Chele, actually Pedro Muñoz has around 7,000 hab. so it's small but not too much here :) Campo de Criptana has 13.000 so it can be called a medium size village :) Cazorla is of the size of Pedro Muñoz.
I cannot agree more, most little villages (even the not so little ones) are beautiful, maybe it's because tourism hasn't discovered them...yet :)

Cuenca

thanks for these posts -- I think I'll rent a car and drive North to visit some of these small towns from Pamplona. Is it logistically unwise to combine a visit to a couple of these towns, Pamplona, and an urban city like Barcelona or Madrid during a 7-8 day trip?

I don't know how many towns you plan to visit and how much city time you want, but 7-8 days including either Madrid or Barcelona (I am biased to BCN, but choose what is closest for you)would be a whirlwind tour. Especially if you have to make your way back to Pamplona to fly home.

Efficient travel depends on arrival and departure. If they are the same city, a circle is best, and if they are different, a line or triangle V is best. So, if you are in Pamplona and want to go North, heading South to Madrid or SE to BCN is not very efficient, especially since that is a good 8 hours of driving either way.

I would stick to the upper regions: Navarra, Rioja, Pais Vasco. . . there is so much beauty and richness there that no one should feel they must make it to the bigger places.

Beachysis, we go to Nerja every year (we're Americans) and I can give you lots of restaurant recs. Email me at pj2592atmacdotcom if you would like.

May is a great time to be in Nerja. We always go in May or October.

So many places - I'll try to remember what has been raised:

Pedraza - weekends only. shoot a cannon down the street during the week.

Cazorla - beautiful and worth the trip.

Camp de Criptana - [if memory serves]it's windmills are not as good as Siguenza.

Luarca - do it

Llanes - do it

Lanjaron - or really the 3 small towns past it on the dead end road.

Bonanza - 5 mi north of Sanlucar de Barrameda - the greatest daily event in all of Spain: @ 3 pm there are 35 fishing boats trying to dock on 100 ' of dock.

Sepulveda - Tinin makes it all worthwhile

ekscrunchy
If you're talking about Restaurante Atrio in Caceres, then it is worth a trip in itself. You can check out the reviews on eGullet.

Topping this great thread.

Thanks, Alan, for topping. This reminds me of how very mucch I miss Pedro and wish he would come back to the Fodor Spain family!
Because of his original post, I've been spending my wanderings trying to hit as many of his wonderful suggestions as I can. I have yet to finish his list but plan to some day!

'd like to add some recent discoveries not yet listed:

NAVARRA:
Ujué
a village atop a mountain with lovely Romanesque church/fortress and balcony with sweeping, majestic views and the rustic Mesón Las Torres where I sampled the best "migas al pastor" I've ever had.

CATALUNYA
Taüll & Eril-la Vall
Charming slate and stone villages of the Boí valley, filled with Romanesque art.

Bagergue & Unha
More of the same, in the Val d'Aran. The
Casa Perú in Bagergue is a fabulous place to try Aranese specialties such as the trinxat and olla aranesa, the region's version of cocido.

RIOJA
Escaray
A mountain village in the Sierra de la Demanda. Famous for its blankets. A nice spot to go for peace and quiet after touring the Rioja wineries, also with a fabulous gourmet restaurant, Echaurren, whose chef, Francis Paniego, will supervise the dining at the Frank Gehry designed pavillion of Bodegas Marqués de Riscal, starting next month.

ANDALUCIA
Gaucín & Zahara de la Sierra
More blindingly white perched Moorish villages on the Route of the White Towns, similar in feel to Frigiliana but far less visited. Both near Grazalema.

GALICIA
Ribadavia
Known for its ancient Jewish quarter, its Jewish pastry shop of Doña Herminia and its lovely white Ribeiro wines one can sample nearby at the Viña Mein (also a charming B&B)

BASQUE COUNTRY
Getaria
Home of Magellan's navigator, Juan Sebastián Elcano and the fashion designer, Cristóbal Balenciaga (whose costume museum will open sometime next year). Wonderful sea views on the drive from Zumaia to Getaria, which has an island in the shape of a mouse, el Ratón, great txakoli, the slightly effervescent Basque white wine and the best sardines ever grilled out in the front of all the port restaurants. Great dining at Kai Kalpe at the harbor or ever better, Elkano, on the main drag. Also scuba diving. Charming new hotel here, Saiaz, with stone walls, polished wood floors, floor to ceiling views of the sea.

Be back later for more suggestions.

I was fortunate enough to visit Tordesillas once for an evening concert with a group. Then I returned alone during the daytime-what a delight and full of history.Tordesillas is where the treaty dividing the new world was signed-great display. The queen, Juana la Loca-the daughter of Isabel and Ferdinand was confined in a convent after the death of her husband until her death-great tour.The winding streets are amazing as is the Plaza.Off one of the streets is a bakery that is very famous for its polvorones-peope walk out of their loaded with boxes of them!
Look up their website-there is a parador on the river.
I took a bus from Salamanca and thoroughly enjoyed the scenic ride and my day in Tordesillas.

Since I didn't see them on the list, I assume this makes Pamplona, and San Sebastian large. ??

The Parador in Tordesillas was the second Parador I spent the night in (after Avila) in the fall of '70. You're right. It should be added to the list.
Pamplona, where I resided for two weeks each year, is a wonderful, atmospheric, "green" city and San Sebastián, one of Spain's jewels, the queen of Northern Spain, but they have populations of almost 200,000, thus not "eligible" for the list! :)

Whew! Thanks for the warning. Big as Anchorage. We'll be prepared to be lost.

question!!!! heading to barcelona end of may/beginning of june 2011-looking to stay in a small town after 5 days in the city...on the average-what is the weather like? i have googled the "avereage temp", etc...but wouldn't mind anyone's input that has been in northern spain at that time of year!

hard to predict weather in the North.
San Sebastian is often mentioned as a "must"
in the region.

thx!!!

Just came back from Segovia, Salamanca, Pedraza, Sepulveda, and Trujillo, Spain. Was especially taken by Salamanca. We spent one night in Pedraza. That's really enough there. Also found that Trujillo was an interesting town with a nice square. We had dinner outside in one of the restaurants on the square on a Saturday night and it was so pleasant, with many families dining together. The atmosphere is local, but with interesting sights.

This thread is a great "find"...thanks to all. May just have to head out of Portugal next week to do some exploring in Spain.

We were in Northern Spain in May this Spring -- weather was rather mixed--lots of rain and chilly and then some sunny lovely days. San Seb has fabulous food and u can certainly do a great drive from Barcelona to SS. Bilbao is fascinating and the museum beautiful.

Wow, perfect thread. Going to Spain (Madrid, San Sebastian, Barcelona) for just over two weeks in July. I'm definitely looking up these little places to visit. I'd love to visit some small walled medieval towns.

Thank you all!