Costa Quebrada Geopark’s Ecotourism Commitment
A geological laboratory open to the general public
From a Citizen-Led Initiative to a UNESCO Global Geopark
Sustainable development in UNESCO Global Geoparks is based on local participation, promoting education, geotourism, and heritage conservation. The Costa Quebrada Geopark emerged as a citizen-led initiative following the Prestige disaster and evolved into a professional, collaborative management model involving public and private institutions.
Officially recognized by UNESCO in 2025, the Geopark promotes ecotourism and local development through partnerships and projects such as the “Ecoturismo en España” product club and its “Soy Ecoturista” brand, bringing together businesses and promoting the conservation of the region.
Sustainable development based on heritage is shaped in UNESCO Global Geoparks through a bottom-up approach that facilitates the participation of local stakeholders in decision-making. This enables educational activities on heritage and sustainability; local economic activities such as geotourism and guided tours linked to the area’s geology and local customs, traditions, and products; as well as conservation efforts that foster a sense of connection between the community and its heritage and involve it in its protection and promotion.
Management of the Costa Quebrada Geopark falls to the association of the same name, created in 2002 as a citizen-led response to the Prestige disaster, whose oil spill severely impacted this area. Over time, this group of volunteers evolved into a professional organization, which structured its activities around strategic priorities including participation, education, awareness-raising, inclusion, research, conservation, outreach, and tourism.
Since 2015, a collaboration agreement has been in place that brings together the various institutions and organizations that share the Geopark’s principles and its vision for the future. The Costa Quebrada Association is thus joined by the city councils of the eight Cantabrian municipalities involved. In addition, the relevant departments of the Government of Cantabria participate, as does the University of Cantabria in its capacity as a scientific institution. Private entities of various kinds join this group of public institutions. Within the framework of this agreement, actions aimed at developing the strategic lines for the Geopark’s management are planned annually.
The UNESCO Executive Board approved the inclusion of Costa Quebrada in its prestigious global network during its 221st session. On June 2, 2025, the region officially received the certificate recognizing it as a Global Geopark at UNESCO headquarters.
In 2024 and 2025, the region participated in the “Green Spain Ecotourism Corridor” project, with several companies in Costa Quebrada meeting the requirements of the “Ecotourism in Spain” product club and joining the Green Spain Ecotourism Reserve.
In line with the Geopark’s strong commitment to sustainable tourism and geotourism in particular, in 2025, the Costa Quebrada Association joined the Ecotourism Association of Spain as a partner to include the destination and a selection of accredited companies in the Ecotourism in Spain product club and its “Soy Ecoturista” brand, making it the second destination in Cantabria to join. In this way, the Geopark works to promote this tourism product focused on discovering the region’s natural values and contributing to their conservation, as well as to local development.