Family cycling holiday, Andalucia Spain

Environment

Almeria is a low rainfall area and so travellers are reminded that fresh water is a very precious commodity and should not be wasted, so use a minimum for showering and washing. We ask that guests ensure that lights and ceiling fans are switched off when not required, and not to leave TV, Video, Hi-Fi etc in standby mode – please switch off at the set.

Separate household waste is sorted into general waste, glass, paper & cardboard and plastic for deposit to the village recycling bins. Free logs are provided for winter heating to minimise conventional oil fired central heating. We plant drought-resistant or tolerant plants to reduce the need for watering, and use these plants in our food to keep carbon miles to a minimum. We produce walking routes for our guests that keep to established historical trails, providing beautiful views, and give advice on how not to disturb the fauna and flora of the area.

Visitors are encouraged to leave their car in our car park and to walk to the village to help reduce carbon footprint, or to use the local bus. Wind up torches now replace battery powered torches and reusable plastic bags available for shopping in the village are also available.

We support our local PAWS (Peoples Animal Welfare Society) by taking stray animals to their compound and also by delivering personal and household effects to their charity shop in Mojacar.

Community

The past 20 years has seen a steady decline in the traditional industries of agriculture, mining and animal husbandry and the Mayor, along with the support of the Provincial and Regional Governments is committed to the introduction of tourism as a replacement industry. Work has started on identifying and marking the old donkey trails that criss cross the almond and olive groves in the Sierra de los Filabres around Lubrin. We are proud to be part of the quest to breathe new life into the village of Lubrin.

We employ a single parent local woman to carry out the domestic cleaning and a retired farmer to maintain the gardens. We use a local builder to maintain the fabric of the old Cortijo and outbuildings and a local plumber and electrician to maintain the infrastructure. We locally purchase hard and soft furnishings, white goods and electrical items. We also locally purchase our food and household items and encourage travellers to do the same.

We provide travellers with a map of the village showing the locations of the village shops together with the bars and restaurants. We sponsor a village website and are listing the local services to show travellers that we have all the basic necessities on our doorstep.