With a population of no more than 15,000 and a wealth of cultural, natural and architectural attractions, these picturesque destinations are all part of a network called The Most Beautiful Villages in Spain
This medieval seaside city that juts out from the mainland features a maze of lanes that wind around its Knights Templar castle, the Castillo del Papa Luna, which rises up from a rock. The city was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain association, presented officially along with 13 other towns in 2013 (www.lospueblosmasbonitosdeespana.org).Paco Costa (Getty Images)Steep, narrow roads, and a peculiar architecture of wood and red stone that blends into the surroundings characterize the town of Albarracín, in Teruel province. The town has been nominated as a Unesco World Heritage Site for the beauty and the significance of its historical heritage, which includes palatial, religious and popular buildings such as the Casa de la Julianeta. www.albarracin.es.Iakov Filimonov (iStock)Made up of whitewashed homes and featuring a multitude of squares and intriguing corners, Zuheros sits before a picturesque mountain range filled with olive groves. Incorporated into the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain network this year, its castle and Murciélagos (bats) cave serve as a natural border between the Sierra Subbética natural park and the Córdoba countryside. (www.zuheros.es).Andrés CamposOn the surface, Laguardia looks like a typical medieval town with three streets crossing it from north to south, united by pedestrianized alleys and plazas, and surrounded by a wall. But beneath its sidewalks it resembles more a piece of Swiss cheese, with its profusion of wine cellars and family-owned caves. Another new member of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, Laguardia is also the capital of the Rioja Alavesa wine region. The photo depicts the façade of the Santa María de los Reyes Gothic church. www.laguardia-alava.comGonzalo AzumendiThe Matarraña river divides Valderrobres into two very different areas: the suburbs south of the bridge, and the historic quarter in the north, which is accessed via the Gothic-style bridge. The Santa María la Mayor church and the castle of the Archbishop, which were once linked, are also Gothic, while the Casa Consistorial was built in the Mannerist style. www.valderrobres.esJosep Iglesias (Getty Images)The narrow passageways known as “arteas” that run between Ansó’s houses make up a distinctive feature of the architecture in this town on the border with France and Navarre. One of the best-preserved municipalities in the Aragonese Pyrenees, it also has one of the richest and most varied traditional costumes in Spain. www.anso.esMiguel Sotomayor (Getty Images)This ‘pueblo blanco’ in Cádiz province was declared a historic-artistic site in 1976 and won a national award for its restoration efforts in 1978. Highlights include its walls, Divino Salvador church, castle, patios, windmills and the folk museum. Also be sure not to miss American artist James Turrell’s ‘Second Wind,’ which belongs to the art foundation NMAC Montenmedio Arte Contemporáneo. www.turismovejer.esPeter M. Wilson (Corbis)Recgnized for its historic, architectural and heritage value, Trujillo is also now part of the network of Most Beautiful Villages in Spain. Formerly a defensive Muslim enclave, it became Christian territory in 1232, and a wall separates the city center from the suburbs that grew up around the church of San Martín (pictured). The town is filled with churches, convents and palaces built by conquistadors. www.turismtrujillo.comIsaac F. CalvoThe town hall, the old prison, Romanesque churches, museums, the theater and the Plaza Mayor (pictured) are among the many reasons for Sepúlveda's recent incorporation into the network of Spain's most beautiful villages.Two alleys open up from each side: Lope Tablada street and a staircase leading to a Renaissance-era stone crucifix. www.turismosepulveda.esCristina Arias (Getty Images)In the 13th century, the Order of Calatrava chose Almagro as its new residence and center of operations. The town is famous for its Plaza Mayor with its Flemish touches, as well as the 17th-century Corral de Comedias, the only surviving example of such a Spanish open-air theater. Manors, palaces, convents and churches complete its offering. www.ciudad-almagro.comSanti BurgosIts history as a border town between the kingdoms of Navarre and Aragón has left landmarks such as the castle and the medieval Jewish quarter. The 16th-century Casa de la Villa, chapel, churches, and monasteries also make up Sos del Rey Católico’s heritage. Ferdinand II of Aragón, the Catholic king who married Isabella I of Castille, was born here in 1452. www.sosdelreycatolicoJuan José Pascual (Age Fotostock)A historic-artistic site since 1974, this town is divided into two parts. The side featuring the castle (pictured), which is protected by a wall and has a medieval feel, sits atop a small peak that dominates a wide valley flanked by numerous mountains. The other side is the Arrabal, which was built later and extends along the foothills of the mountain. www.guadalest.esRolf HickerMojácar’s amalgam of white houses makes it look like an improbable snow cap on the last foothill of the Cabrera mountain range. As you get closer, its labyrinth of narrow roads, domes, arches, hanging flowerpots, churches, and chapels gradually reveal themselves. Two things to visit: the castle viewpoint and the 12-pipe Moorish fountain. The sea is always visible in the horizon. www.mojacar.esLucas Vallecillos (Age Fotostock)Vettones, Romans, barbarians, Muslims, the Catholic Reconquest, the War of Independence…The rich and hectic history of Ciudad Rodrigo, new to the list of most beautiful villages in Spain, translates into a beautiful exhibition of religious, military and civilian buildings – the Hospital de la Pasión is one of the oldest still-functioning medical centers in the world. The refurbished castle is now part of the state-owned Parador hotel chain. www.turismociudadrodrigo.comiStockThe ‘pueblo blanco’ in Málaga’s Axarquía hills is considered one of the best-preserved historic quarters of Arab origin in Spain. Prized for its restoration in 1982 and a historic-artistic site since 2014, Frigiliana’s narrow and winding streets are connected by innumerable stepped pathways. www.turismofrigiliana.es.Kiko Jiménez (iStock)In the last stretch of the canyon of the river Vero, between the deep ravines of the Guara range, the collegiate castle of Santa María la Mayor (a national monument since 1931) makes its appearance. At its feet sit the medieval homes of Alquezár, declared a historic-artistic site in 1982. www.alquezar.esThe castle, whose origins date back to the year 1202 (under the Arabic name Avingalbón) dominates the narrow streets of Puertomingalvo. The village is a showcase for authentic popular architecture with its town hall, built between the 14th and 15th centuries and featuring a stone façade with arched entrances and an eave made out of woodwork. www.puertomingalvo.comCalle Montes (Getty Images)A few kilometers away from the Catalan border, the town of Calaceite was declared a historical-artistic site in 1973. The plaza Mayor, with its 17th-century town hall, branches out into a network of roads that will bring its visitors to churches, plazas and manors made of stone decorated with wrought-iron balconies. www.calaceite.esAna del Castillo (Age Fotostock)Its 16 towers, six doors (including the King’s door, through which Jaume I once entered) and almost two kilometers of wall (which is 10-15 meters high and two meters thick) conform the characteristic, winding silhouette of Morella, which is crowned by its castle. The Santa María la Mayor church hosts the annual International Organ Musical Festival every August. www.morellaturistica.comPedro Salvaverria (iStock)They say that the medieval layout of Cantavieja is an invitation to discover the city's nooks and crannies (filled with history and heritage) and to climb up to its lookout points: on the west side of town it is possible to see the Muela Monche; on the east, the meadow of San Antonio and the Rebollar, and on the south side, the Tarayuela. cantaviejaturismo.blogspot.com.esJosé Fuste Raga (Age Fotostock)Its Arabic origins are palpable in the narrow zigzagging streets and historic quarter, with the castle up at the top. The Christian expansion of Vilafamés can be seen in its linear road system, parish church and 15th-century palace. One of its main attractions is the Roca Grossa: a large mass of rock that can be found going up the fountain road (Carrer de la Font). www.vilafames.esAgeIn January, residents and tourists in Lucainena de la Torres follow the procession of the patron saint, Saint Sebastian, and throw bread rings his way from roads, houses and flower-filled balconies. From El Poyo de la Cruz, you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the town and the old mill.Josep Curto (Age Fotostock)This town has maintained its Berber look with its slate roofs and whitewashed houses that adapt to the uneven terrain. Pampaneira, a historic-artistic site together with Bubión and Capileira, is situated in the Poqueira ravine, near the summits of Mulhacén and the Veleta. Most of the village falls within the bounds of the natural park of Sierra Nevada. www.turismopampaneira.comOriol Alamany (Corbis)Rubielos de Mora is known as el Pórtico de Aragón (the Gateway of Aragón, as it opens up onto the highlands of Teruel) and for the large number of manors and small palaces that form this historic-artistic site. It is part of the network of Cittaslow municipalities and is located along the Camino del Cid.Andrés Campos
