Hidden Spain: The 10 best places to escape the tourist crowds (2024)

By Marta Funk, Marketing Manager

Nothing beats a holiday in Spain, but nobody wants to get stuck with the crowds. Here are 10 secret treasures of the real, hidden Spain.

1The clifftops of Catalonia

Stay here:Once frequented by Hollywood’s elite (hello Liz Taylor) this secluded clifftop getawayon the Costa Brava in Catalonia has six sumptuous apartments and a glamourous seven-bedroom villa, all with details to die for.

What you get:
●Breathtaking sea views
● Perched on a clifftop
● A stunning pool set in the rocks
●Excellent on-site restaurant
● A secret tunnel to the beach!

Prices from £227 per night for an apartment

2The desert gardens of Almeria

Stay here:This is where the Almería desert meets the Mediterranean sea. It’s a place of ochre and terracotta landscapes, tinkling goat bells, swaying palm trees, fiery sunsets and this stylisheco-retreat in the heart of Cabo de Gata Natural Park. There’s no better place to finish up your novel.

What you get:
●Brilliant value
● Just 4 simple-yet-chic rooms
● A stunning desert garden setting
●Close to Spain’s best beaches
● Far from the tourist crowds

Prices from £65 per night for a room

3The wild orchards of Mallorca

Stay here:Mallorca has dozens ofagroturismoproperties but Son Palou stands out from the crowd. It’s a small, stylish 14-bedroom hotel (plus private a villa for 2-4) set among lush wild orchards, with stunning mountain scenery. A perfect place to recharge your batteries and spoil yourself in nature.

What you get:
● Exceptional food
● Lovely tranquil atmosphere
●Fabulous mountain views
●Lots of pretty nooks for hiding away
● The estate has its own waterfall!

Prices from £126 per night for a double room

4Heavenly drama on La Palma

Stay here:La Palma is by far the greenest island in the Canaries. It’s also wildly dramatic. The Old Music School is a special little house (sleeps 6-10) right in the island’s centre, with just three rooms, a heated pool, and fabulous prices. There’s a chain of volcanic craters on your doorstep. The stargazing is out of this world.

What you get:
●Fabulous value
● Super-comfy beds
●Magnificent surroundings
● Pristine black beaches nearby
● So blissful you can hear a pin drop

Prices from £200 per night for the whole house

5Hide & chic on the Costa Blanca

Stay here:Caserio del Mirador is a brilliant family-focused retreat in the mountains above the Costa Blanca. There are five stylish apartments, a casita, and an Airstream for glampers. It’s also home to a menagerie of animals (there’s a pony called Snow White, bless). The facilities are everything a parent could wish for.

What you get:
●Perfect for families
● Safe and secure
●Flawless apartments
●Wine & beer included in food prices
● Within distance of the sea

Prices from £160 per night for an apartment

6Rural nirvana in Andalucia

Stay here:Molino Rio Alajar is a tranquil self-catering retreat close to one of Andalucia’s most beautiful villages. It has six intimate cottages dotted around a beautiful garden which overlooksthe amazing Alajar valley. You’ll be hard pushed to find a better base for indulgent family R&R.

What you get:
●Six cosy cottages
● A shared pool and tennis courts
●You can plunder the vegetable garden
●Picturebook villages everywhere
● The best footpaths in southern Spain

Prices from £103 per night for a cottage

7Bask & relax in the Basque Country

Stay here:Urune Hotela is an absolute winner. It’s a stylish 8-bedroom farmhouse turned hotel set in the gorgeous Basque countryside. No stress, no crowds, just total relaxation. The only noise you’re likely to hear is early morning birdsong. Clean sandy beaches are nearby.

What you get:
●Brilliant prices
● A lush rural location
●Perfect for couples
●Only 30mins from Bilbao airport
● Guernica is just down the road

Prices from £67 per night for a room

8The glorious coast of Asturias

Stay here:This is where history meets contemporary comfort. We love this 18th-century mansion with a medieval tower (with bedrooms!) on Asturias’ rugged northwest coastline. These beaches are often called the cleanest in northern Spain. It’s also a walker’s paradise.

What you get:
●A truly historic hideaway
● Great value for money
●A super-lovely owner
●The cleanest beaches in northern Spain
● Not a soul between here and the coast

Prices from £72 per night for a standard room

9The magnificent vistas of Aragon

Stay here:Hotel Mas de la Costa is a lovingly restored 19th-century farmhouse hidden among olive groves in the Aragon countryside. You get stunning views of the Puertos de Beceite mountains, seriously good Mediterranean cuisine, and a choice of 15 charming bedrooms.

What you get:
●Incredible food
● A saltwater pool
●Stunning mountain views
●Impressive sustainability
● Perfect for hikers and cyclists

Prices from £182 per night for a standard room

10A hidden idyll in Navarre

Stay here: El Secreto de Ollo is like discovering your own El Dorado. It’s a gorgeous 7-bedroom guesthouse (and one apartment for 4) in a quiet corner of northern Navarre that’s hardly changed in 300 years. Explore the dreamy landscapes, then take a drive to historic Pamplona or visit San Sebastián.

What you get:
● A genuine rural idyll
● Superb value for money
● Glorious bedrooms
●Breakfast is a feast!
● Only 15km to Pamplona

Prices from £83 per night for a double room

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