Green travel habits for Spain
Disclaimer: this is only a micro introduction - but there will probably be a follow up soon.
When I think about what Spain is well known for, sustainability doesn’t really come to mind. Not because it isn’t a focus, it’s just not as widely talked about. So when I made plans for this trip, I was determined to still maintain the practices I do when in one place, and share the answers to the questions I was asking.
But when it comes to conscious living and travel, it can’t be broken down by just one thing, of course. There’s modes of travel, food, fashion, skincare (and make up) and lots of different bits and pieces that make up our daily lives. Some things vary by region and may look a little different in other places also, so I still recommend doing a couple of searches of your own. However, hopefully, this will be a good place to start.
TRAVEL
Pre-pandemic, my mindset was all about getting places quickly for as cheaply as possible - so in order to get from Madrid to Valencia, I would have likely got a plane for the cheapest fare possible. A couple of years later and I truly feel the benefits of public transport. For one thing it reduces your carbon footprint and general expenses like car insurance, MOT and petrol costs but also it’s essentially one less thing to think about. You get your ticket, sit back and relax-ish. I still had a fidgeter next to me on the Renfe cross country train to Valencia.
It was my first experience of taking a cross country train in Spain and, even with the fidgeter, I would still happily do that journey again. It was kind of similar vibes as the Eurostar - but again even less faff (if you’ve ever been waiting in St Pancras). Buying in advance online, my standard ticket cost just under €30, had no luggage weight restrictions, great legroom and a larger foldaway table. Take that cheap budget airline!
Although there is of course the metro in cities like Madrid and plenty of buses, the weather is also great to hire electric scooters and bikes in most places. You can either do this from one of the many docking stations around places like Valencia, or use apps to track where some of the nearest ones are.
Personally, sitting at a laptop for hours of time, I prefer to opt for walking - and its how I find a lot of my favourite places because they don’t always appear on an initial Google search. More often than not, a lot of places, like Madrid, look bigger on the map but then I’ve been able to get to several places walking in no time! Valencia is a liiiiittle bit different a story, but create a nice Sunday stroll route to the places you’d like to go and it makes for a wonderful weekend adventure!
FOOD
A couple of years ago when I visited Spain, I mentioned I was vegetarian and some people laughed at me. However when I’ve searched ‘vegan’ both in Madrid and Valencia this trip, there has been a plethora of wonderful options to choose from for all meals. I even had the most delicious açaí bowl the other day from Rawcoco Green Bar.
Even in supermarkets like Mercadona and Carrefour, you have to literally walk through the organic section in order to get to the rest of the shop. And that’s another thing, to eat organically costs closer to a finger nail than the arm and a leg that it does in some places in the UK.
FASHION
Although I’d like to do a little more research into this, it seems even Spanish fashion is making bigger efforts to take care of the planet. Madrid was full of vintage and second hand clothing stores and Valencia is full of kind beauty stores. Even some of the fast fashion brands like Pull & Bear and Zara seem to be pushing pro-environment messaging - again, I want to do some more research before committing to celebrating them entirely.
If you’re on the road longer term, and like me need to be weary of your luggage allowance, there are a couple of things you can do with old clothes. Just like at home, you can search for ‘ropas de segundamano’ (second hand clothing) for shops like HUMANA Vintage or find your nearest clothing bank. They’ll normally have ‘ropas’ (clothing) or ‘calzados’ (shoes) on the side. I didn’t notice any in Madrid, but in Valencia there seem to be quite a few bright orange bins on street corners. But check with your accommodation host because one article I read said it was a bright green colour.
SKINCARE AND MAKE UP
Just like fashion in Spain, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of kinder beauty brands about like Freshly Cosmetics in Valencia and Planeta Vegano in Madrid. And while I’d like to do a little more research again to make sure the ingredients are legit (we all know the danger of greenwashing), it’s comforting to know that sustainability and greener living is at the forefront though of the general consumer here.
As I mentioned, it’s only a start and you might need to check different things by region. But it’s out there and, especially in Spain, so much more widely available than some other countries that I’ve visited. So why not give it a go?!
Happy (Green) Travels!
Han x
📍Rawcoco Green Bar, Valencia
