Sustainable Tourism in Navarrevisca【Fair of the Gardener | Cattle show】

In today’s post we will talk about ecological initiatives in a small town in Ávila (Spain). We will see how the Hortelan or Navarrevisca Fair was this year and we will present other activities that are organized in this town in the Sierra de Gredos for the protection of the landscape and the environment and for the promotion of responsible rural tourism.

We already saw in the Special Orchards around the world in Agrohuerto that one of our objectives is to publicize orchards and interesting activities related to sustainability and organic farming in Spain and other countries. We have already done so in other posts such as Skyfarm: a new model of urban garden in Shanghai and other entries in the category “Orchards around the world”… Today we return to talk about sustainable rural tourism and organic farming activities in Navarrevisca.

Navarrevisca: haven of peace and joy. Rural tourism and fun all in one

I have been in Navarrevisca many summers and weekends during my childhood, so I speak with full knowledge when I say that it is a unique place to enjoy nature and the beauty of the landscape. Thanks to its charming corners, its festivals, outdoor activities, fairs and meetings, this small town will never leave anyone who visits it indifferent.

Although sometimes life takes you in other directions and these days I don’t spend too much time there, I have never stopped appreciating the well-being that a few days of rest in the Sierra de Gredos provide…

Navarrevisca, always with such a good atmosphere, with the delicious “pinchos” that the bars and restaurants give you at aperitif time, and with the multitude of natural corners full of peace that you can find if you follow any of the hiking trails or simply taking a walk around the town.

Navarrevisca has just under 300 registered inhabitants, but its proximity to cities such as Madrid, Ávila and Toledo, and the large number of leisure initiatives, agrotourism, sports, gastronomic and cultural activities means that in summer and many weekends of the year reach almost 2,000 people in the town.

Craft fairs, food fairs, camping, mus, football or chess tournaments, literature contests or theater shows are just some of the activities in which anyone who wants to can participate, whether from the town or not.

One of the strong points is the “Fair of Cattle” that is celebrated at the beginning of October and which many also call the “Fair of the bottle”

In this party, in addition to being able to enjoy a good jog on horseback, people rush until the last moments of the sun in a good «pachanga» where there is no lack of beer, music and good food -most of it made with the crops from the orchards that have been harvested a few days before.

There are several companies and private businesses, neighborhood associations and cultural groups that selflessly organize workshops, sports tournaments or fairs for people to enjoy.

In the patron saint festivities of September, for example, the Navarrevisca Town Council provides the potatoes and meat for the main stew of the great meal that closes the festivities, and dozens of people spend the morning peeling the potatoes and preparing the feast that is served in the town square and to which everyone is invited.

Another example of generosity is the Altruistic group, which a few years ago began to build and restore bridges, shelters, fountains and paths that now make up a network of hiking trails of varying difficulty that are really worth doing.

Some of them, along with other people fond of orchards and the collaboration of the City Council, have organized the Market Gardener’s Fair.

Navarrevisca Market Gardener Fair

Although no one in the town is dedicated to agriculture as a livelihood, more and more people decide to start cultivating their own vegetable garden for self-consumption.

The benefits of home gardens, in terms of health, the taste of food, or the satisfaction produced by gardening, have made more and more urbanites decide to cultivate a small organic garden in Navarrevisca and tend to it in their spare time. Hence this initiative arose.

5 years ago Ismael, one of the Altruistas and owner of * Café Canillas, was talking to other garden enthusiasts about his harvest and the fact that more and more people in the town are growing their vegetables. Then they thought… What if we organize a «Festival of the gardener» in which each person who has a garden shows the others their harvest?

And… Said and done! They announced it and, in a few days, several people had already been encouraged to participate in this ecological day. Since then, more and more people collaborate and take their harvest to the square on the day of September in which the event is organized. Here are some photos of the Hortelano Fair that was held last September 2014:

After setting up the «stands», the gardeners exhibited their products to anyone who wanted to browse. At noon, the attendees enjoyed a lunch made with products from the garden and, in the afternoon, there was coffee, liquors and music for everyone.

Humor, as you can see, was not lacking in the event:

And quality organic products were not lacking either:According to the organizers, each year it exceeds the previous one in terms of participation and the desire that people put into it, and thanks to that the Market Gardener’s Fair is possible. Also the experience of previous years makes it more crowded and fun.

I hope you liked the experience that I have told you today, and that you are encouraged to do something similar in your towns or in the neighborhood where you live, even if you are from the city.

And, of course, do not forget to visit this beautiful town in the Sierra de Gredos, it will not disappoint you. You can find rural houses, a municipal hostel and rental accommodation available at any time of the year.

In the following posts: Organic garden in Navarrevisca: urbanites growing and Organic tomatoes: varieties and tricks to grow them, I will tell you about my visit to a couple of orchards in Navarrevisca, in which the gardeners of the area will tell us about their tricks for growing tomatoes and other vegetables.

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If you know of similar initiatives or simply want to share your experiences and tricks in the garden, you can write to us at info@agrohuerto.com and we will be happy to publish it.