great longterm achievements such us: Broom in Blosson Festival (Festival del Piorno en Flor), now catalogued as one of the 10 major spring events in Spain. Gredos Dark Sky, officially certified by Unesco Starlight, giving birth to AstroTourism in Gredos. Other teams in such areas as Gastronomy, Bird Watching, “Mushrooming”, and Active Tourism are all working with the same Ethos of quality, consistency and long-term sustainability.
CLOSE
Northern Gredos Tourism Association
This is a recent initiative that started in Gredos just over a year ago and other similar sparsely populated areas of Spain, the now labelled “The Empty Spain”. The long-term objective of this new movement “Repueblo” is to create the conditions for new settlers to move to the rural areas to develop their initiatives and create sustainable life improvement for the local community.
Equiberia has been a source of employment that over the years has attracted people to the Gredos area to work with us, a few of them staying and becoming local residents.
CLOSE
Repopulating the Empty Spain
We aim to minimize the impact in the environment. Our meals are elaborated with local produce: salad, vegetables, meats, and fruit are produced in the Northern and the Southern slopes of Gredos. Even our olive oil is produced is a small local cooperative. We serve local Spanish wines and beer made in Gredos. Whenever possible our choice is Zero km food (0 km food). It denotes the food produced, sold and eaten locally – the food which travelled zero kilometres. Our rides hardly require transport of the guests, as we usually ride to the hotels where riders and horses stay. We minimize the waste in our rides. Our picnics are 99% waste free with proper reusable crockery and cutlery, glasses, and tablecloths. These may seem small things, but they count.
CLOSE
Km Zero Food
We are active members of the permanent forum of the Gredos Regional Nature Park. This means we are involved in the conservation project and in the development of responsible and sustainable projects – such as rural tourism. The Gredos Park is a member of the Europarc federation and local companies will be able to join the European Charter for sustainable tourism in protected areas. As a company we have the authorisation of the Gredos Regional Park to organise our rides in the park. To get this authorisation your company needs to respect the environment and contribute to its preservation.
CLOSE
Gredos Regional Nature Park
Gredos economy has been based on extensive free range cattle farming for years. The sustainability of this activity and the Transhumance life tradition, moving the cattle every year from the summer to the winter pastures, are key for the preservation of Gredos life style, its traditions and its nature. We are members of the association “Trashumancia y Naturaleza” (Transhumance and Nature) for the preservation of the drover’s paths and the traditions and the lifestyle of the cattle farmers and the shepherds moving their flocks across the geography of Spain every season.
CLOSE
Cattle farmers and Common Land
This is an initiative to thank and give back to frontline workers in the healthcare sector during Coronavirus times. An initiative spearheaded by ASENORG that gathered wide participation by many businesses in the Gredos area including Equiberia, workers from 2 regional hospitals and 1 hospital in Madrid were given vouchers to come stay, eat, rest and play in Gredos all compliments of the local businesses.
CLOSE
Come Rest in Gredos
Equiberia is offering special pony park activities and riding programmes for local children, aiming to grow in them their love and respect for horses and Nature.
CLOSE
Riding for the local children
Equiberia is willing to collaborate with the organisation of Riding Holidays to support initiatives to raise money for significant causes. Please get in touch with us if you are part of an organisation or foundation who would like to organise such an event ride.
CLOSE
Charity horse rides
Local suppliers
Northern Gredos Tourism Association
Repopulating the Empty Spain
Local suppliers for the feeding of the horses. Local suppliers for hay and pastures. Local tack shop. Local produce for the “feeding” of the humans- for our picnics, tapas, etc. Local bars and shops. The picnics are prepared with food bought locally or prepared by the local bars of the villages we ride through. Local hotels: we stay at the National Parador which is state owned and employs at least 50 people from the village, as it is their policy to support the local economy. All the other hotels are run directly by locals.
We are active members of the local Northern Gredos Tourisma and Business association ASENORG, which is key for the development of responsible tourism. After 10 years of consistent teamwork, some of the local initiatives have result in great longterm achievements such us: Broom in Blosson Festival (Festival del Piorno en Flor), now catalogued as one of the 10 major spring events in Spain. Gredos Dark Sky, officially certified by Unesco Starlight, giving birth to AstroTourism in Gredos. Other teams in such areas as Gastronomy, Bird Watching, “Mushrooming”, and Active Tourism are all working with the same Ethos of quality, consistency and long-term sustainability.
This is a recent initiative that started in Gredos just over a year ago and other similar sparsely populated areas of Spain, the now labelled “The Empty Spain”. The long-term objective of this new movement “Repueblo” is to create the conditions for new settlers to move to the rural areas to develop their initiatives and create sustainable life improvement for the local community. Equiberia has been a source of employment that over the years has attracted people to the Gredos area to work with us, a few of them staying and becoming local residents.
Local suppliers for the feeding of the horses. Local suppliers for hay and pastures. Local tack shop. Local produce for the “feeding” of the humans- for our picnics, tapas, etc. Local bars and shops. The picnics are prepared with food bought locally or prepared by the local bars of the villages we ride through. Local hotels: we stay at the National Parador which is state owned and employs at least 50 people from the village, as it is their policy to support the local economy. All the other hotels are run directly by locals.
CLOSE
Local suppliers
We are active members of the local Northern Gredos Tourisma and Business association ASENORG, which is key for the development of responsible tourism. After 10 years of consistent teamwork, some of the local initiatives have result in great longterm achievements such us: Broom in Blosson Festival (Festival del Piorno en Flor), now catalogued as one of the 10 major spring events in Spain. Gredos Dark Sky, officially certified by Unesco Starlight, giving birth to AstroTourism in Gredos. Other teams in such areas as Gastronomy, Bird Watching, “Mushrooming”, and Active Tourism are all working with the same Ethos of quality, consistency and long-term sustainability.
CLOSE
Northern Gredos Tourism Association
This is a recent initiative that started in Gredos just over a year ago and other similar sparsely populated areas of Spain, the now labelled “The Empty Spain”. The long-term objective of this new movement “Repueblo” is to create the conditions for new settlers to move to the rural areas to develop their initiatives and create sustainable life improvement for the local community.
Equiberia has been a source of employment that over the years has attracted people to the Gredos area to work with us, a few of them staying and becoming local residents.
CLOSE
Repopulating the Empty Spain
Km Zero Food
Gredos Regional Nature Park
Cattle farmers and Common Land
We aim to minimize the impact in the environment. Our meals are elaborated with local produce: salad, vegetables, meats, and fruit are produced in the Northern and the Southern slopes of Gredos. Even our olive oil is produced is a small local cooperative. We serve local Spanish wines and beer made in Gredos. Whenever possible our choice is Zero km food (0 km food). It denotes the food produced, sold and eaten locally – the food which travelled zero kilometres. Our rides hardly require transport of the guests, as we usually ride to the hotels where riders and horses stay. We minimize the waste in our rides. Our picnics are 99% waste free with proper reusable crockery and cutlery, glasses, and tablecloths. These may seem small things, but they count.
We are active members of the permanent forum of the Gredos Regional Nature Park. This means we are involved in the conservation project and in the development of responsible and sustainable projects – such as rural tourism. The Gredos Park is a member of the Europarc federation and local companies will be able to join the European Charter for sustainable tourism in protected areas. As a company we have the authorisation of the Gredos Regional Park to organise our rides in the park. To get this authorisation your company needs to respect the environment and contribute to its preservation.
Gredos economy has been based on extensive free range cattle farming for years. The sustainability of this activity and the Transhumance life tradition, moving the cattle every year from the summer to the winter pastures, are key for the preservation of Gredos life style, its traditions and its nature. We are members of the association “Trashumancia y Naturaleza” (Transhumance and Nature) for the preservation of the drover’s paths and the traditions and the lifestyle of the cattle farmers and the shepherds moving their flocks across the geography of Spain every season.
We aim to minimize the impact in the environment. Our meals are elaborated with local produce: salad, vegetables, meats, and fruit are produced in the Northern and the Southern slopes of Gredos. Even our olive oil is produced is a small local cooperative. We serve local Spanish wines and beer made in Gredos. Whenever possible our choice is Zero km food (0 km food). It denotes the food produced, sold and eaten locally – the food which travelled zero kilometres. Our rides hardly require transport of the guests, as we usually ride to the hotels where riders and horses stay. We minimize the waste in our rides. Our picnics are 99% waste free with proper reusable crockery and cutlery, glasses, and tablecloths. These may seem small things, but they count.
CLOSE
Km Zero Food
We are active members of the permanent forum of the Gredos Regional Nature Park. This means we are involved in the conservation project and in the development of responsible and sustainable projects – such as rural tourism. The Gredos Park is a member of the Europarc federation and local companies will be able to join the European Charter for sustainable tourism in protected areas. As a company we have the authorisation of the Gredos Regional Park to organise our rides in the park. To get this authorisation your company needs to respect the environment and contribute to its preservation.
CLOSE
Gredos Regional Nature Park
Gredos economy has been based on extensive free range cattle farming for years. The sustainability of this activity and the Transhumance life tradition, moving the cattle every year from the summer to the winter pastures, are key for the preservation of Gredos life style, its traditions and its nature. We are members of the association “Trashumancia y Naturaleza” (Transhumance and Nature) for the preservation of the drover’s paths and the traditions and the lifestyle of the cattle farmers and the shepherds moving their flocks across the geography of Spain every season.
CLOSE
Cattle farmers and Common Land
Come Rest in Gredos
Riding for the local children
Charity horse rides
This is an initiative to thank and give back to frontline workers in the healthcare sector during Coronavirus times. An initiative spearheaded by ASENORG that gathered wide participation by many businesses in the Gredos area including Equiberia, workers from 2 regional hospitals and 1 hospital in Madrid were given vouchers to come stay, eat, rest and play in Gredos all compliments of the local businesses.
Equiberia is offering special pony park activities and riding programmes for local children, aiming to grow in them their love and respect for horses and Nature.
Equiberia is willing to collaborate with the organisation of Riding Holidays to support initiatives to raise money for significant causes. Please get in touch with us if you are part of an organisation or foundation who would like to organise such an event ride.
This is an initiative to thank and give back to frontline workers in the healthcare sector during Coronavirus times. An initiative spearheaded by ASENORG that gathered wide participation by many businesses in the Gredos area including Equiberia, workers from 2 regional hospitals and 1 hospital in Madrid were given vouchers to come stay, eat, rest and play in Gredos all compliments of the local businesses.
CLOSE
Come Rest in Gredos
Equiberia is offering special pony park activities and riding programmes for local children, aiming to grow in them their love and respect for horses and Nature.
CLOSE
Riding for the local children
Equiberia is willing to collaborate with the organisation of Riding Holidays to support initiatives to raise money for significant causes. Please get in touch with us if you are part of an organisation or foundation who would like to organise such an event ride.
CLOSE
Charity horse rides
