16 villages in Spain you will love

A collection of charming inland villages

Out of the 8131 villages which make up Spain, we’ve put together a list of the 16 most special. Some of them have been chosen for their upkeep, photogenicity, traditional structures and environmental protection. This is not to say that other villages don’t have their own beauty and features that make them special too. 

So without further ado, let’s have a look.

1. Potes, the soul of Liébana, in Cantabria

   

   Potes is one of the most visited destinations for mountaineers, hikers and pilgrims who travel through the Camino Lebaniego to the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana. Located between the Picos de Europa, this village is full of bridges and towers such as the Infantado or the Orejón de la Lama, daring back to the 15th Century. It also has an older part, and alleys full of huge mansions. But this isn’t everything – it’s characteristic cuisine, including river fish and Liebanian stew will stay with you.

2. Briones and its wine, in la Rioja

   

   Located near by a bend in the Ebro river, Briones is renowned for being a wine-producing town since the Middle Ages, which is why their Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture was awarded the best wine museum in the world. As well as this, the village has many mansions and palaces with gothic-style windows adorned with Saints, such as that in the Plaza or the Palacio de los Quincoces.

3. The royal Olite, in Navarra

   

   Olite is known for its grandiose castle-palace located in the centre of Navarra. It comprises the Old Palace, which has been transformed into a National Parador, as well as the New Palace, which has bedrooms, gardens, moats, high walls and towers…

   Another thing worth pointing out is the houses’ underground medieval galleries, towers, Gothic churches such as the Santa María la Real, and the remains of a Roman wall which makes up the streets of the old town. Olite is also known for being one of the wine capitals and for its delicious gastronomy. 

4.  Alquézar, from a distance in Huesca, Aragón

   

   Between the Somontano de Barbastro and the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park, Alquézar is located in limestone, where an amazing canyon has been formed by the Vero River and where many tourists go canyoning and to explore the caves and their rock art.

   This village also has a spectacular medieval quarter of Arab origin, surrounded by towers around a battlemented wall, making for a beautiful image from a distance.

5. Besalú and its volcanoes and beech trees, in Girona, Catalonia

   

   Besalú is known for forming one of the best medieval sites in Catalonia. The village is visited by those who cross the Garrotxa Natural Park between volcanoes and beech trees. At the entrance of Besalú, you’ll find a Romanesque bridge with seven arches crossing over the river Fluviá, which has been in films such as El Perfume and series set in the Middle Ages. 

   And this isn’t all! Its streets full of stone, its low houses, its wooden shields, its craft shops, its Miqvé (a Jewish purification bath from the 12th century), its Monastery of Sant Pere and its patio from Casa Cornellà – as a model of Romanesque civil architecture, we chose to put this charming village on our list.

6. Siurana, amongst knights, in Tarragona, Catalonia

   

   Full of stories about Christian knights and Moorish princesses, Siruana is one of the remaining towns from the Reconquista in Catalonia. This picturesque place boasts cobbled streets, old houses, and an old Romanesque church with a tympanum at the entrance which seals a Moorish castle. 

   The most noteworthy characteristic of this village are its views, as it is situated 260 metres above the Montsant and Gritella mountains, the Prades mountains and the Siruana reservoir. Siruana has become a popular destination for climbers and hikers for this very reason.

7. Albarracín, a blend of colours, in Teruel , Aragón

   

   Albarracín, located 35km away from Teruel, has won first place for being the most beautiful village in Spain in many rankings due to its being one of the most unique places in the whole country. This is because the town is made up of red and ocher medieval buildings, creating a perfect harmony with the landscape that captures the attention of all.

8. Morella, a fortified village, in Castellón, Comunidad Valenciana

   

   Morella amazes people with its cultural and historical heritage. This village, which is walled in by ten towers and seven gates, has an impressive castle located at an unreachable point, a spectacular Gothic basilica of Santa María la Mayor , several porticos, stately palaces, and manor houses. 

9. Fornalutx, a special mountain village, in Mallorca, Baleares

   

   Surrounded by the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, Fornaltux is a popular destination for lovers of hiking and mountain biking. This village, located near to Sollér and Escorca, has a beautiful landscape made up of stone houses, red roofs and cobbled streets. 

   Fornalutx is perfect for exploring and getting lost in the streets, starting from the Plaza de España and its shops, bars and church dating back to the 13th Century. It’s also possible to continue along the well-known GR221 route that follows this series of mountains after visiting the town.

10. Alcalá del Júcar, an underground cove in Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha

    

    Full of white houses and excavated in the same rock and under a tower that was a defense in the border area, is Alcalá del Júcar, an amazing and original town.

    Alcalá del Júcar has numerous house-caves, such as the famous Cuevas del Diablo, known for being a bar, restaurant and club at the same time, and for crossing the fill. There are also caves which have been converted into rural houses where you can sleep underground.

11. Frigiliana, a picturesque village in Málaga, Andalusia

    

    Located 7km away from the Costa del Sol in Axarquía, Frigiliana is a white village, adorned with flowers from its neighbours. It has the Plaza de las Tres Culturas which separates the south from the Mudéjar district. 

    The most beautiful part of the town is in the Mudéjar area, although the enchanting part of it is found wandering around its steep slopes and through its cobbled streets with white houses and colored doors. Frigiliana also has the ruinous Lizar castle, where you can witness incredible sunsets.

12. Vejer de la Frontera, the white village, in Cádiz, Andalusia

    

    The streets of this town are lined with whitewashed facades, water mills, and courtyards with Nasrid-style flowers. Its old town has a Historical Artistic group with gems such as the Arch of the Nuns, a popular photo opportunity for tourists, and the Jewish quarter, which is full of art galleries and craft shops.

    And as if that weren’t enough, Vejer de la Frontera is considered a gourmet destination, since it has an abundance of restaurants and spaces for creative food.

13. Trujillo, a setting for stories, in Cáceres, Extremadura

    

    Trujillo is known for being a filming destination for films and series such as Game of Thrones. This area was also the birthplace for conquerors such as Pizarro, Orellana, Gaspar de Carvajal and García de Paredes, who, upon returning from America, built large houses, palaces, churches and monasteries that were were an addition to the medieval palaces that already existed there.

    A statue of Francisco Pizarro and the Palace of the Conquest head Trujillo’s famous main square.

14. Sigüenza and its famous statue, in Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha

    

    Surrounded by green areas such as the Barranco del Río Dulce Natural Park and the Salado river, Sigüenza is full of Renaissance and Baroque-style streets, squares, palaces and chapels. 

    It even has a medieval castle, one of the best lodges in the country, a cathedral and a Plaza Mayor, but the thing this town is best-known for is the Renaissance funerary statue of the Doncel de Sigüenza, a nobleman dressed as a warrior who was neither Doncel nor Sigüenza and who has spent five centuries reading and meditating in a cathedral chapel and has been told about in many legends.

15. Urueña, between literary works, in Valladolid, Castilla and León

    

    Ureña is a little medieval village known by bookworms and surrounded by well-preserved walls from the 12th and 13th centuries. This place has been known as Villa del Libro for five years as it has more bookshops than bars! A village with a population of less than 200 people, it has twelve bookshops and five museums.

16. Frías, where the houses hang, in Burgos, Castilla and León

    

    Frías is characterised by its houses which hang on a cliff, its 10th century castle and its medieval bridge over the Ebro. This village, surrounded by a secluded hill in the Tobalina valley (La Muela de Frías), is a great example of medieval military architecture.

    It’s also worth noting the Casa Cuartel, the Salazar palace, the Dukes of Frías’ castle, an intriguing Jewish quarter, a medieval laundry room, the captivating Gothic convent and its many viewpoints with incredible views.