The City Council launches the ‘2024-25 School Hiking Program’ for young people between 7 and 18 years of age.

This activity, in which the local schools participate, is organized by the delegations of Youth, Environment and Sports.

The Estepona City Council informs that next week will begin the ‘Municipal School Hiking Program’ for students in primary, secondary and high school. Since this project was launched, each year around 3,500 students between 7 and 18 years old participate in the nearly 70 excursions that take place between November and May.

The main objective of this program is to raise awareness among young people about the importance of nature conservation and the promotion of hiking as a healthy physical activity in contact with the natural environment. In addition, special importance is given to the students to know the natural heritage that surrounds them, as well as the rich landscape of the different enclaves of Estepona, acquiring a greater environmental awareness through the knowledge of these natural areas, valuing the importance of protecting the natural, scenic, cultural and historical values, among other aspects.

The participation of these groups is actively considered throughout the activity due to the methodology applied, so that from the first moment that the technical team presents it in each school, both teachers and students have the opportunity to choose the proposed routes and, at the same time, they are given the educational material to work in the classroom on the chosen routes, prior to the outing.

As in previous years, the routes chosen for the school year run through various natural areas of the municipality, with levels of difficulty adapted to the age and physical condition of the students, such as the environment of Sierra Bermeja 1 (Horno de Brea, Refugio y Plazoleta de los Pinsapos), Camino de Nicola-Río Velerín, Camino de Nicola-Río Castor, Sierra Bermeja 2 (Peñas Blancas, Paseo de los Pinsapos, Peñas Blancas), Sierra Bermeja 3 (Peñas Blancas, Plazoleta de Genalguacil, Pico de los Reales, Refugio) and, new this year, the Camino de la Artesa-Aerobase-Mirador del Ciclista.

These routes are carried out during school hours, from 08:30 to 14:30 hours, from Tuesday to Thursday, and are guided by municipal technicians of the delegations of Youth, Environment and Sport, with the support of teachers from participating schools. In addition to hiking, students perform various activities of interpretation of the natural environment, the study of flora and fauna, and participatory environmental games.

The Spanish Youth Institute (INJUVE), an agency under the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, has recognized this municipal program of School Hiking as an example of an initiative that could be replicated in other territorial areas of our country.