Charming old-world towns in Spain off the beaten path.
Less-touristed old-world towns in Spain, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Vielha
Capital of the Val d'Aran in the Pyrenees, Vielha sits at the confluence of the Garona river and its tributary the Riu Negre, with a café and restaurant scen…
Lerma
A pocket-sized Castilian village above the Arlanza river valley, Lerma is the headquarters of the Arlanza DOP wine denomination and holds a historic centre —…
Queralbs
Small Pyrenean hamlet in Catalonia's Ripollès comarca, Queralbs is the gateway to Vall de Núria, reached by rack railway from nearby Ribes de Freser.
Ubrique
Leather craftsmanship defines Ubrique, a white-walled Andalusian town in the Sierra de Cádiz known as the cradle of Andalusian leatherwork.
Ontinyent
This walkable town on the banks of the Clarià River in Valencia's Vall d'Albaida comarca, Ontinyent has a centre with cafés and restaurants alongside baroque…
Montefrío
Named by National Geographic as one of the ten best views in the world, this tiny Andalusian town in Granada's northern hills earns that recognition through…
Marbella
This Mediterranean city on Spain's Costa del Sol with a dense café and restaurant scene, a photogenic old quarter, and a seafront backed by the Sierra Blanca…
Jaén
Jaén, in Andalusia, is self-styled the world capital of olive oil — the surrounding province is the largest olive oil producer on earth, and the city has hos…
Moguer
Birthplace of Nobel Prize-winning poet Juan Ramón Jiménez and a key stop on the lugares colombinos route tracing Christopher Columbus's first voyage, Moguer…
Bocairent
Dense cluster of pale stone houses crowns a rocky hilltop above an old arched bridge in this small Valencian town, with a church tower at the summit and a ca…
Ávila City
Enclosed by medieval walls and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, Ávila's old town is one of the best-preserved in Spain, earning the city the ni…
Cazorla
Small Andalusian town in Jaén's Sierra de Cazorla, with a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, multiple scenic viewpoints into mountai…
Real Sitio de San Ildefonso
Home to the Royal Palace of La Granja and the Royal Glass Factory, this small town in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama is a short drive from Segovia…
Zahara de la Sierra
A white-walled Andalusian village in the Sierra de Grazalema natural park, Zahara de la Sierra sits above the Embalse de Zahara reservoir with panoramic view…
Zuheros
This pocket-sized whitewashed village in the Subbética mountains of Córdoba province, Zuheros is part of Andalusia's White Towns and has been recognised by t…
Calatayud
Calatayud, a town in Aragón on the river Jalón, is known for the Mudéjar towers of its old-town churches and a castle whose origins date to around 850 AD.
Pastrana
Declared a historic-artistic ensemble in 1966, Pastrana is a small village in Guadalajara's La Alcarria region whose medieval and Renaissance character remai…
Vélez-Blanco
The Cave of the Signboards (Cueva de los Letreros), declared a National Historic Monument in 1924 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, sits just outside…
Frías
Claimed since 1435 to be the smallest city in Spain, Frías is a medieval hill village in Burgos province rising above the river Ebro, where a castle and a 12…
Pasaia
A working port town on the Bay of Pasaia in Spain's Basque Country, spread across four distinct districts around a natural harbour where the Oyarzun river me…
Moclín
Compact Andalusian municipality in Granada's mountain country, Moclín was the site of the Battle of Moclín in 1280 and sits alongside the Velillos river.
Oviedo City
Oviedo, the capital of Asturias in northern Spain, has a dense café and restaurant scene in its historic centre, which holds a concentration of old churches…
Setenil de las Bodegas
Houses built directly into the overhanging rock face of the Río Guadalporcún gorge make Setenil de las Bodegas one of Andalusia's most photographed compact t…
Segura de la Sierra
A photogenic hilltop village in eastern Andalusia, Segura de la Sierra sits within the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park and was admitted…
Alcalá la Real
The Fortaleza de La Mota, a well-documented hilltop castle, dominates this walkable Andalusian town in Jaén province, positioned at the southwestern edge of…
Cuenca
Cuenca's old town, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, occupies a narrow escarpment between the Júcar and Huécar rivers, with the famous Casas Col…
Cangas del Narcea
A compact Asturian town on the Narcea river, with vineyards in the surrounding hills and a compact centre of cafés and restaurants.
Úbeda
Úbeda's Renaissance historic centre, jointly declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 alongside neighbouring Baeza, draws visitors to a walkable concent…
Ardales
This small Andalusian village in the mountains of Málaga province, Ardales sits beside the Guadalhorce reservoirs and offers striking views across the surrou…
Sot de Chera
Compact white-walled village in Valencia's Los Serranos hills, viewed from above as terrace-farmed slopes and citrus groves wrap around its tight cluster of…
Guadix
Cave houses are among the most distinctive features of Guadix, a town on a high plain at the northern foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Granada province.
Llanes
Little coastal town on Asturias's eastern Costa Verde, Llanes sits between the Cantabrian Sea and the limestone ridge of the Sierra del Cuera, with the Picos…
Castropol
This small Asturian village sits on the Eo estuary where Asturias meets Galicia, with waterfront views across to Ribadeo and a concentration of scenic viewpo…
Priego de Córdoba
Known as the "city of water" for the many springs that rise around it, Priego de Córdoba is also celebrated as the jewel of Cordovan Baroque for its concentr…
Mondonedo
This modest Galician town in a sheltered valley among the northern outliers of the Cantabrian Mountains, Mondoñedo has an unusually high concentration of his…
Tarazona
Tarazona, on the river Queiles in Aragon, packs an unusual concentration of historic churches and medieval architecture into a modest centre shaped by centur…
Antequera
An Andalusian town whose UNESCO-listed dolmens — Menga, Viera, and El Romeral — date back more than 6,000 years, Antequera also sits beside El Torcal, a kars…
Aguilar de Campoo
A small town in northern Palencia where the River Pisuerga runs through the historic centre, Aguilar de Campoo has an unusually dense concentration of histor…
Talavera de la Reina
Talavera de la Reina's pottery tradition, declared UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2019, has defined this Castile–La Mancha city for centuries.
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real is the capital of La Mancha — the Castilian plain made famous by Cervantes, whose fictional knight Don Quixote wanders its landscapes tilting at…
Almodóvar del Río
A well-preserved medieval castle crowns a rocky outcrop above this Andalusian town of whitewashed houses along the Guadalquivir River, offering dramatic elev…
Orce
A compact Andalusian village of whitewashed houses crowned by a medieval castle tower and a substantial church, set against an arid, eroded badlands landscap…
Alcoy
Known as "the city of bridges" for the ravines that cut through its terrain and shaped its urban layout, Alcoy is an industrial town in Alicante province wit…
Peñafiel
Peñafiel Castle, visible from miles around and now housing the Wine Museum of Valladolid, crowns this pocket-sized Castilian town at the heart of the Ribera…
Almansa
Moorish castle crowns the white limestone crag above Almansa, a wine-country town in Albacete province where vineyards spread across the surrounding plain.
Sagunto
The ruins of ancient Saguntum, the Iberian and Roman city whose siege in 219 BC triggered the Second Punic War, are the defining reason to visit this Mediter…
Chelva
This compact hilltop village in Valencia's Los Serranos comarca, Chelva rises above dry scrubland with warm stone buildings, a prominent baroque church tower…
Archidona
Declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1980 for its Baroque urban heritage, Archidona is a tiny Andalusian town in the foothills of the Sierra de Gracia, with…
Villafranca Montes de Oca
This little Burgos hamlet lies directly on the French Way of the Camino de Santiago, making it a natural stop for pilgrims crossing the Montes de Oca in Cast…
Peníscola
This small Mediterranean coastal town in Castellón, Peníscola sits on a rocky promontory jutting into the sea, giving it strong photographic appeal and sceni…
Guisando
Small village on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Gredos in Ávila, Guisando sits within the regional park's protected zone and offers scenic mountain sur…
Baeza
Baeza holds some of the best-preserved Italian Renaissance architecture in Spain, recognised alongside neighbouring Úbeda as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in…
Alcalá de Guadaíra
Once known as Alcalá de los Panaderos — the baker's town that supplied most of Seville's bread — this city on the Guadaíra River sits just southeast of Sevil…
Baena
Baena is an Andalusian town in the province of Córdoba known for its olive oil production, which carries its own denominación de origen.
Llíber
This compact Valencian village of stone-roofed white houses spread across a valley floor, backed by pine-forested limestone hills, with surrounding vineyards…
Cehegín
Cehegín's old town, declared a historic-artistic ensemble by Spain's Ministry of Culture in 1982, makes for a walkable afternoon in the Murcia region, with a…
Poza de la Sal
A tightly packed old stone village in Burgos province, its terracotta-roofed historic core spreading across a hillside above green patchwork farmland, with e…
Buñol
Every August, tens of thousands of people descend on this modest Valencian town to hurl over 100,000 kilograms of tomatoes at each other in La Tomatina — a f…
Villafranca del Bierzo
A small wine-country town in the El Bierzo comarca of León, Villafranca del Bierzo sits at the confluence of the Burbia and Valcarce rivers on the Camino de…
Valderrobres
Photogenic modest town in Aragon's Teruel province, Valderrobres sits directly on the Matarranya River with a Gothic church, a Gothic castle, and a Renaissan…