The tourism industry showcases every year different travellings trends. Whether on an educational way, with a professional group, or just as entertainment with your beloved ones, there are several ways of getting to know the Spanish cities. For instance, by practicing conscious travel in Madrid.
While very few spectacles still offer experiences with animals, how travellers may allign with the 2030 agenda and the 17 Milenium goals while discovering any given city? Is it just about climate change, or the way you commute withing/from/to the city? Have you ever heards about the legacy project that you could join during our free street art tour in Madrid?
- What’s the impact that you may create in the local communities?
- The way you travel, matters.
- Madrid’s sustainability and its different projects
What are the main characteristicts and best practices of our conscious travel in Madrid?
We are what we do, in order to change who we are.
Eduardo Galeano
The quote referenced above may summarize our duty as game changers. This exact detail represents our core, and the professionals behind Cooltourspain. A group of art historians, licensed tour guides, contemporary art artitst and graffiti writers who teamed up to offer experiences related to conscious travel in Madrid.
Guided visits that will allow you to understand what’s going on in the 2024 around the globe, and more specifically in the Spanish society. What are the problems that local residents face during their daily lifes? Would you be interested in hearing, through art and history, what worries us the most?
All of it, developed in a way with which we pretend showing our districts to our friends and visitors, respecting the neighbors who live around Lavapiés and Malasaña districts. Abover all, with groups no langer than 15-18 guests per guide, and no headset/microphones/speakers.
Storry tellers for the change
All the guided visits offered at Cooltourspain are led by a group of enthusiasts who love showing the place where they live, to travellers interested in the local culture. In this sense, the conscious travel in Madrid will let you explore areas of town that you’d probably not discover on your own.
They passionately talk about the urban landscape, social justice, women’s empowerment, and the solidarity that exists among people from a wide variety of cultures.
It’s not just a guided visit, but a tailored experience towards guests interested in discovering the Spanish culture in an alternative way. Off the beaten path. Tours usually take 2 hours and you may book them publicly or in a private way. Travellers usually visit us from United States, Germany and France. Why should you hire us for conscious experiences and tours in Madrid?
These are some of the spots that we’d recommend and artsy person visiting
It’s been 8 years now that we started offering ideas for conscious travel in Madrid. Since then, and only in 2023, around 4033 travellers participated at one of Cooltourspain’s experiences. This year, we plan on growing an extra 12%, as compared to the previous season.
You should take into consideration that this artistic, cultural, educational, social and touristic project is now present in Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga. For those of you looking for alternative spots to visit in the Spanish capital city, here you may find more information:
- CSOA Tabacalera: A self-sustained project in a former tobacco factiry from the XIX century. (Please note that the building in Calle Embajadores is currently under construction)
- Esta es una Plaza (Calle Doctor Fourquet, 24): community garden opened on Sundays, and sunny days, which grants the visitor the opportunity to collaborate.
- La Neomudejar: this avant garde center, located behind Atocha railway station, features a transfeminist and queer collection from past decades’ fanzines and magazines around the country.
Apart from these ideas for conscious travel in Madrid, we target international citizens curious to explore the emergent local and national art circuit. Specially, the one created and developed by young and talented street art artists and graffiti writers.
We curate experiences in which you’ll meet and greet them at their studio/gallery, understanding how is the panorama like and what do they do in order to combat censorship. Here it’s a brief list of spaces that we’d like you visit:
- Art galleries around Carabanchel district. A working class neighborhood which now hosts cultural venues. Why there? Cheaper rental agreements.
- Zapadores ciudad del arte: It’s La Neomudejar’s twin project. Supporting the avant garde movement in a unique way.
- Coleccion SOLO: despite its exclusivity, one of the most important private collections in town. Booking required.
Experiences available for the conscious travel in Madrid
It was in 2016 when we first organized activities for conscious travellers. Since then, we grew in numbers, and a health crisis hit us hard. However, we’re still doing what we like most. That’s to say, offering alternative guided visits in Madrid.
FYI, there is a walking tour which became a pioneer in town. That’s the street art tour around Lavapiés. Our best seller. The activity meant to solve a touristic problem in town, and we now curate daily experiences for avid and intrepid travellers.
Later, you should note that we run feminist and black history tours. Interesting, huh? Keep on reading and do not forget sending us a whatsapp message to +34638399784, or an email to info@cooltourspain.com to book your spot at any of our walking and bicycle tours.
Feminist guided visit
One of our suggestions to practice conscious travel in Madrid, would be joining Beatriz, Mónica or Christine on our feminist tour. These empowered women will tell you the life and death of some of the most relevant female figures along the Spanish and international contemporary history.
Among other stories, you’ll hear information about the following pioneering ladies:
- Clara Campoamor, probably the most relevant politician of all times in the Spanish congress, or Las Sin Sombrero.
- Rosa Parks, Virginia Wolf, or Rigoberta Menchú, worldwide known for standing up for the collective’s rights.
- Gloria Fuertes, Almudena Grandes or Maruja Mallo, some of the greatest writers and painters in the Spanish cultural movement.
Conscious travel in Madrid through its’ graffiti and street art movements
Last but not least, we would like to showcase the job developed by Hector, Julien, Julia or Javier. From the touristic perspective, a great way to discover city in an off the beaten way, but in a social context, probably the greatest opportunity to practice conscious travel in Madrid.
They’ll explain you the stories that lie behind murals, and all the insider details around the local graffiti community. These are some of the questions that we’ll be discussing about:
- What’s the difference that exists between urban art and graffiti.
- What’s the purpose and main goal of street art.
- The respectful idea that is shared by the majority of writers.
Black history tours. Let us tell you the other side of the story
According to our socially responsible touristic approach, it is necessary to reinterpret how history has been told. That’s the reason wy our conscious travel practices in Madrid could let you discover the stories that the majority of travellers wouldn’t hear otherwise.
Colonialism and slavery will be among the topics discussed, on what we’ve defined as Black history Tours.
If you’re an African-american traveller interested in listening about Spain’s past, and what did the different kingdoms performed to achieve their infamous goals, then this alternative guided visit may totally suit your interests.
Cooltourspain’s opinion about the conscious travel in Madrid
It’s been over 8 years now that we’ve shared our time and knowledge with visitors from all over the world: United States, Israel, France… However, it should be important to mention that we’re the kind of lucky workers who love what they do. To us, it’s not a job, but a hobbie.
Our main goal is changing the world, and we hope achieving it thanks to your collaboration. We’re waiting for you! Join us now!
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