Spain for a tourist who doesn't like big cities!
 

My wife and I (both early 50s) are going to Spain for the first week in April to visit our daughter who is studying in Madrid. We don't particularly care for cities, and would much prefer to see the natural beauty of the country (pyrenees perhaps?) or find a few small quaint Spanish towns that will make us feel like we've stepped back in time. The reason for the comment re: cities is that we don't particularly enjoy visiting museums, and we know nothing about architecture. We will be flying into and out of Madrid. As an alternative to Madrid, I have heard that the city of Toledo is quite charming. We are also intrigued with the idea of driving around in the area west of Barcelona where it looks quite mountainous. I'm sure the landscape will be quite beautiful to see. We're not really constrained by budget considerations. Does anyone on this board have any ideas for people like us?

The Basque Country or the northern coast. Unspoilt, beautiful landscapes, cliffs and beaches, quaint towns...

Toledo is lovely, but very touristy.

There are a number of towns that you can visit as day trips from Madrid including Toledo, the others are Cuenca, Aranjuez, Salamanca, and Segovia.

And for unspolied beauty and this is in a totally different area of Spain Galicia, Rias Altas and Rias Bajas as well as the Basque country.

I strongly recommend the scenic Picos de Europa mountains in Asturias (northern Spain).
http://www.asturiaspicosdeeuropa.com...ca.asp?te=1961

In Madrid, spend some time at Casa de Campo. You'll feel like you are far outside the city, although it's very easily accessible.

Come north to places like Leon, Burgos, Picos de Europa, Asturias. Cantabria, Basque Country and Galicia.

most of these replies have you hareing off all over the country. aduchamp's first thoughts are good - not too far; you could take a containable road trip and do many of these cities with overnight stops; west of salamanca you will find small cities such as ciudad rodrigo and you could even follow a loop through the north of extremadura to places like plasencia then head back through the beautiful mountains to madrid. i think you will have missed cherry blossom time in the jerte valley but it's still wonderful countryside, esp in spring. there are some good parador hotels in the area and you could also look at rusticae.es for interesting places to stay in great locations

There are a lot of nature parks in the north of Spain. The national park of Picos de Europa and Pyrenees were mentioned, but April may be a bit early for both.
In Pyrenees, most of the routes have still snow or are very wet. In Picos de Europa, you can walk the routes in the Valley of Liebana in April. Many of these run along the lower slopes of the Cantabrian mountains (Cordillera Cantabrica).
A good source of information is the Topwalks website: http://www.topwalks.net/en/liebana.htm
The routes, each with a description, a map, GPS waypoints etc. are also graded by difficulty, and the best months for each is mentioned.
The nature park of Somiedo in Asturias might be one alternative.

Wlksntalks, Please stop pushing your own website, it seesm that every post you may here or anywhere else on the internt you have to add your website.
Ref this enquiry there is no talk about doing any walking by the op, so why add it again?

the North and even Madrid can bee cool and rainy first week in April.

I think Revulgo, Ribeirasacara and MikelG have given great advice. You can drive, bus or train from Madrid through Salamanca, Leon, Picos de Europa, Cangas de Onis, Santillana del Mar, Lekeitio, and end up in San Sebastian, the most beautiful (small) city in Europe. If you are worried about rainy days there is nothing in the world like Seville and Granada which are small cities but old ones.

I agree with Egbert, there are a lot of medium size cities or towns in Spain all with lots of charm . THe proposed cities are
great choices , Leon, Salamanca,... do not forget Burgos too. And dozens in between. Remember Spain did not suffered air attacks during the II World War and that I believe makes a big difference.You shall be amazed when you arrive for instance to Plascencia o Salamanca and there are two Catherals the New and the Old, the NEw...wow it might have been built in the XVI century or earlier, it is amazing what you can find in Spain...
Go for it. A good Idea I believe is to rent a car , having taken a train earlier to avoid the coming and going from Madrid.
You can start in Salamanca may be and end up in Burgos. THis way you save some days of rental that of course pay for the train several times. Trains are inexpensive and you go in 2 nd class as every body does.
What I mean, train to Salamanca, three days there without a car, then rent the car do your tour, then arrive in Burgos return car and three more days with out a car in Burgos.

But we had a Civil War from 1936 to 1939 that killed over a million people and destroyed many cities...

Yep Graziiella you forgot the civil war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War
and perhaps the most famous bobbing raid during that war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Guernica

good posts lads!

BealocalBCN

Advertising is prohibited on the Fodor's boards. Even if yours is perky and walky.

And Mikelg and Ribeira

If I may be so bold as to add something, even though I am not a Spaniard. The Civil War also created great scars on the pysche of Spanish that even manifests itself today.

Sorry Guys I did not forgot the Civil War. I realized it was a bitter horrible civil war with
many victims. However it is my impression that the bombing of cities was not in the same scale that World War II, I haven't forgotten Guernica either, I am thinking of Frankfurt, and Dresden where , I have not forgotten, nearly 4.000 tons of high explosive boms and incendiary devices where dropped destroying completely the old city , nor London ...
and the bombing of many , many other cities from both sides.
I might be wrong though because I have not been there during those terrible times and one more thing the Civil War was between 36-39 , World War II took place between 39-45, six more years to improve the destruction capability of the destruction of men.

no problem, it was just a historical remark for those not familiar with Spanish history.

And yes, Aduchamp, the scars of our last war are still greatly dividing the Spaniard today....so many years later.

I know if any war is horrible a Civil War is even worst.My family is Spanish and I know wounds have not all heeled yet.