Enjoying a few days in the middle of nature, near a lake, among trees or on the edge of the beach, are experiences that help us to take a break from our activities and restart our lives. In addition, breathing fresh air in the company of family or friends provides us with unique moments that we will surely love to repeat.
Many European countries allow free camping without any problems, however, there are not many places where you can do it in Spain. This is mainly due to laws that restrict this activity or prohibit it in certain places. Therefore, it is legal to do so as long as you have the corresponding permit from the municipality or the owner of the place where you want to carry out this activity.
That said, the first thing to do is to find out which places are suitable for free camping. In this article we present two options: Ons Island and La Graciosa Island.
Isla de Ons, located in the province of Pontevedra
It is part of the Atlantic Islands National Park. It is a paradise destination in every sense of the word. Here you will find beautiful beaches, hiking trails and activities such as scuba diving. We will need several days to take advantage of everything that can be done in this impressive destination.
It is possible to camp here in summer, specifically between 1 June and 30 September. However, we cannot exceed a five-day stay, and the maximum capacity is 200 people. For further details, interested parties should contact the Ons Tourist Office directly.
La Graciosa Island, in the Canary Islands
This is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. It is a beach with crystal clear waters and golden sand that has nothing to envy to the beaches of the Caribbean. In addition, they give us a feeling of great tranquillity, ideal for recovering from long days of work.
Unlike the island of Ons, here we need permission and to make a reservation in advance in order to camp. Likewise, we must meet a series of requirements, including, among others, not staying for more than a week, not using structures other than tents, that the capacity per pitch does not exceed 10 people and that the total number of campers does not exceed 200.
Tips for camping without leaving a trace in the ecosystem
Environmental protection is one of the main reasons why Spanish legislation regulates free camping. Therefore, it is important to treat responsibly the natural spaces that still allow our access.
There are activities that were commonly carried out in free camping areas that created negative impacts on the ecosystem. Building campfires to cover our food on such adventures is one of them. Studies have shown that these generate polluting emissions, which is why they were banned in many areas.
Nowadays there are a lot of foods that do not require cooking and that are very useful for conscious camping. Canned snacks are the most recommended option to keep our food in mind, save work and make it easier to clean up the space once the adventure is over.
However, it is important that all foodstuffs are correctly preserved, as high temperatures spoil them. The coolers protect the food from the heat, so they are indispensable for camping for long periods of time (more than 2 days). It is also necessary to use biodegradable cleaning products and toiletries during your stay.