Looking for a beautiful village in Spain?

The "S" towns---Segovia, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Seville.

Wonderful, thanks! I have been off the European forum for a few years, haven't gone to Europe since my daughter's wedding in Italy in 2004. I believe I remember you.

WT

The S towns are beautiful but not necessarily peaceful, especially depending on when you go. The south of Spain is never peaceful in the summer. A lot of it is no longer very beautiful either with all the low-end construction appealing to budget retirees and vacationers. In the north of Spain there are some beautiful areas that are very peaceful and incredibly scenic, for instance Santander which is not far from San Sebastian. The countryside is lush and green and hilly unlike the barren moonscape of some of the south. Two beautiful villages there are Santillana and Comillas. Travelling a little further west along the north you come to the mountain area of Asturias where there are some beautiful scenic villages like Cabrales which is famous for its cheese. Finally, on the northwest corner of Spain there is Galicia, which is famous not only for its capital, Santiago de Compostela, but also for its countryside as well as the beautiful ancient stone fishing villages that dot the coast.

Pedraza is one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. It is quite peaceful and has the added lure of restaurants offering some of the best food I've ever eaten. An easy drive from Madrid or the Madrid airport.

I have to agree with4kids... plus I would add Leon ,Burgos, Ponferrada, Astorga in C y L. and Lugo in Galicia.

I don't how serious you are about "villages" vs. towns and cities, but as much as they are beautiful, most destinations mentioned so far are quite big towns. The quintessential Spanish villages for me are the pueblos blancos in Andalucia - but that may be a bit too far off your planned route: Vejer de la Frontera, Medina-Sidonia, Frigiliana - and probably dozens more in the South.

Let's not forget Ronda...

Cuenca is a beautiful town.

I agree with Scrunchy...peaceful & quiet make a stop in Pedraza.

Thank you everyone! I will check out all of the suggestions. I really appreciate it!

WT

Last summer I had an opportunity to visit the villages in the Sierra de Francia area, southeast of Salamanca. I especially loved La Alberca - very small medieval village in a lovely mountain setting.

If you have a car, you can drive along narrow roads to visit the small villages in the area, and the views along the way can't be beat.

We loved the old town in Girona - full of wonderful history
and interesting stone buildings.

Ronda is too far - save it for a separate southern Spain trip.

Sorry ... I meant southWEST of Salamanca for Sierra de Francia.

I am seriously directionally challenged!

Will check it all out. thanks

Toledo, Grenada, Segovia, and Seville are all interesting and packed with sites.

WanderingTexan, I am following this thread with great interest. I was in Provence in May and would like to see what Spain has to offer in the same direction.

4KidsinEurope, can you name some specific “stone fishing villages”? Also which stretch of the Galician coast do you recommend?

I assume you mean Granada.

InMiami 4KidsinEurope, can you name some specific “stone fishing villages”? Also which stretch of the Galician coast do you recommend?
I think you have a romantic view of the fishing villages here in Spain. Where ever you go there will be newer buildings too.

Two of my all time favorite villages in Europe are in Spain: Vejer de la Frontera and Grazalema. Imagine this: mountain perched, narrow cobblestone streets bordered by whitewashed houses with a main square right out of "The Arabian Nights". They are both in The Route of the While Villages in the Andalucia Region. Beautiful? Peaceful? You bet.....

Well, I am on the right track then. Many thanks! I am thinking Madrid, Granada, Ronda, Grazalema and Vejer de la Frontera or maybe Seville instead of Ronda for this trip. Any hotel recommendations for Grazalema and Vejer de la Frontera? I found a couple online, but I am not excited about them. Where would you stay... Grazalema or Vejer de la Frontera or both? This is going to be part of a much longer trip, so I don't want to plan more than 10 days in Spain.

BTW, I understand about the petty crime in Spain, but I have been reading some alarming stuff about rental cars, etc. I drove from Provence to Barcelona about 8 years ago and I seem to remember the same warnings.... has it gotten worse? I don't want to spend all my days looking over my shoulder, but I am not a fraidy cat either. I did think someone was targeting us on Las Ramblas, following us very closely, stopping when we stopped, etc. It went on so long, I felt sure I was right. I finally completely stopped, turned around and looked at him, he looked at me, and then he finally walked around us and was gone.


If I wanted to see the most beautiful place in Portugal while I am nearby, where would I go?

3 weeks ago, it was my 3rd time in Barcelona, 20+ time to Spain in general.
I rode the subway all day and night in Barcelona and Madrid, drove my rental car 1K kms from Malaga to Barcelona in spring, several K kms overall probably during the last decade, parked in downtown garages, edge of town P+R lots, rode trains & buses, walked around Barcelona or Madrid at 4am, etc.. and still, I did not have one "awkward" moment.
Who knows what that person you spotted on the Ramblas wanted. If it was just a coincidence, or if he was targeting you. Most pickpockets will probably not make themselves that visible, but just hit and run, and you won't even notice until you are back at the hotel.
I know that the petty crime must be there, it just never hit me.
Use common sense. If someone tries to stop you in a remote area, do not stop but dial 112 and tell the police. Keep your doors locked, and no valuable/purses/backpacks in sight in the car. Do not walk around with lots of valuables. Keep one credit card in the hotel safe as backup. Also photocopies of your passport. Or leave the passports in the safe and take photocopies with you. Again, I never needed any of that advice myself.

The one and only specific thing I remember are the warning signs at rest areas along the Med motorway (AP-7) not to leave your car / valuables unattended.

think crime reports are overblown - no worse than anywhere else, bnetter than most, just do the sensible things: no valuables showing, don't dress like paris hilton, don't leave your wallet sticking out of your back pocket.
hotel in grazalema: perta de la tierra is by a long way the best bet: right in the middle of the village, comfortable (actually better than that) and food is good. In vejer there are a number of guest houses that are good - casa cinco is well regarded. there's also the califa hotel in vejer - v smart and atmospheric. vejer has good eating options. both are good choices. seville is always worth a look - endless options there

Stay in Grazalema or Ronda.

Take a look at Hotel Fuerte Grazalema, outside of town though walking distance. And has a pool. http://www.fuertehoteles.com/hoteles/hotelFuertegrazalema/default_es.asp

I would go to Pedraza...as has been suggested.

make that hotel puerta de la tierra in grazalema...must get new fingers

The most beautiful place is Portugal is Sintra.

If you are going to Madrid, it would be foolish not to see Toledo. It is worth the trip just to see El Greco's "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" in Santo Tome church.

I could spend all day just wandering around Toledo looking at the unique and beautiful doors.

Thin

This is v. interesting thread. We usually go to France and rent cottages in different areas. We plan to go to Spain next year and are having problems sorting out which areas to concentrate on. We like to rent a cottage and stay in one area for a week at a time. We will have a car and plan to stay in three different areas. Aside from all the information in this thread any new suggestions, as well as how to find self catering cottages?

sandy-- it would probable be helpful to the OP if you post your question in your own post. Also, there are quite a bit of info in Casas Rurales (could be considered the the Spanish version of cottages). This type setting is more of a North-of-Madrid so that could be a start point for you. Fodor's has a number of amazing amazing Spain Travel contributors. I would strongly suggest you sit and take notes first, and then "digest" and decide.

Great info! I will probably go to Pedraza too! Regarding crime, other than that uncomfortable time on Las Ramblas, I have never had a problem either. Thanks for confirming that things aren't as bad as I am reading...

Sintra is this enchanted town where European royalty, real and false, waited out WWII. We could not secure a hotel in Lisboa and stayed in the town.

The Portuguese are a very warm bit otherwise morose people and this storybook town is an odd dot on the map.

sandyeh
Your not quite clear on which country you are talking about..France or Spain. This website covers both countries. It is especially good for Spain and Portugal
http://www.toprural.com/

Ok I have now seen that sandyeh has posted another question so I now understand more about the above request.

Bookmarking

Just beginning to plan a trip to Spain.

amy

BobtheNavigator writes: << ... The "S" towns---Segovia, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Seville.>>

I would add Santander, Santiago de compostela & Santillana del mar to that list. True, all are in the north or northwest of Spain, but if I include Potes & los Picos de Europa, they are my favorite 'Villages' in Spain. Comillas, another village in Cantabria, has the ArchBishop's Palace, the Universidad Pontifical and Antonio Gaudi's Caprichos, a building that houses an Oriental Restaurant.

Merida, Toledo, Avila, Ubeda, Baeza in fact whereever you go you'll enjoy it.

For me it's exploring my province of Jaen, still not enough hours in a day or days off!

La Alberca (Salamanca)

www.turismoporespana.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/la-alberca-plaza-mayor.jpg

Albarracin (Teruel)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Albarrac%C3%ADn_(Teruel)_01.jpg

bookmarking

I live in Guajar Alto, a tiny mountain village at the head of the valley of Los Guajares between Granada and the coast.
The scenery here is spectacular and we are not too far from the City of Granada.
Have a look at these web sites.
www.guajar.com
www.margaretmerry.com
www.guajar.blogspot.com

Margaret