When you hear the word “camping” you probably picture being outdoors in nature, disconnecting from technology but nowadays, many campsites are more equipped for modern technologies like wifi and motorhome hookups than for actually escaping into nature.
Rachel, from VerdeVeras, is trying to change all of that and get back to basics, closer to the picture you might have in your head. We’re talking outdoors, down to earth, and affordable camping with communal spaces on a budget level.
Rachel is a London native who has done a lot of camping in the UK and Spain. Over the years, she noticed that more and more of the campsites she came across were paved lots with cars and motorhomes that weren’t so eco-friendly, or even eco-focused, at all. She began missing the sort of campsites she remembered growing up.
The name VerdeVeras is a play on words – you might think that it means Green Vera, but in Spanish, ‘Ver de veras’ means ‘to see the truth’.
Rachel – Verde Veras
After a conversation with friends, she started dreaming about building her own campsite just like the ones she’d so enjoyed years ago. With her child all grown up, she found herself with a newfound freedom to pursue the idea.
Now she is the founder of VerdeVeras, an eco-friendly campsite in the Andalucía region of Spain, where she works each day making her eco-camper dreams come true. She spent years looking for the perfect plot of land that met all her conditions. Then, she worked alongside many volunteers to construct the actual campgrounds.
Now she’s closer than ever to opening up in full swing.
I got to speak with Rachel to find out more about this project and why she was so motivated to embark on this journey in the first place, and I’m so excited to share our conversation with you here!
If you don’t have time to watch the whole video, scroll down for time stamps of each question below.
Q1: [00:00-5:00] Tell us about yourself, and your project, VerdeVeras.
Q2: [5:00-] How long have you been doing this and what made you decide you wanted to do this in this location ?
Q3: [18:41] – How did you come across the many volunteers that have helped you build the VerdeVeras campgrounds?
Q4: [22:27] – Where are you located exactly & what is sustainability like in your region?
Q5: [32:00] – Can you talk about how you’re approaching sustainability education on this project?
Q6: [45:30] – What tips can you give for beginners who want to try camping? Any ways to keep sustainability in mind as you’re just starting out?
Get involved with VerdeVeras!
Rachel is always seeking volunteers with experience in sustainable techniques, and if you have any background in gardening, plumbing, electricity, social media, marketing, or other skills, there might be a spot for you at the VerdeVeras campgrounds.
FOLLOW VERDEVERAS
What is eco-camping?
Basically, eco-camping is camping that aims to be as sustainable as possible, and have a minimal impact on the environment. As in the case of Verde Veras, it might mean the campgrounds are built with sustainable materials and in a low-impact way, that there is recycling, solar energy, or other many other things.
See what eco-camping looks like at the VerdeVeras campgrounds.
