Peace, love, beaches and orchards... Sources of inspiration in times of transformation
Since its birth in the 60s, the hippie concept has undergone different variations . If before the lovers of Woodstock, Volkswagen caravans and “magic” cigarettes were considered enemies of the system, today they are presented as ambassadors of a new lifestyle to experience from the bowels of capitalism itself.
In this way, the concept of "sex, drugs and rock & roll" mutates today into the conscious intention of building a better world through ecovillages, organic gardens and communal spaces , as minimalist as they are in keeping with the times. Oasis where you breathe a simpler life, activism is always present and the reality of offering an alternative route is always more attractive to us. If there is also a beach in the background, all the better.
We drive down back roads while California Dreamin' plays heading to the last (or should we say first?) hippie havens in Spain.
CALA SAN PEDRO (CABO DE GATA, ALMERIA)
Turquoise waters. Rudimentary windmills waving in the wind. organic gardens . The remains of an old watchtower. Peace and isolation blue. Considered one of the last hippie strongholds in Spain, the Cala San Pedro is a 100 meter beach where a small community settled years ago willing to use the remains of old farmhouses and the presence of a spring to start a new life.
Looking for answers or simply a secret bath in the spectacular Cabo de Gata , Cala San Pedro invites you to be known in two ways: either through an arid 4 km walking route from the town of Las Negras , or taking a boat from this same place to arrive in 20 minutes by sea. If you don't find options on the beach, ask at a bar for Uncle Toni's number.
Paradise exists and it is in Cabo de Gata.
GRAN REY VALLEY (LA GOMERA, CANARY ISLANDS)
In the 1960s, the launch of the book The Teachings of Don Juan, by the Mexican Carlos Castaneda, revealed to the hippie generation the location of some of the medicinal plants that opened the door to new dimensions . However, few counted on the presence of the unknown "Higuera del Diablo" in Valle Gran Rey, in the confines of La Gomera.
From a path of stones that begins in the village of Arure , a set of terraces, banana trees and fairytale houses overlooking an Atlantic where icons such as the Casa María bar still ooze the hippie charm of yesteryear is discovered. The one of hordes of young people sitting in front of the sunset, the echoes of the drums and the presence of shamans who delighted their disciples by distributing the magical extract of the Fortunate Isles. Today, the Valle Gran Rey is not what it was, but better: the perfect refuge from which to discover all the charms of La Gomera.
ORGIVA (GRANADA)
La Alpujarra de Granada hides some of the most delicious villages in Andalusia. And one of them is Órgiva. A set of white alleys on whose balconies hang the typical jarapas (a type of local rug) and its parishes defy the beautiful panoramic views of the peaks of Sierra Nevada.
However, one of the main attractions of this town is its condition as a threshold to one of the largest hippie communities in Spain: Benefit , a secret paradise (in fact, the route is practically non-existent on Google Maps) where scholars and hermits coexist through barter and under two conditions: no photos, no alcohol.
Valle Gran Rey collects the most hippie essence of La Gomera
IBIZA (SPAIN)
"It was said that Ibiza was a pimple of pus on the smooth skin of Franco's Spain" is one of the phrases with which Carlos Martorell, ambassador of the famous Pacha Flower Power party, he refers to his beloved Ibiza . Microcosms of young Americans fleeing the Vietnam War, redeemed Nazis, and young people practicing arts as alien as yoga back then, Ibiza is and always will be the hippie paradise that we came for.
Especially when it comes to succumb to the charm of Es Vedrà islet from Cala Conta , its bongos and secret terraces; the psychedelia of the Las Dalias Market, in Santa Eulalia; the white houses covered with cactus in Sant Agustín des Vedrà; or the organic crops of Santa Agnes, north of the island of Pitiusa. In fact, in recent years the sustainable approach has become one of the objectives of tourism in Ibiza as an alternative to a party that is not going through its best moment. Because it is difficult to choose only one place, Ibiza itself exudes peace and love for its four cardinal points.
ERNESS (NEGUEIRA DE MUÑIZ, GALICIA)
Beyond the hippie topics, in Spain there are different enclaves where a way of life away from society , as focused on bioconstruction as on sustainable cultivation. This is the case of Negueira de Muñiz , a community located next to the Grandas reservoir, in Lugo , and whose origin can be found in the 60s.
At that time, what began as a common commune ended up mutating into a conscious society, where the Ribeira do Navia cooperative is the main agroecological symbol of the area. The perfect setting from which to succumb to all its charms (the town includes some hostels) or look out to the charm of its reservoir and hills conquered by old stone houses.
La Alpujarra keeps towns under lock and key that seem to be taken from a fairy tale.
MATAVENERO (EL BIERZO, LEON)
The one known as the Rainbow Family began as a group of people in favor of the concept of non-violence in the United States during the 1970s . From a first meeting, this movement began to spread throughout the world promoting different initiatives, including the restructuring of old abandoned towns now converted into ecovillages. And one of them is Matavenero.
Housed in the Bierzo Valley , this town was abandoned in the 1960s to be recovered after a Rainbow encounter in the late 1980s. The result encompasses several organic gardens and other common areas like his craft school, kitchen or even a bar trapped between beech forests and streams. In addition, there is also a camping area enabled next to the town for all visitors.
ANOTHER WORLD (SIERRA DEL SEGURA, CASTILLA LA MANCHA)
Is it possible to combine eco-glamping with the most bohemian spirit? In the Sierra del Segura, yes. This is also the opinion of Ruben and Lotte, a marriage that they decided to found a few years ago a camping paradise through the so-called Domes, whitewashed accommodation that could well pass for a Star Wars stage, and perfectly conditioned in a unique environment.
In addition, the complex has different areas such as kitchen and dining room where families can interact with each other in addition to other activities: visit the cave paintings, swim in its natural pond or prepare food from baskets of organic vegetables just arrived from the community garden.
Do you sign up for Eco Glamping? Another World awaits you in the Sierra del Segura
VALDEPIELAGOS (MADRID)
At a time when the pandemic has prompted many people to leave the big cities to move to the countryside , the concept of ecovillage seems less and less crazy to us. If in your case you live in Madrid, Valdepiélagos is the best place to "test" your future in the middle of nature.
Located just 50 km from the capital, this sustainable nucleus founded by Victor Torre in 1996 today it is a paradise where 30 families live between organic gardens, yoga workshops and tipis that welcome those who seek some freedom away from the system. In fact, the town receives visits from numerous artists who come here to reflect or enjoy a unique stay. Perfect for find some peace at a time when rethinking the search for new spaces , its light, relationships and sensations have never been so necessary.
It's Vedra