Lavender fields draw unmanageable tourist numbers to Spanish village
So much so that the photogenic success of this floral backdrop has become unmanageable for one Spanish community.
The town of Brihuega in the province of Guadalajara draws hundreds of thousands of tourists annually to its lavender fields.
With so many visitors descending on the attraction at the weekend during blooming season, local authorities are now mulling how to reduce the impact of tourists on residents.
100,000 tourists visit Spanish town's lavender fields in July
Brihuega has around 1,000 hectares of lavender fields that social media users have discovered provide an ideal backdrop for Instagram photography.
Thanks to this social media boom, the destination has gained significant popularity over the last 10 years, with tourism helping to reverse population decline in the rural community.
The town has experienced a 24 per cent growth in population and has seen millions of euros flow into the local economy.
But the tables have now turned, as increasing numbers of visitors arrive in Brihuega, creating an overwhelming demand on the town's local infrastructure.
Over 100,000 people descended on the fields during July, the month when the lavender reaches full bloom, putting immense pressure on the nearby community of fewer than 3,000 inhabitants.
Although local authorities acknowledge the lavender fields' crucial economic importance, Mayor Lusi Viejo has appealed to tourists to consider avoiding weekend visits.
'Take last Saturday, for example: the village collapsed. It was a hard time for me,' Mr Viejo told the Spanish national daily newspaper ABC.
'We have a wide range of tourist, cultural and artistic offerings thanks to the lavender,' he said.
'But my advice is that people come and visit us between Monday and Thursday – please! Weekends are more difficult because of the huge quantity of people who come.'
Lavender field tourism has contributed €8m to the regional economy
The main issue, particularly during the season when the lavender is in bloom, is visitors clogging Brihuega's historic narrow lanes and parking vehicles haphazardly.
"Ahead of next year, we need to build a park-and-ride parking lot on the outskirts of the historic centre and connect it with shuttle buses," Viejo said.
In a recent communication to local residents, Viejo announced plans for a permanent park-and-ride system with connecting shuttle services.
The mayor also noted that field access remains free, preventing the municipality from controlling visitor numbers or implementing tourism taxes.
Despite challenges from excessive crowds, the substantial tourist numbers have contributed €8m to the regional economy throughout this lavender season.
"Managing such an influx of visitors in such a short time is difficult. We work hard, we have a security committee, but it's still a large turnout," the mayor said.
He added that the goal is to attract year-round tourism and distribute visitors more evenly, rather than experiencing concentrations during the lavender blooming season.
Brihuega's mayor highlighted the council's efforts to promote visits to the area's sumac fields during October and November, when the slopes are transformed by the deep red flowers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
01-08-2025
- Euronews
Why landowners have introduced fee on this Italian hiking trail
High in the Italian Dolomites, a hiking trail on Seceda mountain has become a renowned place for taking dramatic shots of the spiky Odle Peaks. But its growing fame on social media is becoming a nightmare for residents of the area in South Tyrol. This summer, walkers and locals have been sharing images of the route jammed with queues of tourists waiting to take Instagram-worthy snaps. Some 8,000 people reportedly walked the path on a single day last week. Frustrations have grown to the point that local landowners have decided to take independent action and install a turnstile at the beginning of a trail. The move has been controversial, but it is highlighting a wider, growing issue of overtourism, poor visitor behaviour, and environmental damage in Italy's mountains. Farmers ask tourists to pay fee to hike scenic route At the beginning of July, a group of local farmers set up a turnstile with a toll on the Odle trail to protest against the constant passage of tourists who, they say, disrespect the area. "The trails are abandoned and the meadows are full of rubbish," they said in a statement. The turnstile was quickly deactivated by the Puez-Odle Nature Park authorities. However, in recent days, the system has been reinstated. The landowners said in a statement that the initial installation of the turnstile was primarily intended as a provocation - or a 'cry for help' as local newspaper Il Dolomiti describes it. However, since receiving no contact from 'political representatives, associations, or organisations", they chose to reactivate the system. Anyone who wishes to hike along the route is asked to pay a €5 fee - children and residents excluded. There is a person present to take payments, which can be made by cash or card. The landowners say they have been obliged to charge a toll to compensate for the damage to their land and to fund their upkeep of the slopes. Mountain associations denounce the turnstile Local tourism associations and mountain guides have weighed in on the debate, with many denouncing the landowners' move. "If from one day to the next every landowner imposed a toll, what would happen?" Tullio Mussner, president of the Lia da Mont association, told local news outlet L'Altramontagna. There are reportedly now staff members of the tourism association Dolomites Val Gardena posted at the turnstile to inform visitors that it is not mandatory to pay the requested fee. They also direct hikers to an alternative, slightly longer route that bypasses the gate and still reaches the famous panoramic viewpoint of the Odle Peaks. The organisation is reportedly preparing an information sign to be placed next to the turnstile, clarifying that it is a private initiative and indicating the way to the alternative route. Greater regulation of tourism is needed in the Dolomites Others, including local residents, say the provocative move by landowners has been useful. Carlo Alberto Zanella, president of the South Tyrolean branch of the national hiking association Club Alpino Italia (CIA), told local newspaper Salto, 'it serves to bring a real problem to public attention.' He said visitors walk through or cycle across the meadows bordering the trail, spoiling the fields and their crops before the farmers can harvest. 'You need education about how to respect the environment. That's the point.' Local tourism groups also acknowledge that overcrowding is partly due to a lack of regulation by provincial authorities. Mussner called for local farmers to be financially compensated for summer tourism, as is done in winter for owners of land crossed by ski slopes. This is particularly urgent given the booming interest in mountain destinations amid boiling European summers. According to research by the Demoskopika Institute, for the second consecutive year, South Tyrol is one of the destinations in Italy most exposed to tourist overcrowding, on a par with Venice. Is Apple to blame for the Seceda mountain's popularity? Some say the culprit of this area's popularity is the technology company Apple. It used a photograph of the Seceda mountain as the official wallpaper for its iOS 7 operating system a decade ago. Two years ago, it featured the Seceda again in a short promotional video during the iPhone 15 launch event. Local groups say the result of that involuntary publicity was a huge increase in visitors, often driven by the desire to just take a few photos of the views and then leave. They also say that the cable car from Ortisei that takes passengers to the summit is exacerbating the problem. The route has also seen intense overcrowding, with local guides warning visitors to arrive early in the morning to avoid the lengthy queues. Some tourism and environmental groups are now calling for a price increase in summer or even its complete closure in peak season to prevent the unsustainable influx of visitors. The company that operates the cable car has instead proposed tripling its capacity amid much controversy and fears of stoking the overtourism problem.
Euronews
30-07-2025
- Euronews
Clear waters: The cleanest and least safe bathing spots in Europe
Keen swimmers seeking the perfect bathing spot are more than likely to be in safe waters in Europe, at least when it comes to chemicals. The latest European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis, looking at 22,127 coastal, lake and river locations, rated 85% of bathing spots as excellent. Cyprus was elected the best destination for bathers, with over 99% of its waters receiving the excellence score. The country has consistently ranked in the top spots over the years, featuring heavenly sites like Aya Napa, Nissi Beach, Fig Tree Bay and Konnos Bay, among others. Great news for those heading to the Black Sea this summer: Bulgaria jumped three spots and fared second with an excellence score of 98%. Campers travelling to Bulgaria can enjoy the peaceful Krapets Beach or Kara Dere, known for the lush green surroundings, as well as Varvara for a more secluded vibe. On a path to improve water quality: Why does Albania rank last? The EEA report findings, however, are not quite as positive for Albania, one of the emerging tourism destinations in Europe. It features the lowest rate of waters deemed to be of excellent quality (16%) and the largest share of spots ranked as poor (23%). The Agricultural University of Tirana says many residential areas with more than 5,000 people lacked wastewater treatment plants until recently, resulting in sewage being directly dumped into the sea or rivers. In particular, "the sewage system in the city of Durrës has been a problem for both residents and ecosystems for years", says the European Journal of Environment & Earth Sciences. Plastics and microplastics pollution pose additional problems. After Montenegro and North Macedonia, Albania had the third-highest rate of plastic dumping into the water pro capita, at three kg per year. This is according to a 2020 report published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. With the help of the European Union and the World Bank, however, the country is taking significant steps and investing millions of euros to extend its water treatment infrastructure and improve river basin management, particularly in Divjakë, Durrës, Kavajë, Ksamil, Lezha, Orikum, Saranda, Spille, Velipoja and Vlorë, among others. Banning bathing? Areas of France, Italy and Spain under scrutiny The EEA interactive map shows numerous dangerous spots in southern-central areas of France and inland Corsica, while, in Italy, the largest concentrations appear in the south: north of Reggio Calabria as well as near Naples and Salerno. The heavenly Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca isn't completely immune either: Water at Playa Tamarells, Playa de Albercuix and Cala Egos was marked as poor. Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 58 spots in the EU consistently ranked as poor. Of these, 30 are located in Italy, 20 in France, two in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, and one each in Estonia and Spain. "Of these, only five had managed to improve their water quality to at least a sufficient level by 2024," says the EEA. According to the EU's Bathing Water Directive, bathing spots classified as poor for at least five consecutive years need to be subjected either to a permanent bathing ban or to a permanent advisory notice against bathing. What to watch out for when choosing your bathing spot? Swimmable waters must have low amounts of E. coli and intestinal enterococci, which are faecal bacteria originating from sewage and manure. If swallowed, they can cause diarrhoea, stomach pain, urinary infections and other illnesses. Cyanobacterial blooms—also known as the blue-green algae (though they're not actual algae)—also indicate poor water quality. They are naturally present in salty and freshwater, but if levels are too high, their toxins can cause nausea, muscle weakness, irritation and death of animals through inhalation or skin contact. In addition, this can result in unpleasant smells and poor water transparency (the "pea soup effect"). Cyanobacterial blooms thrive on agricultural runoff and wastewater, so good sewage systems are fundamental to controlling the nutrients that fuel them. Some symptoms of scarce water quality, however, are harder to detect by simply looking at the water, for example, in the case of chemical pollutants like mercury. "These pollutants are not captured by bathing water monitoring even when they exceed legal thresholds," says the EEA. Therefore, it is always better to properly research your selected location than just assess quality with a visual examination. Sea, rivers or lakes: Where can swimmers find the best water quality? Coastal waters tend to be much cleaner than rivers and lakes, in general. Over the past 15 years or so, the share of EU waters of excellent quality has remained between 81% and 89%, currently at 88.8%. Lakes and rivers stayed between 60% and 82%, with scores declining slowly but steadily since 2022. The present rate is 78.3%.
Euronews
29-07-2025
- Euronews
Lavender fields draw unmanageable tourist numbers to Spanish village
It's a guaranteed social media winner - a picture posing in a stylish outfit flanked by vivid rows of purple lavender stretching to the horizon. So much so that the photogenic success of this floral backdrop has become unmanageable for one Spanish community. The town of Brihuega in the province of Guadalajara draws hundreds of thousands of tourists annually to its lavender fields. With so many visitors descending on the attraction at the weekend during blooming season, local authorities are now mulling how to reduce the impact of tourists on residents. 100,000 tourists visit Spanish town's lavender fields in July Brihuega has around 1,000 hectares of lavender fields that social media users have discovered provide an ideal backdrop for Instagram photography. Thanks to this social media boom, the destination has gained significant popularity over the last 10 years, with tourism helping to reverse population decline in the rural community. The town has experienced a 24 per cent growth in population and has seen millions of euros flow into the local economy. But the tables have now turned, as increasing numbers of visitors arrive in Brihuega, creating an overwhelming demand on the town's local infrastructure. Over 100,000 people descended on the fields during July, the month when the lavender reaches full bloom, putting immense pressure on the nearby community of fewer than 3,000 inhabitants. Although local authorities acknowledge the lavender fields' crucial economic importance, Mayor Lusi Viejo has appealed to tourists to consider avoiding weekend visits. 'Take last Saturday, for example: the village collapsed. It was a hard time for me,' Mr Viejo told the Spanish national daily newspaper ABC. 'We have a wide range of tourist, cultural and artistic offerings thanks to the lavender,' he said. 'But my advice is that people come and visit us between Monday and Thursday – please! Weekends are more difficult because of the huge quantity of people who come.' Lavender field tourism has contributed €8m to the regional economy The main issue, particularly during the season when the lavender is in bloom, is visitors clogging Brihuega's historic narrow lanes and parking vehicles haphazardly. "Ahead of next year, we need to build a park-and-ride parking lot on the outskirts of the historic centre and connect it with shuttle buses," Viejo said. In a recent communication to local residents, Viejo announced plans for a permanent park-and-ride system with connecting shuttle services. The mayor also noted that field access remains free, preventing the municipality from controlling visitor numbers or implementing tourism taxes. Despite challenges from excessive crowds, the substantial tourist numbers have contributed €8m to the regional economy throughout this lavender season. "Managing such an influx of visitors in such a short time is difficult. We work hard, we have a security committee, but it's still a large turnout," the mayor said. He added that the goal is to attract year-round tourism and distribute visitors more evenly, rather than experiencing concentrations during the lavender blooming season. Brihuega's mayor highlighted the council's efforts to promote visits to the area's sumac fields during October and November, when the slopes are transformed by the deep red flowers.
