In 2025, Spain saw over 400,000 hectares of forest burned, a stark reminder that forests not managed well become a serious hazard. At Monte Holiday Ecoturismo, a family-run nature resort in Gargantilla del Lozoya (Sierra Norte de Madrid) with treehouses, bungalows, a glamping area and nature education facilities, the answer is in the forest itself.

Here, caring for the surrounding woodlands and transforming low-value forest residues into renewable heat is part of the business model, strengthened by an advanced LiDAR-based self-protection plan that monitors vegetation, identifies fuel loads and guides targeted forest-care work. It proves that sustainable tourism, clean energy and wildfire prevention can go hand in hand.

Wood residues from forest-maintenance activities (thinnings, clean-ups, preventive cuts) are transformed into heat and power for the whole complex: a 500 kW biomass boiler, a 99 kW solar array, and smart storage and control systems. By using local biomass they reduce the fuel load in the forest and at the same time avoid fossil-fuel emissions, roughly 500 MWh of heat per year, more than 30.000 € saved annually and around 264 t CO₂ avoided.

It’s not just about energy, it’s about making the forest safer. Around €50.000 per year (part of the money no longer spent on heating oil or electric heating) is reinvested in forest management. This continuous work removes accumulated debris and under-growth and feeds it into the energy system, turning fire fuel into clean heat, reducing wildfire risk, creating local jobs and strengthening rural resilience.

Spain’s energy transition doesn’t just mean new technologies; it means territory activation, forest stewardship and community security. This project shows how renewable heat from biomass isn’t only climate-action, it’s also disaster-prevention.

And this experience is not staying in one place. Thanks to support from the ST3ER project, Monte Holiday is now turning its know-how into practical guidance for others — including a 10-point action plan to reduce wildfire risk in tourist facilities located in wildland-urban interface areas. It’s a blueprint for campsites, rural resorts and small municipalities across Europe: manage the forest, use local biomass, strengthen safety, cut emissions and support local economies. Because when nature tourism and bioenergy work together, forests stay healthier, communities stay safer and rural destinations.