TRAVEL
SECRET SPAIN
Off the beaten track
Spain is the world’s third-most visited country, yet much of it remains untouched by tourists. They are missing out on some treats. Here, three experts, Annie Bennett, Sally Davies and John Wilmott, reveal their favourite parts of its undiscovered coast, its countryside and its cultural attractions.
FOR CULTURE CHINCHÓN
Chinchón’s arcaded Plaza Mayor is one of Spain’s most timeless spots, ringed with medieval three-storey houses, the wooden balconies of which are still hired out to spectators for occasional bullfights in summer. Over the years, countless writers and actors have fallen for this romantic town, and it is said that Orson Welles asked to have his ashes scattered here (his daughter Beatrice had other plans). It is, of course, possible that they were under the seductive spell of Chinchón’s other great attraction, the fearsome local anís
(with a 74% alcohol content), which has been made here since the 17th century. — SD
CUENCA
Less than an hour by high-speed train from Madrid, but in the middle of nowhere, Cuenca — which has World Heritage status — is set on a dramatic limestone spur between the Júcar and Húecar rivers. One of its extraordinary
medieval “hanging houses”, that spill over the top of the gorge, is home to the astounding museum of abstract art
(march.es/arte/cuenca), with works by Antonio Saura, Antoni Tàpies and Eduardo Chillida. It was founded in the ’60s by the artists Gustavo Torner and Fernando Zóbel with the idea that remote Cuenca was a place they were unlikely to be bothered by the Spanish dictator Franco and could just exhibit their work in peace. AB
COMILLAS
An Antoni Gaudí creation would seem reason enough to visit Comillas, yet El Capricho is among several magnificent buildings in this little town on Spain’s north coast. Teasingly hidden behind trees, El Capricho is one of Gaudí’s earlier works and distinguished by a minaret-style tower tiled in green and gold.
Close by is the intricate Sobrellano Palace, completed by another Catalan architect, Joan Martorell, three years after El Capricho; high on the hill is the giant and very grand Pontifical University from the same decade. Throw in a couple of old squares straight out of a film set and Comillas is well worth the 20km detour from medieval Santillana del Mar, which attracts far more visitors.
FOR COUNTRYSIDE MONTE PERDIDO NATIONAL PARK
One of Europe’s most spectacular walks attracts surprisingly few ramblers. The 16km path through the Ordesa canyon, showpiece of the Monte Perdido National Park, follows a dazzling river between formidable 914m walls, with a fantail waterfall providing a suitably dramatic end point. Alternative balcony-style trails with awesome views beckon those with a head for heights. Its three sister canyons are even quieter. Anisclo is a wild slice through the mountains that narrows into a slot filled with cool green pools. Pineta begins among alpine meadows and rich forest before ascending to craggier ground. Smaller Escuaín is famed for its population of wild lammergeier vultures with 3m wingspans. JW
MONTES UNIVERSALES
About halfway between Madrid and Valencia, but around 240km from either, this is the least-populated area in Spain. The mountain range does, however, attract hikers, birdwatchers, butterfly enthusiasts and mushroom hunters. The Tagus is just one of the rivers that has its source here, where waterfalls flow between the pine, oak and juniper trees. By far the best-known place is Albarracín, on a hilltop almost surrounded by the Guadalaviar river, which frequently tops the list of the prettiest villages in Spain thanks to its lanes lined with mansions in rose-gold stone, not to mention the boutique hotels and abundance of cosy traditional bars and restaurants. AB
BABIA
If someone in Spain says you are “in Babia”, they mean you are lost in thought, dreaming you are somewhere else, hiding away, or just happy doing what you’re doing. Not many Spaniards, let alone foreign tourists, have actually been to this area of emerald meadows, snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes in the northwest of León province, which borders the Somiedo nature reserve in Asturias. Walkers, cyclists, climbers and people who don’t want to run into anyone they know keep the handful of tiny villages busy at weekends. AB
FOR COAST ZAHARA DE LOS ATUNES
On the Costa de la Luz on the Atlantic coast of Andalucia, this is a proper little town with spectacular beaches attached. Although it is very popular with Spanish tourists in summer, late spring is perhaps the most interesting time to visit, when the bluefin tuna fishing season is under way and you can amuse yourself trawling around the many tapas bars trying the different cuts of the fish. With the attractive white towns of Tarifa and Vejer de la Frontera about half an hour away, and Cádiz and Jerez around an hour’s drive, Zahara suits people who aren’t keen on full-on resorts and like to sink into local life. AB
CAMARIÑAS
A fishing village, estuary and peninsula on the Costa da Morte in Galicia, Camariñas is a great area for experiencing the Galician way of life in summer, staying in small hotels or traditional fishermen’s houses.
A string of splendid, unspoilt beaches are linked by paths, making this a popular area for walking. It all looks idyllic and peaceful in the sunshine, but this coast can be treacherous too. Follow the lighthouse and shipwreck routes to get an idea, visiting the English Cemetery right by the sea, which is the burial place of some of the sailors who lost their lives when the battleship HMS Serpent foundered on the rocks in 1890. AB
AROUSA ISLAND
In the Ria de Arousa inlet in the Salnés area of the Rias Baixas, the small island is linked to the town of Vilanova de Arousa by a bridge, so is easily accessible. The southern part is a nature reserve, with white-sand beaches flanked by dunes and dense pine forests. You can walk or cycle right around the island, or spend the day diving, snorkelling or fishing. Get out on a boat to see how oysters and mussels are grown on thick ropes dangling from wooden rafts and watch the skilled women known as
mariscadoras harvest clams from the sand at low tide. Then devour huge platefuls — with a nice bottle of Albariño, of course. AB
● L S. © The Daily Telegraph