Europe's most untouched forest is open just 10 days a year and has barely any tourists

A forest in the Catalonian hills receives only a handful of tourists each year (stock) (Image: Trendencias )

Hiking in nature is a popular pastime around the world with millions of people taking to slopes, hills, mountains, and other precipitous terrains each year.

However, some hikes are more popular than others, with the Seven Sisters walk in southern England proving particularly populous when the UK moves from the winter to the spring and summer months.

Hiking is popular in Spain too, but there is one route which sees not thousands of tourists, but only tens of tourists every single year.

In an ocean of overtourism, the Pinar de Can Camins, is an island of calm, one which it has been reported that one can only access around 10 times a year.

The forest only welcomes a few visitors each eyar (Image: Trendencias)

According to Trendencias, the Pinar de Can Camins is one of the few Mediterranean forests that is in its original state with the 30-hectare forest currently belonging to the Natura 2000 Network.

Part of the reason why so few people can visit the forest is because it is only open on the first Sunday of each month, except in the months of July and August. Furthermore, only the first 25 tourists are admitted.

Those 25 visitors who are accepted to visit the forest are guided around the area free of charge, starting from the Puerta del Delta at 11am with tourists able to make reservations through telephone, in person, or email.

Whilst one part of Spain has successfully limited tourists to the Pinar de Can Camis, another Spanish territory has warned tourists to reconsider visiting in 2026.

Other parts of Spain have been affected by tourism protests (Image: Getty)

In recent years the Canary Islands have faced high tensions between tourists and locals as the latter complain about the impact of too many of the former on local communities.

Last year, the Canary Islands welcomed around 7.8 million visitors whilst the islands processed around 27 million airport passengers during the same period.

To that end, travel publication Fodor’s Travel has released it’s 2026 ‘No list’, that lists places that are experiencing an upswell in tourists that people could consider not visiting.

The Canary Islands are on that list due to the sheer number of people visiting the likes of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lanzarote.

Echoing this listing, an environment group in Tenerife known as Asociación Tinerfeña de Amigos de la Naturaleza (ATAN) has warned that natural spaces are being “degraded”.

In a statement, they said: “Natural spaces are constantly degraded, with alarming losses in biodiversity. Overcrowding has erased peaceful places where we could once enjoy life there are no truly local spaces left.

“We are losing our identity, culture, and, ultimately, our right to exist as a community. Tourism has become unlimited, mass-oriented, and largely low-cost party tourism that doesn’t come to truly discover the islands, but to consume a fake backdrop.”