30 prettiest 'pueblos' (small rural villages) in Spain

[parubin]

I just bought the special edition of 'Viajar' (a Spanish magazine on travel). A number of lists were given to celebrate their 30th anniversary. One of those lists were about the 30 prettiest small rural villages in Spain.

I couldn´t find the link to the list, but instead I found this other list about the same thing that newspaper 'El Mundo' made in 2005.

There are a number of places I hadn´t even heard of before, being a Spaniard myself, so despite I distrust these kind of lists, I thought it could be interesting for the devoted traveller and Spain-lover.

Here are the results, sorted by alphabetical order of the provinces they are in :

* ASTURIAS : Cudillero
* CÁDIZ : Arcos de la Frontera
* CANTABRIA : Mogroviejo, San Vicente de la Barquera, Santillana del Mar, Bárcena Mayor
* CASTELLÓN : Morella
* CIUDAD REAL : Almagro
* GERONA : Besalú, Cadaqués, Peratallada
* HUELVA : El Rocío
* HUESCA : Ainsa, Ancilles, Ansó, Riglos
* LA CORUÑA : Betanzos
* LEÓN : Astorga, Castillo de los Polvazares, Peñalba de Santiago
* MÁLAGA : Ronda, Casares
* MALLORCA : Deià
* SALAMANCA : La Alberca, Ciudad Rodrigo
* SEGOVIA : Pedraza
* TENERIFE : La Orotava
* TERUEL : Albarracín
* VALLADOLID : Urueña

[Juanjo]

I
Here are the results, sorted by alphabetical order of the provinces they are in :

* ASTURIAS : Cudillero
* CÁDIZ : Arcos de la Frontera (yes)
* CANTABRIA : Mogroviejo, San Vicente de la Barquera, Santillana del Mar, Bárcena Mayor
* CASTELLÓN : Morella
* CIUDAD REAL : Almagro
* GERONA : Besalú, Cadaqués, Peratallada
* HUELVA : El Rocío
* HUESCA : Ainsa, Ancilles, Ansó, Riglos
* LA CORUÑA : Betanzos
* LEÓN : Astorga, Castillo de los Polvazares, Peñalba de Santiago
* MÁLAGA : Ronda (yes), Casares (no) Grazalema (yes) Benahavis (yes)
* MALLORCA : Deià
* SALAMANCA : La Alberca, Ciudad Rodrigo
* SEGOVIA : Pedraza (yes)
* TENERIFE : La Orotava
* TERUEL : Albarracín
* VALLADOLID : Urueña

(My subjective views)

[tajo]

I only know the villages cerca de Ronda, but I'd have to disagree with Casares, and suggest they add Grazalema or Zahara.

I would have been inclined to add Setenil as well but the outskirts of Setenil look like any other village going through a major growth cycle.

[Ben]

Not sure about * HUELVA : El Rocío

Interesting place, but kind of sandy...!

[Ben]

One of my absolute favourites is Almonaster la Real, which I think must be in Seville province... is seville a province?!

Anyway, see here (http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=seville&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title)

[tajo]

One of my absolute favourites is Almonaster la Real, which I think must be in Seville province... is seville a province?!

Yup, sure is, one of the several in Andalucia

[imc]

Almonáster la Real está en la provincia de Huelva. Si, a mi también me gustan más los pueblos de la sierra de Huelva que El Rocío.

He estado en muchos de esos pueblos (me faltan los de las islas y alguno más), pero en la lista faltan muchos otros que merece la pena ver tanto como estos.

[Andalucian Traveller]

Ronda is undoubtedly very pretty, but I wouldn't call it a small village. I think the list looks quite predictable, no real surprises???

[Culebronchris]

I live in Ciudad Rodrigo and it's definitely nice. Alberca, in Salamanca is one of a group of villages that look like something from Tudor England, I rate some of the other ones because they are less loaded with day trippers.

One of my personal favourites is Trujillo in Extremadura.

Interesting that there's nothing listed in the Brit paradise of Alicante

[José Miguel]

En Italia surgió un movimiento que reivindica el "vivir lento" y que agrupa a ciudades de menos de 50.000 habitantes que se unen bajo el nombre de Cittaslow. En España actualmente pertenecen a Cittaslow:
Mungia en Bizkaia, País Vasco - Pals en Girona, Cataluña - Palafrugell en Girona, Cataluña - Bigastro en Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana - Lekeitio en Bizkaia, País Vasco - Rubielos de Mora en Teruel, Aragón y Pozo Alcón en Jaén, Andalucía.

Más información:
http://www.cittaslow.net/sezioni/Rete%20Internazionale/pagine.asp?idn=1238

[Matthew Stewart]

I have to say this list is extremely incomplete and misleading - many of the places listed are substantial towns rather than villages. Still if you're including such large populations, you simply must mention Úbeda and Baeza in Jaén province, bearing in mind that UNESCO rate them as World Heritage Sites.

I agree with Chris that Trujillo's lovely and a decent representative for Extremadura, but I personally recommend Robledillo de Gata (La Alberca without the souvenir shops and still in something of a time capsule) or Trevejo as outstanding villages in Extremadura, although Hervás and Garganta La Olla are also gorgeous and more accessible from Madrid.

[Pippa]

I just bought the special edition of 'Viajar' (a Spanish magazine on travel). A number of lists were given to celebrate their 30th anniversary. One of those lists were about the 30 prettiest small rural villages in Spain.



* ASTURIAS : Cudillero yes
* CÁDIZ : Arcos de la Frontera
* CANTABRIA : Mogroviejo yes, San Vicente de la Barquera I wouldn't put it on the list, although has beautiful views from up the hill, but the village-town not sure, Santillana del Mar yes, Bárcena Mayor yes
* CASTELLÓN : Morella
* CIUDAD REAL : Almagro
* GERONA : Besalú, Cadaqués, Peratallada yes
* HUELVA : El Rocío
* HUESCA : Ainsa, Ancilles, Ansó, Riglos
* LA CORUÑA : Betanzos not too pretty, but went a long time ago
* LEÓN : Astorga no, Castillo de los Polvazares, Peñalba de Santiago
* MÁLAGA : Ronda, Casares
* MALLORCA : Deià
* SALAMANCA : La Alberca yes, Ciudad Rodrigo yes
* SEGOVIA : Pedraza
* TENERIFE : La Orotava went there a long time ago, but I do not recall it as special. TERUEL : Albarracín
* VALLADOLID : Urueña
Guess where I am from?!