When visiting some country we usually head for big cities looking for museums, monuments, entertainment or so. But you can find also within each country a bunch of small towns that sometimes make you dream to come back there again. Because of the country I know more is Spain ( I will add some also of Portugal ) I post here the list of my favourite towns here and it would be nice to know your opinion about these and those of every country in Europe: <BR> <BR>North: Santillana del Mar, Comillas, Cudillero and Hondarribia <BR> <BR>Central: Sigüenza, Pedraza de la Sierra, La Alberca, Chinchón, Almagro, Trujillo and Guadalupe. <BR> <BR>South: Ronda, Grazalema, Arcos, Aracena, Baeza, Priego de Cordoba, Cazalla de la Sierra, Carmona and Osuna. <BR> <BR>East: Pals, Albarracín, Morella, Cadaques and Ainsa <BR> <BR>Balearic Islands: Ciutadella and Deia. <BR> <BR>Canary Islands: Teguise ( Lanzarote ), La Orotava ( Tenerife ) and Sta Cruz de la Palma ( La Palma ) <BR> <BR>Portugal: Monsanto, Monsaraz, Obidos, Sintra amd Marvao. <BR> <BR>Islands: Funchal, Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroismo.

Hi Pedro, <BR>Just want to thank you for your great list! What a great post! You've mentioned many of my favorites and added many island destinations I'm now going to have to discover! Here are a few of mine (some are tiny, tiny!): <BR> <BR>West (Galicia): Baiona, Cambados, Muros <BR> <BR>North (Cantabria/Asturias/Pais Vasco/Navarra): Luarca, Llanes, Taramundi, Barcena Mayor, Laguardia, Ochagavia, Burguete, Etxalar, Isaba <BR> <BR>Northeast (Catalunya/Huesca): Rupit, Arties, Peratallada, Besalu, Beget, Camprodon, Hecho/Anso, Benasque <BR> <BR>Central (Castilla): Astorga, Covarrubias <BR> <BR>

Hi!, Maribel, great addition!. I will have to have a look at some of them one of these days. You made me remind a few more names: <BR> <BR>-North: Peńalba de Santiago, Castrillo de los Polvazares, Mondońedo,Potes, Frías, Olite. <BR> <BR>-Central: Sepúlveda,Ciudad Rodrigo, Valverde de la Vera, El Burgo de Osma, Calatańazor. <BR> <BR>-South: Vejer, Ecija, Pampaneira,Nerja, Ubeda, Zuheros, Antequera, Mojacar. <BR> <BR>-East: Bocairent, Mirambel,Tossa de Mar. <BR> <BR>-Balearic: Banyalbufar. <BR> <BR>

Maribel and Pedro, you both helped tremendously with my feb. trip to Andalusia. I had a brief visit to both Priego and Osuna. Unfortunately, we kept hitting these towns during siesta, but were still impressed by their charms. Thank you for making people aware of these little gems!

Thought people would like to see this old thread.

Thanks for bringing this up. It's nice to have a list of nice but off the tourist track towns. I plan to keep this list for future trips.

I can add a few I've been to and really liked in Andalucia--Vejer de la Frontera, Cascares, and Frigiliana.

Pedro and Maribel,
Great posts. Thank you so much!

An interesting post! I have never been to Spain, but I have always wanted to go. One thing that does NOT attract me is that I think of it as very arid, and I like green, lush places. From my research, I think that Galicia and Asturias are the greenest places in Spain. Is that right?

Of the towns any of you have mentioned, which might appeal to me the most?

Thinking of Spain as arid is like categorizing the United States based on Arizona's climate.

Guy-- You might be thinking of La Mancha Region when thinking of an arid Spain; &quot;the spot&quot; or La Mancha covers Toledo to Albacete, not Andalucia. That said, even in la Mancha region there are hundreds of acres of greenery, streams, mountains, etc...

For those who have never been to Spain, it is the most mountainous region in Europe outside of Scandinavia, with the greatest diversity of terrain of any country in western Europe.

Gal&iacute;cia: O Grove

Alicante: Altea

Valencia: Bugarra

Catalunya: Valls

La Mancha: Pozohondo

Andaluc&iacute;a: R&iacute;o Gordo

Extremadura: Alburquerque

Castilla y Le&oacute;n: MEDINACELI!!!!!

Arag&oacute;n: Uncastillo

Pa&iacute;s Vasco: Zarauz

Those are the most salient of my small town memories.

Claire

Guy: We spent a night in Cudillero in Asturias on the coast of Asturias in the north...lovely fishing town rising up from a protected harbor This entire coastline from Galicia east through Cantabria (Santillana del Mar...perfect, albeit touristy) and further east is the type of area which might appeal to you based on what you wrote.

ohhhh Santillana del Mar...I think that that is one of the most photogenic towns that I have ever been to.

I loved Mundaka in the Basque coast as well. I just liked the feeling being there...

Bulnes in the Picos de Europa region does not even count as a small town but I LOVED the isolated feeling up there. The views were amazing. Only hikers up there at the time.

I had the best meal ever in Castro-Urdiales (this was not even a planned stop and we stayed overnight).

Cuenca does not count as a small town but I adored it.

Ronda is adorable.....

Thanks for bringing this thread back! I'm adding some names to my list!

Well I am hoping that Pedraza is really charming; plan to spend two nights there in May. I know the food will be good.

Actually, the best place to dine in Pedraza in not in Pedraza, but located just 4 kms away, in the tiny village of Ca&ntilde;icosa-Matabuena. Here is where you’ll find one of the finest gourmet dining spots in the province, the Codex Calixtinus.

I wish I had this list before visiting Spain. We wanted small places to visit but everywhere we were recommended seemed too big and crowded to us from small town Australia.

Wow, thanks for bringing this old post up. I am going to Spain in May, and glad that 2 of places I'm visting are on the list(s) - Carmona and Nerja.
If any one has any restaurant or shopping recommendations (for local crafts, etc, not tacky souvenirs), please let me know! Will only be in Carmona for 1 night, but Nerja for 4....Thanks!

Robert, thanks for the restaurant rec; I have lunches planned at Tinin in Sepulveda and at El Yantar in Pedraza. I have a feeling that I have read about Codex C. and that it is very innovative cuisine. I would love to hear your comments about the place; I am always up for interesting places to eat! AND speaking of restaurants, have you been to Atria in Caceres and what have you heard about this? Thanks ever so much for your help!

I doubt if many here have been to a town as small as a place like Pedro Mu&ntilde;oz! Or Campo de Criptana, for that matter. Actually, I would pass on Pedro Mu&ntilde;oz, but Campo de Criptana did look sort of interesting. Too bad it was during siesta. Both are in La Mancha.

One place that is truly small but with lots of charm is Cazorla. One of the easternmost pueblos blancos in Andalucia, it sits at the base of the mountains and is quite charming.

One of the best unspoken gems of Spain are her (truly) smaller towns villages!