5 Benefits of Rural Tourism

Improvement in brain function, reduction in stress, improvement in physical condition: these are just a few of the benefits of spending a holiday in the middle of nature. Rural tourism is revitalising, and in this article we leave some of the benefits of rural tourism and some proposals for rural tourism in the Alentejo. 

How often, upon returning from holiday, do we feel that we are even more tired than when we left? That happens because we take holidays to rush around cities and accumulate experiences with a dizzying voracity, which in the end ends up doing us more harm than good – contrary to what is supposed.

So, when stress consumes us, the best thing to do is indeed to spend a holiday in nature, where unwinding and relaxing are the order of the day. In fact, this type of holiday is very beneficial for our mental health and for the body in general. Discover some of these benefits and you'll see that you'll want to take a holiday in the countryside.

1 – Nature is beneficial for the brain

Time in nature improves brain functioning, helping us to focus and remember better. A 2009 Boston Globe article revealed that hospital patients recover more quickly when they can see trees from their windows. Scientists say that even these fleeting glimpses of nature improve brain performance, providing a mental break from the cognitive processing demands of urban environments.

2 – Nature helps us to deal with stress

A report by the Children & Nature Network warns that the mental health of 21st-century children is at risk because they are losing the exposure to the natural world of past generations. The author of the report, Dr William Bird, health adviser to Natural England, has compiled evidence that people are healthier and better adjusted if they go out into the countryside, parks or gardens. Bird says that studies show people deprived of contact with nature are at greater risk of depression and anxiety, whereas stress levels drop within minutes of seeing green spaces. A family holiday in nature can reconnect parents and children, soothe the nerves and help everyone to relax.

3 – Time in nature helps us to keep in shape

On a nature holiday, we climbed mountains, ran with dogs, paddled kayaks, and cycled. As we spend less time outdoors, we get heavier as a result. Our society faces a range of illnesses dubbed “indoor life diseases”, which frequently accompany obesity: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, liver disease, as well as vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, myopia and depression.

4 – Nature offers adventure and discovery

It is through nature that both kids and grown-ups rediscover the world. The real world is where the animals, the trees, and the wonders of nature that are born and develop without the hand of Man are to be found.

5 – Nature is disappearing – enjoy it while you can

Some of the world's most fascinating places are threatened or disappearing due to climate change, so it's best to take the opportunity to visit them now. Fortunately, that is not the case with the Historical Villages of Portugal. Thanks to the ecological concerns of these 12 villages, where the priority is the preservation of nature and heritage, the people of those settlements are convinced that it will be possible to welcome visitors ready to enjoy the natural beauty of those places for many years to come. And that is very reassuring – because these villages are unique, and there is nothing better than setting off on an adventure through their verdant territory.