Eight stunning towns and villages in Spain to add to your bucket list

Spain is, arguably, the best holiday destination in the world and enjoys record breaking numbers of tourists every year, who lap up its tapas and enjoy visiting its beaches and big cities. 

But away from the costas and its more famous cities, Spain is home to dozens of beautiful towns and villages, steeped in history, yet undiscovered by the majority of tourists. 

From mediaeval walled villages to beautiful whitewashed ports, The Local explores some of the most charming towns in Spain you've (probably) never heard of. 

Albarracín

This beautiful mediaeval village in Teruel, Aragón, is steeped in history and was declared a national monument in 1961. Surrounded by stony hills, the town’s narrow, winding alleyways reveal breath-taking views at every turn. 

Albarracín is a two hour drive from Zaragoza and Valencia. Photo: Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie/Unsplash

 

 

Santillana del Mar

This Cantabrian village boasts beautifully preserved buildings, balconies decorated with flowers and is a perfect base to explore the nearby Altamira caves, a UNESCO world heritage site and home to some incredible Upper Palaeolithic cave paintings.  

Santillana del Mar is not actually on the coast. Photo: Anne and Saturnino Miranda/Pixabay

 

Luarca

This Asturian fishing village is unusual in that it grew vertically around a cove, its houses perched on the hillside above the fishing boats bobbing below. Explore its streets, marvel at its beautiful whitewashed buildings and visit its lighthouse: Luarca is surely one of Spain’s loveliest undiscovered fishing ports. 

Luarca is an hour away from Gijón by car. Photo: Pepe Potamo/Unsplash

 

Pals

A mere 10km from the Costa Brava lies Pals, a beautiful mediaeval village a world away from the high rise hotels of the Mediterranean coast. Its steep cobbled streets are crying out to be explored, just make sure to take sturdy footwear! 

Escape the Costa Brava crowds in Pals. Photo: Travelinho/Wikipedia

 

 

Daroca

A walk along the three-kilometre-long wall surrounding this medieval town in the province of Zaragoza, is one of the best viewpoints over the church spires, rooftops and centuries old buildings. Visit Daroca at the end of August to find yourself transported back through the centuries as the town celebrates its annual medieval festival. 

Daroca is wonderfully preserved. Photo: Emilio Sánchez/Pexels

 

 

Peñíscola

Built by the Knight’s Templar, this spectacular fortress on the coast north of Valencia broadly crowns the fortified island town of Peñíscola with its narrow cobbled streets within city walls. Walk in the footsteps of Charlton Heston who filmed on location here in Anthony Mann’s epic film El Cid.

Visit Peñíscola in low season as it has become increasingly well known. Photo: Ramón Perucho/Pexels

 

 

Valldemossa

It’s not every Spanish village that can lay claim to being the inspiration for several of Chopin’s compositions, but Valldemossa bedazzled the Polish composer when he visited there with his lover, French writer George Sand, who wrote an account of their 1838-39 visit, A Winter in Majorca. The village, nestled in Mallorca's Tramontana mountain range, has long been renowned for its beauty. 

Valldemossa is a world away from the touristy spots in Mallorca. Photo: David Vives/Unsplash

 

 

Morella

This ancient walled city perched on a hill top in the province of Castellón, has been home to Iberians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and the Moors and is, unsurprisingly, an excellent place to explore to get a sense of Spain’s rich and varied history. If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to sample some of the delicacies of the local bakeries, such as flaons and mantecadas, prepared in the ancient way. 

Travel back centuries with a visit to Morella. Photo: Anonymous/Wikipedia