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 village is another new addition to the list of Spain’s loveliest locatins, thanks to its church of Santiago, which is a fine example of 10th-century Mozárabe architecture and was declared a national monument in 1931. Its horseshoe-shaped, double-arched entrance has been described as one of the best examples of Mozárabe art. This once-remote community in the mountains of León is reached after passing through a valley dominated by oak forests, rivers and waterfalls. www.turismocastillayleon.comJosé Andrés Devesa (Getty Images)From the caves of Altamira up to the present day, Santillana del Mar’s architectural and artistic heritage sets it apart. Among the highlights is the Santa Juliana collegiate church and cloister, which dates back to the 9th century. Its higgledy-piggledy streets are a treasure trove of houses and palaces dating back to the 18th century, many of them built by returning locals who had made their fortune in the Americas, known as Indianos. www.santillanadelmarturismo.comiStockProtected by the remains of its castle, observed from atop by its ancient Celtic tower and surrounded at the bottom by its market gardens, there is something clean and orderly about this collection of houses and medieval streets. The 12th-century parish church is home to one of the largest and best-preserved Gothic altarpieces in Spain, dating back to the 15th century. www.anento.esLluís López CarcellerOne of the best-preserved examples of the architecture of the Sierra de Francia area, La Alberca, with its carved stone lintels, was granted national heritage status in 1940. The upper stories of each house lean out from the ones below, meaning that in some narrow streets, their eaves almost touch those opposite. www.laalberca.comIsaac F. CalvoAs the capital of the municipality of Aínsa-Sobrarbe, in the Pyrenees of Huesca, the medieval historic quarter of Aínsa was awarded national heritage status in 1965, although the parish church and castle were declared national monuments in 1931. A restoration gave the old town its charm back, and it now attracts tourists by the busload. www.villadeainsa.comGetty ImagesFamous for its steep cobblestoned streets, and kept clean by drains fed by meltwater from the surrounding hills, Candelario is beautifully conserved and one of the region’s most popular tourist spots. www.candelario.esMaría Galán (Agefotostock)When the Christians retook it from the Arabs during the Reconquest in the 11th century, Maderuelo became the first line of defense on the southern bank of the Duero river, leaving behind it a network of walls, narrow winding streets and small squares. Many of its churches date back to the medieval period, such as San Miguel and Santa María. www.maderuelo.comJosé Ramiro (Agefotostock)Characterized by its splendid Plaza Mayor, or main square, the Duke’s palace, Roman arches, churches, the convent of Santa Isabel and narrow alleyways, Medinaceli has been a strategic enclave for centuries, located as it is at the juncture of the Jalón and Arbujuelo valleys. www.medinaceli.esGetty ImagesDescribed as the best-preserved walled medieval city in Valladolid province, in northern Spain, Urueña has a castle dating back to the 9th century and was given National Heritage status in 1975. Since 2007 it has been a haven for literary types, who are attracted by its 12 bookshops. www.urueña.esFélix González (Agefotostock)Since being reconquered by the Christians in the 11th century, Ayllón has seen many kings: Alfonso VI, Alfonso VII, Alfonso VIII, Fernando IV, Juan II, and in 1929, Isabel, the daughter of Alfonso XIII. Not to be missed are its medieval arch, the main square (pictured), the Contreras palace, and the San Miguel and Santa María la Mayor churches. www.ayllon.esTucked away inside Las Batuecas natural park, this medieval town was repopulated in the 11th century with residents brought in from today’s southern France. It has preserved its traditions, such as its stone architecture and traditional agricultural terracing fed by water from the nearby hills. www.mogarraz.esThis is a small community, part of the so-called “black villages” of Guadalajara, and is close to the Despeñalagua waterfall, which has a 120-meter drop. The main square and the church are examples of the traditional slate and wood construction of the area. www.turismocastillalamancha.esJosé Ramiro (Agefotostock)Granted National Heritage status in 1982, the village won third place in the award for best artistic lighting four years later, coming in behind the Eiffel Tower and Istanbul’s Grand Mosque. Among the attractions are the rock-hewn homes, the steep streets leading up to the castle, the bull ring, the shrine of San Lorenzo, and the San Andrés church. www.alcaladeljucar.netThe only village within the Saja-Besaya natural park, located in the floodplain of the Argoza river, this is a fine example of a mountain town, with traditional buildings that served as homes and as grain stores. www.turismodecantabria.comJuan Carlos Muñoz (Agefotostock)Linked to the legend of the “Fish Man,” who threw himself into the nearby Miera river, then disappeared into the Bay of Biscay, only to reappear in Cadiz, deaf and mad, years later, Liérganes is a celebration of 17th- and 18th-century architecture, much of it built with money made from a nearby ordnance factory. www.aytolierganes.comMikel Bilbao (Agefotostock)Writing a century ago, philosopher and author Miguel de Unamuno described this small community in an extinct volcano on Gran Canaria island as a “petrified storm.” It is dominated by the rocky landscape that surrounds it, notably the Roque Nublo, the symbol of the island, and formed by millennia of volcanic eruptions. The Rock of Bentayga can be seen in the background. www.tejeda.esKatja Kreder (Agefotostock)Back in the 17th century, Llastres was a whaling and fishing community, producing a range of salted and marinated products. The town has always been associated with the sea, as can be appreciated by a stroll through its narrow streets. It was the location for the popular television show ‘Doctor Mateo.’ www.colunga.es/llastresPeter Scholz (Corbis)A new entry to the list of Spain’s loveliest villages, Torazu is hidden away in the mountains of Asturias in the foothills of the Picu Incós, flanked by La Miyar with its Roman road, and the Campo de la Sienra and its oak forest. The town is a prime example of Asturian architecture, complete with its grain silos known as ‘hórreos.’ www.cabranes.esNacho Moro (Agefotostock)
