Matavenero: The hippie town of León that lives in harmony with nature
It had been abandoned for more than two decades when, in 1989, a group of hippies arrived in Matavenero, a "lost land" under the brambles and the passage of time. They built their home there, filled it with life, converted the land into organic farming. Three decades have passed and this village is not only still standing, but has become the town with the highest birth rate in the province.
His neighbors continue to be those lovers of nature and the alternative life of the Rainbow movement that Ponferradino Alberto Alonso portrayed in his documentary I know a place (I know a place). In it, one of those residents of the refoundation of the village, Uli, explained the reasons for living in one of the most remote corners of the El Bierzo region. "It is a place where you can share a life in nature and where children can grow up in a natural environment."
"In Matavenero, a large group of people began a new life, very different from the concept of society that we know. The reality is that they have found a balance with nature that provides them with almost everything and even 60 children have been born," he also explained. Jesús Calleja after making a bicycle trip to the Leonese village.
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"You breathe a good vibe and you realize that other life models are possible and without a doubt, people are very happy here. This year I will spend a few days of vacation at the house of my friend Uli, one of the founders, from whom I learn many things. The most important is to live life with more serenity and simplicity", underlined the Leonese adventurer.
At the ecovillage, today with about 60 inhabitants, people of different nationalities have continued to arrive. It has a school, a library and a hostel for backpackers with eight beds that, last year, served as a refuge for three visitors who were trapped with the state of alarm until they could return home. What it does not have yet is a road that reaches the town. Hence its charm.
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