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Romantic hotels in Spain, charming country inns, Spain hotels
Travel to Spain and stay in small, romantic hotels, paradores and luxury hotels. Special holiday accommodations from which to get to know this diverse country, with its variety of landscapes, monuments and regions.Whatever your reasons to travel to Spain, be it a romantic getaway, a cultural tour, or the thrill of staying at a small luxury hotel, Secretplaces will you help find the perfect spot.
The wonderful variety of countryside in the Iberian Peninsula is matched by the many charming towns and monumental cities throughout the land. From UNESCO heritage sites to border towns, dramatic hilltop settlements and sophisticated cities - all with their own unique Iberian character and charm. In short, they are a testament to the region’s wealth of architecture, culture and history. Below is a by no means exhaustive list of some beautiful towns, large and small.
Aínsa An eminently tourist town, ideal for wondering about and looking at its old and interesting places, such as the XVI century castle. Declared a monumental site.
Alájar A typically Andalusian town in the mid-Aracena forest, with small whitewashed houses and narrow tracks. The sanctuary of Our Lady – Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles - is one of the most important Spanish religious shrines.
Almagro Almagro has a beautiful plaza with porticoes as well as numerous monuments such as the old university, the churches of San Agustín and San Salvador.
Almería Velez Rubio Velez Rubio has one of greatest number of monuments in Almería, including a parish church in the transition from baroque to neo-classical style, slender towers and stone carved façades, as well as other monuments such as the Casa Consistorial (Town Hall) and the convent of San Francisco.
Ávila A World Heritage city with the hustle and bustle of the Mercado (market) and the quiet repose of the temples and its cloisters. Churches, convents, and hermit, beautiful palaces and the impressive cathedral provide Avila’s character.
Bárcena Mayor Situated in the middle of Saja national hunting ground, it has been declared an historic-artistic site. Well preserved typical mountain houses with characteristics of the local architecture.
Beget Beget is divided into three by two small rivers. It retains well preserved stone houses, with beautiful wooden balconies filled with elm vases. In 1983 it was declared an historic-artistic site.
Cáceres Cáceres, a World Heritage city, is one of the best medieval and renaissance examples in the world. It is blessed with a labyrinth of medieval streets and plazas, churches, beautiful convents and amazing palaces.
Cádiz Vejer de la Frontera A Moorish-looking hill town perched atop a picturesque vantage point, with narrow, steep streets and white washed houses surrounded by a defensive wall.
Candelario This town with narrow steep roads celebrates a typical marriage festivity on the second week of August. It is one of the best preserved towns in the region - considered an historic site.
Carmona Declared an historic-artistic site, this town rises amongst the green prairies. Stone carved houses, adorned with balusters and covered with flowers, add colour the existing quietness.
Castrillo de los Polvazares An historic town certainly worth visiting. Exceptionally well constructed stone houses with ancient vases on the roofs used as vessels for watering once construction was finished - a symbol of fertility and protection.
Combarro A beautiful small fishing village declared an historic-artistic site. Small irregular stone roads, old houses and gorgeous sunsets all come together in the harbour.
Cordoba Another World Heritage site. Cordoba is a town with an impressive and surprising past. Very lively in the best Andalusian tradition - a town steeped in the history of Flamenco and bullfighting, and certainly one of the most attractive destinations in southern Spain.
Covarrubias An historic place with the outstanding collegiate church constructed between the XII and XV centuries, which has over 30 tombs of kings, priests and aristocrats.
Durro Situated in the Boí valley, sprinkled with small beautiful villages surrounded by forests and meadows. The roads in Durro were constructed on the slope and its houses built with thick stone walls and schist roofs.
Frías A Castle city. A visit to this historic place, with its apparently suspended houses, churches and convents built on an enormous rock, is strongly recommended.
Frigiliana Ideal to visit in the late afternoons and evenings. The Arab influence is evident in its narrow roads and tracks full of tiendas (tiny shops). Small whitewashed houses.´
Guadalupe Everything rotates around the impressive monastery in Guadalupe. Alfonso XI had it constructed to house the Virgen Negra de Guadalupe. (The Black Virgin Mary of Guadalupe). It is a small comfortable town with stone carved roads and wood balconies.
Guadix One of the oldest settlements in Spain. Cave dwellings carved out of the hills mark the landscape. Its outstanding monuments include the 11th century Alcazaba fortress, the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque cathedral, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, and numerous mudéjar buildings, such as the Church of Santiago.
Madrigal de las Altas Torres Birthplace of Queen Isabel la Católica’s, with a great number of the existing monuments related to her in some manner. This monumental town has a beautiful plaza and the impressive tower of San Nicolás.
María María lies on the edge of the Natural Park. It was an old glazier centre and is currently a quiet farming town.
Medina Sidonia A monumental enclave with narrow rising streets, and a certain Moorish feel. Here you have the wine of chiclana, and on weekends it is full of ventas (little shops), each with its own specialty.
Morella Enclosed within a two and a half kilometre wall with six doors and fourteen towers, palaces built from stone with carved arms and a Jewish suburb (XIV and XV). Morella is an ideal place to visit.
Pazos de Arenteiro In 1985, Pazos de Arenteiro was declared an historic-artistic site of cultural interest. To reach it you have to cross the crystal clear waters of the Avia River over a beautiful XV century bridge. The architecture of the majority of the buildings is typically Galician.
Peñafiel The XV century castle in Peñafiel is the best preserved in the region. The plaza del Coso, is built of a medieval wood structure because of the oldest bullfights in Spain.
Rupit An enchanting historic small town considered to be one of the best preserved in Catalonia. The most beautiful way to arrive is by car through its hanging bridge.
Salamanca Salamanca is probably best known for its university - the oldest in Spain and, indeed, one of the oldest in Europe. This charming town with its two cathedrals, many palaces and churches and the beautiful Plaza Mayor still preserves its architectural integrity and is, unsurprisingly, A UNESCO heritage site.
Santiago de Compostela A major pilgrim destination and World Heritage Site, Santiago is one of Spain's most monumental towns, with its own architectural style. It is also a town with plenty of life, in part due to its most famous University and the large number of students it attracts.
Santillana del Mar Known as the town of the three lies: it is neither holy (Santi), level (llana) nor by the sea (del Mar). Santillana reached its peak between the XII and XVII centuries. Indeed, most of the houses date from that period. It is not advisable to visit Santillana during the weekends, holiday periods or on festival dates.
Segovia A meeting point of cultures through the ages: Roman, Arabic, Jewish and Christian. The monumental Roman aqueduct has become one of the city’s icons. But this World Heritage city has its walls, the great plaza, cathedral, Romanesque churches, convents, narrow streets, and splendid mansions to make up a singular city.
Setenil de las Bodegas A set of whitewashed houses clustered together on both sides of the river, roads with wide tunnels, over the rock, and some houses excavated into the mountain.
Sigueza A Roman city with a magnificent mudéjar (architecture style that flourished in the XII century and lasted until the XVI century).
Toledo A UNESCO World Heritage site, Toledo is, without doubt, one of Spain's most splendid historical cities. A medieval city of narrow winding streets perched on a small hill above the River Tagus. The city is crammed with fascinating museums, galleries, churches and castles.
Velez Blanco The castle is of Italian influence and overlooks the town. The Cueva de los Letreros is a good example of prehistoric cave art in Almería.
Villafranca del Bierzo Villafranca existed mainly to cater for the pilgrims that came from Santiago. The construction of convents, churches and hospitals make it an historic site.
Zahara de la Sierra means flower in Arabic. The name was given to one of the daughters of Mahoma. It is one of the villages on the route of the “white pueblos.” There are impressive sunsets here.
Whether your interest lies in Wine, Art, Architecture, Gastronomy, Literature, Nature or Religion there seems to be a route in Spain and Portugal that provides for every different taste and interest. Many have been well established for centuries and travelling on them will make their subject matter come vividly alive. Should you wish to know more about an individual route, please contact us. We will be happy to help you organise your itinerary and accommodation. Below we list just a (very) small selection of some of the best-known routes:
The Pilgrim's way to Santiago (Castilla y Léon, Galizia) Acknowledged as the first great religious route in Europe, the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela has been bringing together travellers from every part of the world for over eight centuries.
The Silver Route (Asturias, Castilla y Léon, Extremadura, Andalusia) Roman in origin, this route was traders', miners' and military highway running from Gijón to Seville. It has left an outstanding legacy, not least of which cities, theatres, temples, aqueducts and Roman baths established along its length.
The Don Quixote Route (Castilla-la-Mancha) The immortal work by Cervantes serves as the basis of a delightful tour through the land of La Mancha, with its allure of windmills, castles and the possibility of tasting the local gastronomy.
White Villages Route (Andalusia) Running from the Atlantic coast near Cadiz to Antequera, this beautiful route takes in some of the typical whitewashed villages that seem to contrast with the landscape like blankets of snow. The route generally takes in places like Jimena de la Frontera, Arcos de la Frontera, El Bosque, Ubrique, Grazalema, Zahara de la Sierra, Benaojan, Montejaque, Ronda, Olvera and Antequera.
Spain produces some excellent wines, many of which are unknown to the outside world. The wide variety available reflects the diversity of the country itself. Different climates, soils and grape varieties means Spanish wines make up an extraordinary mosaic. These range from the green and nostalgic wines of the north to the sun soaked and sweet beverages in the south.
GALICIA. Dermacated wines include Rias Baixas, Ribeiro and Valdeorras. Both reds and whites are light, agreeably acid and low in alcohol content. They are an excellent accompaniment to the typical Galician cuisine.
CASTILE The region produces reds and light reds that range from 13% to 17% in alcohol content. Some are well known such as those produced around Valbuena, Quintanilia de Arriba and Quintanilia de 0nésimo. The wine must be produced in “bordalesa” barrels and underground cellars. Production is thus somewhat limited and prices accordingly high.
RIOJA. The river Oja gives its name to one of the richest wine producing areas in Spain. It is divided into three areas: Lower Rioja which produces fruity wines with a high alcohol content; Upper Rioja producing quality aged and mature wines, with a moderate alcohol content and Rioja Alavesa producing red wines which are usually drunk young.
NAVARRE. Navarra is a demarcated region, basically producing red wines with alcohol content up to 14.5%. They go hand in hand with the “heavy” cuisine of the region.
CATALONIA. This region offers magnificent reds and whites, the most popular being the Penedés (famous for its white) and Priorato wines. The cavas, or sparkling wines, from Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (Barcelona) are also great quality wines and well known both in Spain and abroad.
ARAGON. Campo de Borja, Cariñena and Somontano are “denominaciones de Origen”. This region produces, powerful, red wines with a concentrated aroma. They have a strong taste making them ideal for very spicy meat and “heavy” dishes.
LA MANCHA. Denominaciones de Origen include Mancha, Méntrida, Vaidepeñas and Almansa. This is the great Spanish wine reservoir that includes the Provinces of Toledo, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Albacete. Wines are generally of good quality: mild, dry, with little acidity. All of them tend to be drunk young.
ANDALUSIA Has the following “Denominations de Origin” areas: Jerez-Xèrés-Sherry, Manzanilia-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Málaga, Montilla-Moriles and Condado de Huelva. Such wines are produced by a unique system whereby different harvests years are mixed and then aged in oak
EXTREMADURA Estremadura has some very good wines, though they are as yet relatively unknown. They are extremely strong and possess a very distinctive flavour. The wine from Cañamero is only now finding its way on to the market. There are also whites from Montánchez, Cillero, Añigal; as well as light reds from Hervás.
LEVANTE This region includes the following Denominaciones de Origen: Alicante, Valencia, Jumilia, Utiel-Requena and Yecla, all producing quite different wines. Alicante produces strong reds and rosés. Those from Valencia are usually white, dry and very fresh. The Jumilia wines from Murcia are aged in oak barrels and easily distinguishable.
Spain is the most mountainous country in Western Europe after Switzerland and unsuprisingly has a number of wonderful mountain ranges. One may go skiing in the Sierra Nevada (Sistema Bético), caving in the Picos de Europa (Montes Cantábricos) or trekking in the world famous Pyrenees. All have one thing in common though, beautiful backdrops.
Macizo Gallego A range of mountains in Galicia that include Alto de la Canda (1,262m), Cabeza de Manzaneda (1,778m) and the highest mountain in the range Peña Trevinca at 2,095m which passes through Galicia, Castile and Leon.
Montes Cantábricos A rugged and wild mountain range located in northern Spain. The highest mountain of which is Torre Cerredo in Picos de Europa at 2,643m. It is also an excellent area for caving. Indeed, it has several deep caves, including Sima del Trave, the 5th deepest in the world.
Sistema Central The Huge Sistema Central includes the Sierra Gredos with a surface area of over 8,000km2 and Almanzor at a peak 2,592m. It plays an important part in the life of the central provinces of Spain.
Sistema Bético The Sistema Bético includes the Sierra Nevada, which at 3,481m is the highest mountain range in the Iberian Peninsula. Much of it is snow-capped throughout the year and skiing is possible from November until late May. In effect, it is possible to spend the morning skiing in the snow and the afternoon sunbathing on the beach.
Pyrenees The Pyrenees is the well-known and beautiful range of mountains crossing the border between Spain and France. They are roughly 600 km long, offer stunning variety and are roughly divided into three areas as follows: A) Aragonese Aragon has the best expanse of the Spanish Pyrenees. It is indeed a wonderful area with spectacular mountainscape and includes the highest peaks in the Pyranees – Aneto (3,404m) and Posets (3,371m). B) Catalan Provides a wide range of scenery, flaura and fauna as well as skiing facilities and opportunities for rambling. C) Navarran Not as high as the other areas of the Pyrenees but just as striking and wild.
Montes Vascos Montes Vascos in Northern Spain include Akategui (1,544m), Aró (1,178m) and Gorbea at 1,475m.
Teide Pico de Teide in Tenerife is part of this range and the third largest volcano on Earth rising up to a peak of 12,188.3 feet (3,715 m). The most recent eruption was on the northwest flank of the volcano in 1909.
Spain is extremely rich in National Parks. They reflect the country’s widely different regions in terms of nature, culture and way of life. Please note that visitors to National Parks have to comply with certain formalities. Information in this respect is available at any tourist office. The Picos de Europa National Park is set in the mountain systems of the north. It is the largest of all the Spanish parks and spreads over the Autonomous Regions of Asturias, Cantabria and Castile & León. It features forests of beech, oak and birch and its most representative animal is the chamois The Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park is in the heart of the Pyrenees and covers 15,608 hectares. The Pineta cirque, with its suspending glaciers, the deep gorges of Añisclo and Escuain, and a vast variety of Pyrenean fauna are all to be found here. The beautiful Aigües Tortes and Estany Sant Maurici National Park is situated in the Catalan Pyrenees and covers approximately 10,000 hectares. It brims with winding streams and waterways, lakes and fir-trimmed crags. The Tablas de Daimiel National Park, comprising 2,000 hectares, is home to a considerable number of waterfowl and waders – it is an important haven, nesting site and stopping place for migratory species en-route. The Cabañeros National Park, situated in the Castile-La Mancha Autonomous Region, covers a total of 40,000 hectares. It is Paleozoic hill country with both wide plains and dense thicket. The Cabañeros is the largest and the best example of an Iberian Mediterranean forest reserve. The Doñana National Park is a UNESCO-World Heritage site and the most outstanding park in Spain as well as one of the most important in Europe. With its 50,000 hectares and an extensive buffer zone, it has underground streams and marshlands adjoining the banks of the Guadalquivir. Beaches, shifting dunes, undergrowth and hills are host to many species of waterfowl, waders and birds of prey. It is also the last refuge of some endangered species, such as the lynx, the Purple Gallinule, the Imperial Eagle and Crested Coot. The Sierra Nevada National Park Covers 86,000 hectares in the provinces of Granada and Almería. It is a combination of high mountains and Mediterranean habitats; high-altitude desert, sub-alpine steppe, conifer forests and other vegetation. The small Cabrera archipelago in the Balearics, add life and beauty to the Mediterranean Sea, Here you have Cabrera Archipelago Sea & Land National Park, comprising 8,703 hectares of Mediterranean limestone with stunning vegetation. It has an inestimable ecological value given the importance of its bird-life (Shearwaters, Cormorants, gulls, raptors). The Canary Islands are the most protected natural area in Spain. The mythical and awesome Mt. Teide, with an altitude of 3,717 meters (12,195 ft.) is the center of the Teide National Park, an area of 13,571 hectares with a wide range of climates and vegetation. The Park is extremely rich in flora and fauna such as the violet, the yellow-blossoming broom-like clumps of hierba pajonera (Descurainia bourgaeana), the kestrel, the shrike, and a local species of lizard, the lagarto tizón. The Caldera de Taburiente National Park covers an area of over 4,690 hectares. It is situated on the Island of La Palma and boasts the one of the biggest craters in the world (8 km across at its widest point, and over 1,000 m deep). It also has the oldest rock formation in the archipelago (basal complex) as well as amazing water-falls and a vast indigenous plant life and wealth of fauna.
Timanfaya National Park, comprising 5,107 hectares, is found on the Island of Lanzarote. Timanfaya, which is of volcanic origin, has more than three hundred craters formed during its various periods of eruption. The color variations, the ingenious manner the islanders grow crops (in shallow pits sheltered by semi-circular dry-stone walls), and local fauna (the Haría lizard, the Egyptian Vulture and different Shearwater varieties) have made it one of the most popular Parks. El Garajonay National Park on La Gomera, comprises 3,984 hectares and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has an invaluable example of Canary laurel forest and forest-dependant fauna (the indigenous pigeons, the rabiche and the turqué - Columba junoniae) as well as a rich insect-life.
