With Xaldas, going crazy. Villaviciosa Estuary

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With Xaldas going crazy. Villaviciosa Estuary

Villaviciosa Estuary Partial Nature Reserve

A workshop experience where we'll learn about the process of making wool from the fleeces of our own flock of Xalda sheep, the native breed that contributed with its presence in the area just a century ago to the management of our landscape and the cultural and ethnographic heritage of our territory.

Description

Over the weekend, we'll discuss endangered native breeds, their role in managing our landscape, and wool types and properties. We'll explore their history, their decline in use, the difficulties faced by shepherds, and the current fate of wool.
With this 3-day/2-night experience staying at the La Quintana de la Foncalada – Ca l'Asturcón Ecomuséu village house in Argüeru, you'll experience traditional artisan knowledge and the vitality of wool, from fleece to the creation of small felted works.

The experience in detail

Activities

Visit to the Ca l'Asturcón Ecomuseum, a conservation center for endangered native varieties.
Xalda sheep wool workshop

Programme

Day 1

Arrival at La Quintana de la Foncalada – Ca l'Asturcón Ecomuseum in Argüeru (Villaviciosa), near the Ría de Villaviciosa National Park, where you will be welcomed with a small, homemade, local and organic snack that will comfort you and help you ground yourself.

Day 2

At the rural accommodation's own farm, in the morning we will discover the characteristics of endangered native varieties: Asturcones, Bermeya goats, Asturcelta goats, Pinto pitas, and especially the Xalda sheep. We will also learn about the unique wool of this native breed and its various applications through natural and traditional processes such as felting. In the afternoon, we will take part in a wool workshop to learn about and discover the processes of wool craftsmanship, from the sheep to the workshop, and experience the vitality of this material. We will learn to wash, shear, and card wool with hand cards. Finally, we will learn the wet felting technique and create a small piece. They say that working with wool has something magical, organic, and special about it; you will see how the fiber of the fabric gradually changes in your hands, taking shape, taking form, transforming, and changing before your eyes, as if it were a living being.

Day 3

Departure from your accommodation after breakfast. If you'd like to explore the surrounding area, we'll provide information and recommendations on short themed routes or points of interest to explore the natural landscape of the Villaviciosa Estuary and the Mariñán landscape of the coastal plain (Jurassic Coast).

Included services

Accommodation:
-Village House 3 Trisqueles (room with bathroom)
-2 nights in an ecological rural house on a B/D basis
-Kitchen available

Food: Welcome snack

Additional Services

Pick-up at the nearest bus stop for travelers using public transport.

Ecotourism Commitment

La Quintana de la Foncalada – Ca l'Asturcón Ecomuseum is a conservation center for endangered native varieties of goats: Asturcón, Xalda sheep, red goat, Asturcelta goat, and painted pita. The farm operates organically (COPAE) and extensive livestock farming, contributing to the conservation of the area's traditional landscape.
Members of the Asturcón Breeders Association (ACPRA) and the Xalda Sheep Breeders Association (ACOXA).
Creation of the wool group "Con Xaldas a lo loco" in 2018 to demonstrate that Xalda wool is not waste and to restore its value as we work towards revaluing this endangered breed.
5% of the trip's value will be used for projects supported by the Ecoagrotourism Foundation.

Sustainable tourism

The Quintana de la Foncalada – Ca l'Asturcón Ecomuseum is certified by Ceres Ecotur/Ecolabel Eceat International and has the “Accueil Paysan” label for the defense of peasant agriculture compatible with natural resources.