Ecotourist Commitment
Our planet needs us
Creating new ecotourism experiences
Campana de Oropesa is a historic region in the northwest corner of the province of Toledo that stands out for the good state of conservation of its dehesas and steppe bird communities. More than 60% of its area belongs to the Natura 2000 Network. Its two main protected natural areas are the ZEPA Valle del Tiétar and reservoirs of Rosarito and Navalcán, and the ZEC-ZEPA Plains of Oropesa, Lagartera and Calera y Chozas. Both areas have implemented the System for the recognition of the sustainability of nature tourism in Red Natura, with the aim of promoting ecotourism in this territory. The Local Action Group Asociación para el desarrollo de la Campana de Oropesa (ADECOR) has joined the Asociación Ecoturismo en España and is implementing a participatory rural development strategy with the main economic sectors and local stakeholders. The region is implementing a tourism sustainability plan that will create new experiences in hiking, bicycle tourism, cultural tourism, handicrafts and ecotourism.
Tourism activity is highly localized in the municipality of Oropesa, while the rest of the municipalities continue to lose population. For this reason, and as part of its rural development strategy, ADECOR supports local producers, the tourism sector and service companies that increase the local quality of life. The Provincial Council of Toledo is implementing a tourism sustainability plan with the aim of turning visitors to Oropesa into tourists who wish to visit this extensive region that has places and landscapes where they can reconnect with nature and traditions. To this end, tourist experiences will be generated to tour its livestock trails on foot and by bicycle, learn about its embroidery and ceramic crafts with their makers, discover the pastures where the common crane winters, observe and photograph the birds of prey and steppe birds, and taste a kilometer zero gastronomy, based on its livestock and hunting.
To ensure that tourism activities do not negatively affect conservation, Campana de Oropesa has differentiated its two main areas of the Natura 2000 network with the Sustainability Recognition System for Nature Tourism in the Natura 2000 Network, and is training tourism businesses that voluntarily apply good practices in tourism sustainability to also differentiate themselves with this certificate. This distinction allows the destination and its certified companies to adhere to the Soy Ecoturista (I am an Ecotourist) brand.
Since 2022, ADECOR is part of the Association of Ecotourism in Spain, assuming the commitment to promote ecotourism and apply the tools of Soy Ecoturista to do so. In addition, a rural house, the company Hides de Calera and Fundación Aquila have joined the Soy Ecoturista brand to spearhead specialized ecotourism experiences, such as bird photography and scientific ecotourism, that are authentic and genuine.fico, authentic and genuine experiences to learn about the history of the recovery of the Iberian imperial eagle, launching a message of awareness to visitors and tourists in the region.