Beginner's guide · Chapter 1 of 6

Permits and rules for picking mushrooms in Spain

The forest always has an owner and almost always has rules. Knowing them before you set out saves you a fine and, above all, means you can come back: where picking is done well, the forest keeps giving mushrooms year after year.

Who makes the rules

There is no single law for mushroom picking across Spain. Forests are the responsibility of the autonomous regions, and many have their own mushroom decree. Within each region, town councils, forest owners and natural parks can add their own conditions too. That is why what applies in one valley may not apply in the next, even twenty kilometres away.

When you need a permit

In many forests picking is regulated: areas are fenced off on paper and you need a permit to go in and search. They are usually sold for a day, a weekend or the whole season, and are almost always cheaper for local residents. Castile and León is the best-known example, with a good part of its forests regulated, but there are regulated areas in many other regions.

Two things need telling apart. Picking to eat at home is recreational picking, what almost everyone does. Picking to sell is commercial and needs specific permits, sometimes a registration too. If you are only filling the basket for yourself, the first is what matters to you.

And there are two kinds of place to be clear about:

• Private land. The mushrooms belong to the owner of the land. Without their permission you do not pick, even if there are no fences or signs.
• Protected areas. Natural parks, reserves and other protected zones usually have their own, stricter rules, and in some picking is forbidden.

The usual limits and bans

Every set of rules is different, but almost all agree on the basics:

• A limit per person and day, usually a few kilos. It is more than enough to eat, and it is what protects the forest from those who come to strip it.
• No rakes or tools that lift the soil or the leaf litter. They destroy the mycelium, the part of the mushroom that lives underground.
• Containers that let air through, such as baskets. Some rules expressly ban plastic bags.
• Times and seasons. Some rules forbid picking at night or close areas at certain times of year.
• Protected species. In some regions there are mushrooms that may not be picked.

How to find out what applies where you are going

Ask before you go. The village town hall, the environment website of the autonomous region or the tourist office will tell you whether the forest is regulated and where to get the permit; many are now sold online. On the ground, look out for the signs at the start of forest tracks: regulated forests are usually signposted. And the local mycological societies know the rules better than anyone.

What happens if you ignore them

Forest rangers can check your basket and your permit, and fines do exist. But the deeper reason to respect the rules is another: in many villages mushrooms are an income that helps look after the forest and the people who live in it. Picking with a permit is also a way of making sure that forest is still there next season.