Wind farms will blight Spain’s nature tourism hotspot

One of Spain’s last untouched landscapes, the Sierra de Gata in north-western Extremadura, may shortly be inundated with up to 91 wind farms.

Ecologists are increasingly concerned about the impact these “parques eolicos” may have on the varied wildlife of the region – and, not least, on its pristine landscapes. Currently, Extremadura is popular with nature tourists, particularly walkers and birdwatchers from all over Europe.
For centuries this region was so off the beaten track that many people in the Spanish cities had never heard of it. Now the Sierra is waking up to the 21st century, and it threatens to be a rude awakening.

Wind power is currently de rigueur in Spain. Major wind-power schemes have appeared in Navarre, Aragon, Galicia and Andalucia. Now is the turn of Extremadura, the western region bordering Portugal, where a total of 91 wind farms are planned.

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