the times Saturday April 30 2022
37
‘We do yoga in the drawing
room, its French windows
thrown open to birdsong’
Susan d’Arcy reviews a Cotswolds villa with hotel perks
Guadalest, population 217, receives two
million day-trippers a year, so bear in
mind that in peak season and at
weekends you could be part of the
problem rather than the solution.
Out of season and midweek,
though, you’ll be enchanted, and
sometimes overwhelmed. But
remember that many of these
destinations are in the deepest,
most rural parts of Spain, offering
character rather than luxury, as
well as fabulous local food and
wine, and a charming disdain for the
digital revolution.in other words, it has to be pretty.
It is then judged by the association
according to 29 criteria, including
“the harmony of windows, doors
etc”, “the aesthetic treatment of
overhead lines” and — crucially
in the 21st century — “the
existence of artisans”.
Those that pass selection
become part of a highly
selective club that comprises
just 105 members — or the
top 1.4 per cent of all Spanish
villages. The potential rewards for
the poorest are huge, but so are the
hassles of overtourism.
Not far from the Costa Blanca, the
gravity-defying village of El Castell deI
n a land of such bounty it’s not
easy to pick Spain’s prettiest
villages. There are 7,582 municipios
with a population of 15,000 or
less, and you could argue until
las vacas come home over which
has the most dramatic castle
or most charming plaza, or conjures
the best magic with flowers, water,
sunshine and shade.
Alternatively you could ask the
experts. Founded in 2011 Los Pueblos
Mas Bonitos de España is a highly
selective association of villages deemed
the nation’s prettiest. To be considered
the community must have a population
of 15,000 or fewer and have “an
architectural or natural heritage” —Spain’s 20 prettiest villages
Seaside enclaves,
secret hamlets in
gorges and scenic
Pyrenean spots —
Chris Haslam has
the pick of the
unsung locations
Page
46
The fishing village of Cudillero in AsturiasTravel
GETTY IMAGESSpain’s best villages next page
Almonaster la
Real, Huelva