Alberche Pinares has already been certified as a Starlight Destination.

Starlight territory continues to grow in the province of Ávila. The region of Alberche Pinares has officially received its certificate as a Starlight Destination, which was presented on Friday in a ceremony held in the town of Cebreros.

The Starlight Foundation awards the Starlight Tourist Destination certificate to places that have excellent qualities for stargazing and that are protected from light pollution, making them particularly suitable for the development of tourism activities based on this natural resource.

In addition to the quality of their skies and the means to guarantee their protection, Starlight Tourist Destinations must also have adequate infrastructures and activities related to the tourist offer (accommodation, observation facilities available to visitors, training of personnel in charge of astronomical interpretation, etc.) and their integration into the nocturnal natural environment.

Credit: Diputación de Ávila

The recognition of Alberche Pinares comes after two years of work, studying the measures of sky quality required by the Starlight Foundation, reported Antonia Varela, director of the Starlight Foundation, who also added that "they have studies of more than 20,000 measurements, all of which confirm the good quality of the skies of this land".

Varela also pointed out that the recognition of this area is in addition to the Regional Park of Gredos, which is a Starlight Reserve, and the Starlight Municipality of Las Navas del Marqués. He also appreciated the commitment and public-private collaboration that made this certification possible, and praised the commitment of the Diputación de Ávila with the Starlight Foundation to promote astrotourism and the defense of the sky in this province.

"Avila, little by little, is the province that is positioning itself as those places of reference of protected skies. We appreciate very positively the commitment and the public-private collaboration that has allowed this certification, the excellent work of ASOTUR and the commitment of the Diputación de Ávila with the Starlight Foundation to promote astrotourism and the defense of the sky in this province", declared the director of the Starlight Foundation, during the event held in Cebreros, in the presence of the President of the Provincial Council, Carlos García; José Francisco Hernández, the mayor of Cebreros, Pedro Muñoz, and the president of Asotur Alberche-Pinares, Julio Sánchez, among other institutional representatives.

Credit: Diputación de Ávila

For his part, Carlos García said that this certificate is "another step for the whole province to become a Starlight Territory" and explained other measures that are already being implemented in addition to the Stellarium project, such as a municipal ordinance to raise awareness about light pollution, which will be transferred to the municipalities.

The President of the Provincial Council added that the goal is not only to create an "economic and social development model with star tourism", but also to create jobs and stabilize the population through the astrotourism strategy.

Starlight Tourism Destination Alberche Valley and Tierra de Pinares

The region of Alberche Valley and Pinares has already installed astronomical observatories in each of the 24 towns of the association, which will complement the activities, such as hiking trails, already offered in the area.

According to the president of Asotur Alberche-Pinares, Julio Sanchez, an association composed of 24 municipalities in this area and 60 entrepreneurs involved in the Starlight Project, "this is a point to continue working for this type of tourism and make Asotur a reference site" and called entrepreneurs and municipalities around to really bet on it on issues such as the adaptation of premises or lighting.

As host, the mayor of Cebreros, Pedro Muñoz, stressed that "the protection of the sky is not an option, it is an obligation of the administrations".