We are committed to nature conservation
The Palentina Mountain Natural Park is a protected area. It is located in the north of the province of Palencia. This park is committed to sustainable tourism, guaranteeing a development that improves the quality of life of its inhabitants and ensures natural resources for future generations. Recognized as a valuable natural park, it balances human activities with natural processes through a sustainable use of resources. It is also part of the Natura 2000 Network, a European ecological network of biodiversity conservation areas. It has Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPA) and Special Conservation Areas (SCA) and catalogued wetlands, contributing to the UNESCO Global Geopark Las Loras. This designation highlights the importance of this area in the protection of birdlife and the conservation of its natural environment.
It has also adopted the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS), a Europarc initiative that seeks to promote sustainable tourism in Europe's protected natural areas. This recognition is awarded to sites that promote sustainable tourism through effective planning and participatory processes.
The Natural Park Palentina Mountain adopted in 2015 the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS), currently in the process of its second renewal, is an initiative of the Europarc Foundation that seeks to promote sustainable tourism in protected natural areas of Europe.
The CETS is a tool for work, planning and commitment that lasts over time. To maintain this accreditation, an action plan must be implemented, participation structures must be maintained and renewal must be requested. It is a joint process that is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the territory, including the Permanent Forum on Sustainable Tourism for all local and regional stakeholders involved (Authority responsible for the protected natural area, the community and conservation authorities, and representatives of local and regional businesses).The Forum is the responsibility of all the stakeholders of the territory, including the Permanent Forum for sustainable tourism for all the local and regional agents involved (authority responsible for the protected natural area, the community and conservation authorities, and the representatives of the tourism companies) in the tourism development of the territory and the conservation of the natural and cultural resources of each protected natural area and the Working Group composed of the representatives of the groups that are within the Forum with the capacity to manage funds. Both actors promote the protected natural areas as destinations for sustainable tourism, through effective planning, management structures and participatory processes in order to ensure that visitors can enjoy the Palentina Mountain Natural Park in a more sustainable way.
There is a Strategic Plan for the development of sustainable tourism, the scope of the plan covers the Palentina Mountain, including the Palentina Mountain Natural Park, the Protected Landscapes of Las Tuerces and Covalagua, as well as the Las Loras Geopark. Several tourism plans have been developed in the Palentina Mountain Natural Park, such as the CETS Action Plan with an application period of 2021-2024, and in the process of renewal for 2025-2029, the Tourism Sustainability Plan of the Palencia Provincial Council, and the Tourism Sustainability Plan of the Palencia Provincial Council, with an application period of 2021-2024, and in the process of renewal for 2025-2029, and the Tourism Sustainability Plan of the Palencia Provincial Council. stica de la Diputación de Palencia, and the Plan de acción del Geoparque Las Loras, coordinated respectively by the Consejería de Medio Ambiente de Palencia, the Diputación de Palencia, and the Asociación Argeol. The main advances in tourism sustainability include the management of natural resources, the declaration and action plan for the Las Loras Geopark, the design of a network of agreed-upon facilities, the accreditation of facilities with the Q for Tourism Quality, the homologation of trails and paths, and the development of the Las Loras Geopark Action Plan.stica, homologation of trails, accreditation of the territory with the CETS and of CETS entrepreneurs, as well as the development of the Tourism Sustainability Plan of the Provincial Council of Palencia, supported by the CETS Action Plan.
Three phases have been developed for the implementation of CETS:
- Phase 1: Accreditation of the protected natural area in our case the Palentina Mountain Natural Park.
- Phase 2: Accession of tourism companies that meet criteria of quality, sustainability, commitment to conservation, local development and linkage with the protected area collaborating and supporting the objectives of the Palentina Mountain Natural Park in conservation and development. There are currently 24 companies in the Natural Park that have been members since January 2023.
- Phase 3: Adhesion of travel agencies with the aim of promoting the marketing of a tourist offer in protected areas, contributing to conservation and local development.
The CETS is a recognition of the park's commitment to promote sustainable tourism through effective planning, management structures and participatory processes, addressing key aspects of sustainable tourism in these particularly valuable and fragile territories.
This natural park, committed to tourism quality, has obtained the Q for Tourism Quality, a certification issued by the Spanish Institute for Tourism Quality in 2007. This certification is voluntary and is implemented through a continuous management system, ensuring that visitors' expectations are met.
It is also part of the Marca Natural de Castilla y León network, supporting the conservation of its natural heritage. This is a quality and origin label for agri-food products, tourist services and handicraft products for companies located in a protected natural area. To be eligible for this label, each area must have its quality accredited by a quality label held by a public administration or recognized entity, the products must be obtained, produced or processed in the territorial scope of the protected natural area's zones of socioeconomic influence (ZIS) and the company must have its registered office in the area. In the specific case of tourist services, they must be carried out or supplied in said area, and finally, both the products must be obtained, elaborated or transformed in facilities that comply with environmental legislation and the services provided. This is an initiative of the Department of the Environment of the Regional Government of Castilla y León. The Palentina Mountain Natural Park currently has one member agri-food company.
It also has a network of trails approved by the Federación de Deportes de Montaña, Escalada y Senderismo de Castilla y León (Federation of Mountain Sports, Climbing and Hiking of Castilla y León). Its main objectives include the protection of natural resources, the maintenance of the dynamics and functional structure of the ecosystems, the guarantee of compatibility between human beings and their socioeconomic development with the conservation of natural resources, and the promotion of their environmental values.
The Palentina Mountain Natural Park, as a member of the Soy Ecoturista Club, is committed to promoting responsible tourism that respects the environment. Through sustainable activities, it seeks to preserve the natural and cultural wealth of the region, promoting environmental education and supporting local initiatives that contribute to the sustainable economic development of nearby communities.