It has been 50 years since the emblematic ‘Summer of Love’, when the Monterrey Pop festival took place in which artists of the stature of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin or The Who made known to the world the hippie movement that had already been developing for a long time. the streets of San Francisco. It arrived in Europe a little more than a decade late, but it hit hard, and that is why today there are many hippie paradises in Spain. From authentic hippie communes still in operation to sustainable and charming hotels, in this article we review the main ones.
The main hippie paradises of Spain
Benefit (La Alpujarra, Granada)
Profit is the main one of the hippie paradises of Spain. It is the largest commune in our country and one of the oldest in Europe. It was established at the end of the 70s, and today about 250 people live there. They are dedicated to organic farming, crafts or music and understand each other in English despite being of 15 different nationalities. They are governed by a legislative assembly that meets a couple of times a day, and the rules are simple: respect, peace and love prevail, and strong alcohol, hard drugs and mistreatment of nature are not allowed.
Matavenero (Leon)
Another of the best-known hippie paradises in Spain is Matavenero, in León. This difficult-to-access ecovillage – it can only be accessed after a three-hour walk along a narrow dirt road – was founded in 1989 in the mountains of the El Bierzo area, and 120 people live there under the simple motto ” Without disturbing to no one, each one lives as he wants “. Motors are not allowed within the commune, the electrical energy comes from solar panels and the waste is used as compost for the orchards.
Negueira de Muñiz
Halfway between Lugo and Asturias, on the shore of the Grandas reservoir, is Negueira de Muñiz, another of Spain’s hippie paradises. In this commune, which has had to fight against the initial suspicion of its neighbors, they mainly engage in two activities: bio-construction and agroecology. They seek to rebuild the town little by little in a sustainable way to stop rural decline by supplying themselves with the products that they prepare themselves and then sell in the neighboring towns: jams, sauces, pickles, juices …
Valdepiélagos (Madrid)
Valdepiélagos is one of the hippie paradises in Spain that is closest to the bustle of the city: it is located just 50 kilometers from the center of Madrid. In this small ecovillage that has its own social currency – Las Moras – in order to facilitate bartering, sustainable cooking classes, yoga, or soap and candle making are taught, and they are self-sufficient through solar panels and their own gardens. The inhabitants of this commune are renewed with continuous frequency, since many people come – actors, teachers, musicians, writers … – tired of the busy and consumerist life of the capital to take a break and learn that another lifestyle is possible.
Ensenada de los Lances (Tarifa, Cádiz)
In this town on the outskirts of the most famous surfing city on the Cadiz coast is the smallest of the hippie paradises in Spain: the Hotel Arte y Vida, a hotel-chiringuito that has only 11 rooms and that has become a true melting pot of cultures where good vibes prevail 24 hours a day.
Another world (Castilla La Mancha)
In the heart of the Sierra del Segura is this eco-camping run by a foreign family to welcome all those visitors who want to escape from the city and enjoy activities in nature living as the communities of yesteryear did. They offer accommodation in two elegant “retro chic” domes (called Domes) that have their own bathroom with an eco-friendly toilet and solar heated shower. Both domes are located on private plots, so guests will have the opportunity to relax to the fullest, although there is also a lovely shaded communal area with a porch, shared kitchen, tables and chairs.
Es Vedrá (Ibiza)
Ibiza is the hippie paradise of Spain par excellence, to the point that the hippies have their own monument (the work of the sculptor Ció Abellí) in the port of the city. Since the movement began in the 1960s, people from all over the world have come to the island to settle and live under the slogans of peace and free love. With the overcrowding of tourism, the island has lost a bit of its charm, but there are still small redoubts that maintain the essence of the first days, such as Es Vedrá, the Dalias market or Santa Gertrudis.
Karen House (Caños de Meca, Cádiz)
This charming sustainable little hotel made up of huts built with straw, wood, reeds and ropes is another of the hippie paradises in Spain best known among travelers who want to escape the city. It has all the comforts of any hotel establishment to use, but respecting nature. The walls are painted with ecological paint, the dishwashers are natural, and peace and love for nature are breathed in every corner. The surrounding landscape is also beautiful.
