Sustainable tourism in Cabo de Palos: travel like a local in this authentic old fishing town

These days there is a new generation of travellers who are seeking not photo opportunities but genuine sensations, people who prefer to have whatever the locals have for breakfast, wander along the streets without filtering the experience through Instagram and discovering places with their very own heart and soul. People, in other words, who don’t want to “do” tourism, but prefer to feel that they are part of a place for a few days.

When we hear about sustainable tourism we might think first about nature, recycling and mobility, but there is another equally important side to it: social sustainability. That’s to say, a kind of tourism which cares for and looks after the identity of a place, which creates opportunities for the locals and which allows visitors to experience the place without altering it.

Cabo de Palos and its authenticity as a way of travelling

In some places in the Region of Murcia this philosophy is taken especially seriously, and one of these is Cabo de Palos.

Far from becoming an artificial environment, this little fishing town still maintains its true identity: the port, the narrow streets, the dive centres, life revolving around the sea and a local community which is deeply connected to the surroundings.

And here you can find tourist projects which understand that travelling is more than just sleeping somewhere, it is finding a connection with the place.

This is the case of the Sub Up Hostel Cabo de Palos, accommodation which reflects that social sustainability and the local experience are essential elements in the establishment’s philosophy.

José Enrique Cárceles, the manager of Sub Up Hostel, explains that “We don’t want customers, we want people who live the Cabo de Palos experience.”

Q: “What does social sustainability mean to you?

A: For us it means respecting the place where we are and bringing value to the local community. It’s not about recycling or reducing energy consumption, but creating real relationships between travellers and the area, ensuring that those who come here can feel that they are part of Cabo de Palos for a few days.

People are looking for places with a soul.

Q: Have you noticed a change in the way people travel?

A: A great change. There are more and more people actively avoiding mass tourism destinations. They’re looking for authenticity, genuine recommendations, local businesses, simple experiences… they want to have breakfast where the locals have breakfast, and discover little corners which they won’t find on the typical “must see” lists.

Many guests tell is that what they most remember is not a photo but how they felt when they were here.

A hostel with the S for Social, working to create community

More than just a place to stay, Sub Up Hostel also works to generate a sense of community and bring dynamism to the area all year round. Workshops, meetings, activities related to the sea and collaborations with local businesses all form part of a different way of understanding tourism, as more human, more intimate and more sustainable.

Because social sustainability is also concerned with just that; generating a positive effect for the area and helping tourism to contribute to maintaining the identity of a place.

The Sala Tótem as a point of convergence

One example of this kind of sustainability is the Sala Tótem, where SubUp has created an important venue for health and physical activity in the surrounding area.

Tótem is a functional training room cum social club with a busy programme of activities throughout the year, and it is one of the places where the guests at the hostel get together with the “usual” visitors, i.e. the local people. In this way, those local users of the Tótem room become the ones who really bring dynamism to the town, transmitting its values and lifestyle through activities which include

- the varied sporting activities held, where they volunteer their help in order to ensure that all goes smoothly, and

- team building events for companies, during which they help to bring spontaneous dynamism to the activities so that the company staff can work while having fun, as well as interacting with the local population.

Source: ITREM