In shortNumber 1 in our ranking is Albarracín, followed by Cudillero and Santillana del Mar.
Choosing the 10 most beautiful villages in Spain is almost impossible: hundreds could be on the list. We looked for variety: mountains, sea, white villages, medieval towns and surprising corners from north to south.
This isn’t a closed travel guide, it’s a debate: is your favourite village missing? Vote below or add it, and if readers back it, it will join the ranking.
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We'll publish the readers' ranking once there are enough votes for it to be representative.
1. Albarracín
Teruel, Aragon
Walls climbing up the mountain, cobbled streets and reddish houses hanging over the Guadalaviar river. Rarely is a medieval village so completely preserved: walking through it is like travelling back several centuries.
2. Cudillero
Asturias
Colourful houses huddled in an amphitheatre around a small fishing harbour. The view from its lookouts, with the Cantabrian Sea behind, is one of the most photographed in northern Spain.
3. Santillana del Mar
Cantabria
A stone village of noble houses with coats of arms and the Romanesque collegiate church of Santa Juliana. Nearby is the Altamira cave, visited through its replica at the museum.
4. Frigiliana
Málaga, Andalusia
White, steep streets full of flowers in its Moorish quarter, in the heart of the Axarquía. It combines the classic image of an Andalusian village with views of the Mediterranean.
5. Valldemossa
Mallorca, Balearic Islands
Among the mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana, with stone houses and its famous Carthusian monastery, where Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838-1839. Ideal for escaping the island's busiest beaches.
6. Besalú
Girona, Catalonia
Its fortified Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river is one of Catalonia's most recognisable medieval images. It also preserves an old Jewish quarter with a ritual bath.
7. Cadaqués
Girona, Catalonia
White houses beside calm coves on the Costa Brava. A short walk away, in Portlligat, you can visit Salvador Dalí's house-museum.
8. Alquézar
Huesca, Aragon
Perched above the canyon of the Vero river, in the Sierra de Guara. It is famous for its walkways hanging over the river and as one of the favourite destinations for canyoning.
9. Setenil de las Bodegas
Cádiz, Andalusia
Here the houses were not built next to the rock but underneath it. Its streets beneath huge stone overhangs make it one of the most surprising villages in the country.
10. Peñíscola
Castellón, Valencia region
A walled old town on a rocky headland jutting into the sea, crowned by the castle where Pope Luna lived. Beach and heritage on the same walk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful village in Spain?
There is no single official list. In our ranking, Albarracín (Teruel) is number 1 for its walls, its reddish houses hanging over the river and how well preserved the whole village is.
When is the best time to visit these villages?
Spring and autumn: the weather is better and there are fewer people than in summer. Coastal villages such as Cadaqués or Peñíscola get very busy in July and August.
Which beautiful villages are near the coast?
From this list, Cudillero, Cadaqués and Peñíscola are by the sea, and Frigiliana is a few kilometres from the Málaga coast.
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Would you change the order?
Tell us what's missing, what shouldn't be here or what you'd put at number 1.