Environmentalists in the Axarquia area have reported that two companies specialising in motorbike tours are entering the Sierra Tejeda Natural Park.
The GENA-Ecologistas en Accion Group has complained that the two companies, which work mainly with foreigners, are taking their clients on motorbike tours of the Sierras Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Natural Park which is incompatible with the preservation of the local wildlife. They also say it is not the first time.
The President of GENA, Rafael Yus, says the companies show photos of their excursions into the park on their websites as one of their star products.
They travel to Canillas de Albaida and Competa and up into the mountains frequently without permits to do so, according to the group.
Source: EuroWeekly News
We say:
It is a coincidence that I found this recent article in the EuroWeekly News, especially as my last article was about an off-road route through the Natural Park in question.
I don’t know for sure which companies this article is referring to, but as a member of a few motorcycling forums, I have seen companies ‘advertise’ their tours through sharing photos with fellow forum members showing some of the great routes and tracks they ride.
It looks great fun and I have thought more than once that I would like to go out with one of these companies for a day to improve my off-road skills. There are off-road bike tour companies out there that will take you to places you shouldn’t really be riding, in particular on the fire breaks. Fire breaks are there for a reason and it is illegal to ride them in Spain, so if you’re worried that you might be booking a tour with a company that isn’t environmentally responsible, ask them if they ride the fire breaks!
Another important point is that riding in these zones can have other implications, not least in the hotter months when we’re more prone to forest fires. It doesn’t matter if it’s accidental or not, if you spark a fire in Spain the penalties are steep, so unless you don’t mind parting with £9 million and spending 18 months in prison, go for it!
