I've lived in Spain for 35 years — these places welcome tourists

Times

19-07-2025

The figures are extraordinary: 94 million tourists in 2024 and more expected this year. As are the scenes of furious Spaniards firing at visitors with water pistols in protest. No less extraordinary, however, is just how much of Spain — almost twice the size of the UK — remains untouched by tourism. While it is true that certain areas of Barcelona, San Sebastian and Palma de Mallorca now have more avocado-toast brunch bars, luggage lockers and Ikea-decorated short-let apartments than seems reasonable, whole swathes of the country are not only tolerant of tourism but happy to receive a good deal more of it.
Staying ahead of the hordes is simple enough: the trick is to cast your net wide across this hugely diverse country. Unfold an old-fashioned printed map and consider the lush green hills and sweeping beaches of Galicia; the moon-like deserts of Aragon; the forests of Extremadura in the far west, where blackfoot pigs virtually outnumber people. Whole regions of Spain are puzzlingly absent from British bucket lists — examples being Castilla y León, with its pungent historic legacy and powerful red wines; or the province of Teruel, empty of people yet bursting with character. Each of the 50 provincial capitals has its own heritage and personality, and of these only a handful — Cordoba, Girona, Toledo — have a substantial tourism infrastructure; in Albacete, Soria, Badajoz or Lugo it's unusual to hear a foreign voice.
Here are some great destinations to try where you won't be in the firing line.
My top tip for a Barcelona substitute would be Zaragoza, capital of Aragon and a festive, hospitable town that for the moment is not complaining about overtourism. The fifth largest Spanish city, it stands beside the mighty Ebro River, the towers of its great basilica rising proudly above the water. On your to-do list here might be the medieval architecture of the old town, the rumbustious wine-and-tapas scene in El Tubo district — a maze of streets with an estimated 60 tapas bars — and Zaha Hadid's twisty bridge over the Ebro, built as part of the city's Expo 2008 celebrations. Also not to be missed are the works by Francisco de Goya, an Aragon native, at Museo Goya. Stay at the chic-and-cheerful Hotel Avenida, with white rustic-minimalist rooms and a courtyard decorated with cacti in baskets.Details B&B doubles from £69 (hotelavenida-zaragoza.com). Fly to Zaragoza
• The northeastern Spanish city with a surprising tapas scene
Of course it's not quite Seville — nothing could equal the dreamlike beauty of the Andalusian capital's cobbled streets and squares perfumed with orange blossom. But Jaen has beauties of its own — plus a low tourist presence of which stressed-out Sevillanos can only dream. Among the dun-coloured rooftops of the its historic quarter stands the twin-towered façade of a mighty Renaissance cathedral — the masterpiece of the local architect Andrés de Vandelvira. A medieval bathhouse, discovered by chance in the 1970s, is a fascinating relic of the city's Moorish past. With its rabbit-warren of whitewashed alleys, churches, convents and time-worn taverns (try the Taberna Cassa Gorrion, where locals take their late-morning snifters along with a plate of raw broad beans and a hunk of cheese), the old town is like Seville without the souvenir shops. Stay at the Parador, in a castle high above the city, and dine at the Michelin-starred Baga, for many the best restaurant in town, with dishes such as Motril shrimps with shiitake mushrooms or smoked eel with pear (tasting menu £85; bagagastronomico.com).Details B&B doubles from £132 (paradores.es). Fly to Granada
Done San Sebastian? Remember there is another Basque town — capital of the region and Alava province — that is one of the best places in Spain to live. Slow-paced, affable Vitoria-Gasteiz offers a pintxo scene to rival that of San Sebastian and the Virgen Blanca, an annual fiesta that can out-party San Fermin in Pamplona (August 6 to 9; basquecountry-tourism.com) — and nary an Australian tourist in sight. A green belt of carefully preserved park-like countryside surrounds the city centre. When you're done with the historic centre, with its palaces and plazas, drive into the rolling wine country of Rioja Alavesa, known as the Tuscany of Spain. Stay at urban bolt hole La Casa de los Arquillos, which has simple, smart rooms and studios beside the central Plaza de la Virgen Blanca. Details Room-only doubles from £69 (lacasadelosarquillos.com). Fly to Bilbao
• The unsung Spanish city that's a great alternative to San Sebastian
The northern regions of Spain are increasingly the subject of scrutiny among foreign visitors worried about soaring temperatures on the southern coast. Asturias is filling up fast, but Cantabria remains a summer destination that many would prefer to keep under their sombreros. This autonomous community has it all: verdant hills, soaring peaks, rustic villages, historic towns and a good number of the country's most pristine beaches. Ferries from the UK connect directly with the elegant capital, Santander — a place to spend at least a few days (check out the Centro Botín art museum, designed by Renzo Piano, on the harbourside) before heading east towards the seaside towns of Laredo and Castro Urdiales. The 180-mile Cantabria coastline has beaches as sweeping and spectacular as Arnia, Oyambre and the surf-tastic Somo. On the two-and-a-half-mile stretch of sand at Trengandin, backed by dunes and forest, finding a space for your towel will never be a problem. Stay at the Helguera Palacio, a 17th-century country house 20 minutes' drive from the sea, with 11 elegant rooms and a pool overlooking the hills.Details B&B doubles from £264 (palaciohelguera.com). Fly or take the ferry to Santander
Finding alternatives to the overcrowded Spanish islands is a challenge. Even on Menorca — once the low-profile Balearic, where mass tourism was kept firmly under control — there have been protests and mutterings about visitor numbers. The Canary island of La Palma has resisted excessive tourism, and combines low-key pleasures with big-screen thrills — botanists, horticulturists, ramblers and stargazers will find much to enjoy here. Explore towns such as Garafia and Tazacorte, where you will find traditional houses with sash windows and clay-tiled roofs, or hike along the island's more than 600 miles of signposted paths, the most demanding of which — the 15-mile Ruta de los Volcanes — follows its central spine from north to south. Stay at the Faro Punta Cumplida, a converted lighthouse on a volcanic outcrop. Details B&B doubles from £251 (floatel.de). Fly to La Palma
Much of what makes Valencia a massively popular destination can also be found in Murcia. Yet this handsome provincial city, inland from the southeast coast, shows little sign of tourist-tiredness and visitors are welcomed with open arms. Stroll along the banks of the Segura River towards the Floridablanca Gardens, where families congregate in the shade of century-old ficus trees. Shop at the Mercado de Veronicas, an early 20th-century modernist building with the soul of a genuine Spanish produce market, free of the gawping selfie-snappers that have spoilt the Mercat Central in Valencia. The tapas scene in Murcia, based on vegetables grown in the market gardens surrounding the city, is a powerful draw — head for the Plaza de las Flores to feast on marineras (a combo of ensaladilla and cured anchovy on a breadstick). Stay at the Rincon de Pepe, a classic Murcian establishment with neat rooms near the glorious baroque cathedral.Details B&B doubles from £116 (melia.com). Fly to Murcia
Guadalajara province, in Castilla-La Mancha, is an hour's drive northeast of downtown Madrid, yet it might be said to suffer from 'undertourism' — indeed, you can drive for many miles here without seeing another car. Single-track roads wind between ancient forests of oak and juniper; it is said that the Iberian wolf, once almost extinct, has returned to this wilderness. Overlooked by the brooding peaks of the Sierra Norte, the landscape is peppered with the astonishing black villages of Guadalajara — so called because their houses and churches are built of slate. Meander between Campillo de Ranas, Majaelrayo and Roblelacasa, stopping for a simple lunch of chargrilled beef or stewed lentils at Los Manzanos in Campillejo — one of only a handful of eating places in the area (mains from £3.50). Sparsely populated, these silent villages suggest that some parts of Spain could do with more tourism, not less. Stay in Campillejo at Casa Rural El Roble Hueco, a villa with eight double en suites and beds and cots for children.Details One night's self-catering for 18 from £649 (airbnb.es/rooms/24763956). Fly to Madrid