How to Take a Crowd-Free Trip to Spain

Spain welcomed a record 93.8 million visitors in 2024. Between April and October, tourists flock to explore the country’s centuries-old culture and bask in its temperate climes. In places like Barcelona, Madrid, and the coastal resort towns, it can be challenging to escape the masses.

But with a little planning, travelers can hop off the typical tourist trail to discover storied villages, world-class cuisine, and lesser-known landmarks near popular destinations. I’ve lived in—and traveled around—Spain for nearly a decade and am still finding new treasures. Here’s how to kick-start your Spanish quest without overtourism.

Skip Barcelona for the storied villages of Baix Empordà

Each of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions has its own heritage. In 2024, Catalonia was the most visited, attracting nearly 20 million travelers to destinations like Barcelona and the Costa Brava. But to encounter untrampled Catalonia, venture to the region’s medieval villages.

Pau Guardans, the founder of bespoke boutique Único Hotels, with properties in Catalonia, Madrid, and Andalucia, recommends a trip to Baix Empordà in Girona province, a 1.5-hour drive from Barcelona. “Inhabitants, from the Romans to the Middle Ages, thrived in Empordà due to moist, fertile soils that allowed for a rich agricultural production that continues today,” he says. “The land here is green, beautiful, and, in my opinion, not well known.”

Local villages worth a wander include Peratallada, Pals, and Púbol (La Pera). While all three villages share period details like authentic stone walls and cobbled walkways, Peratallada remains a fortified town with Castell de Peratallada, an 11th-century castle turned guesthouse and event space, art galleries, and restaurants. A standout is D.O. Candelaria Tapes, a small eatery displaying wall art by the chef’s wife, Marta, and regional tapas with international flavors: Iberian pork ribs with Korean barbecue sauce and Palamós white prawns tartare with lime, garlic, jellied hazelnuts, and yuzu.

Pals dates back to the 9th century and enjoys a prime location between the hills of Mont Aspre and Pals Beach, making it ideal for cycling, hiking, and swimming after exploring the well-preserved medieval center. In tiny Púbol (pop: 134), the main attractions are the 14th-century Sant Pere church and the Castillo Gala Dalí, a castle-fortress Salvador Dalí gave his wife, Gala, in 1968.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Baix Empordà offers trails for all fitness levels across the sea towns of Begur and Platja d’Aro, plus nature treks at the Montgrí Massif, Medes Islands, and Baix Ter Natural Park.

Explore Andalucía’s lesser-known regions

Courtesy of Finca La Bobadilla

Andalucía, the second-largest region in Spain, is famous for Seville, Costa del Sol, and handsome white-washed villages. Though well-known, the clifftop Ronda in Málaga province is worth a detour.

Andrew Forbes, a travel marketing consultant and writer at digital guide The Luxury Editor, has lived in the area for over 20 years. “To get a feel of the history, visit the nearby Acinipo ruins, a first-century A.D. ancient Roman city built within the Serranía de Ronda mountains, and see the [well-preserved] amphitheater,” he says. “Many travelers miss it because they focus on Ronda’s city center.”

For art aficionados, Forbes suggests Genalguacil, the first “museum village” in Spain boasting over 250 artworks speckled around town, and Gaucín, with its views of the African coast, Gibraltar, and the Genal River. “Another little-known attraction in the area is Cueva de la Pileta, a privately owned cave, available by appointment only, where visitors view Paleolithic wall paintings by lamplight,” Forbes says.

For hikers, Camino Mozarabe is an old pilgrimage route that travels through the historic Antequera village (a 15-minute drive from the 73-room Finca la Bobadilla, an 865-acre estate designed to resemble an Andalusian village) and El Torcal nature park. It eventually joins the La Plata route leading to Spain’s most celebrated walking journey, the Camino de Santiago. Opened in October 2024, La Almazara-La Organic, an avant-garde olive oil museum designed by Philippe Starck, celebrates the tradition of olive oil production through guided mill tours and tastings.

The city of Ronda draws large crowds in high season, but rural hotel owner Christina Piek says its architecture and history are still worth exploring. Just avoid the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. rush, she says.

“Setenil de las Bodegas, famous for its houses and bars built into caves, should also be avoided at certain times,” she adds. “It is, however, very interesting and considered one of the 10 prettiest villages in Spain.” She recommends Madrid & Beyond for luxury itineraries nationwide.

In Andalucía’s Cádiz province, the newly launched Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol organizes excursions to other striking white villages like Castellar de la Frontera via quirky Moke cars with the Jolly Mile or coastal boating adventures overlooking Gibraltar from Sotogrande.

To discover new Spanish towns on your own, look up the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain, a national association established in 2010. It provides detailed town descriptions and locations based on strict criteria for natural heritage conservation, beauty, and tourist accessibility.

Explore quieter sides of the Balearic Islands

Courtesy of El Vicenç de la Mar

The Balearic Islands have experienced overtourism issues in summer—but there are still pockets of peace, like the northern side of Mallorca. The town of Pollensa is famous for its natural beauty and ancient architecture. The 13th-century Santa Maria dels Àngels church on the main square and El Calvari, a chapel and viewpoint reached by 365 stone steps lined with cypress trees, are among the town’s best attractions, says Toni Gomez-Cerdá, the Foment del Turismo de Mallorca (Mallorca Tourist Board) director.

Alcúdia, known for all-inclusive family resorts, is another place Gomez-Cerdá recommends. This town, “surrounded by medieval walls and the remnants of the Roman city of Pollentia nearby, has more history than one would expect from a coastal town,” he says. However, as a family-friendly destination, it draws crowds in high season. For a quieter coastal escape, drive 12 minutes to El Vicenç de la Mar, a 35-room design hotel with spa amenities, Mediterranean meals designed by Michelin-star chef Santi Taura, and rooftop views over Cala Vicenç in Puerto Pollença.

Choose lesser-visited Canary Islands

The Canary Islands is a unique volcanic archipelago with red-sand beaches. Yet charming, less-populated areas are often overlooked in favor of resort islands like Tenerife, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote.

Tim Wittenbecher, cofounder of Floatel, several European hideaways in unconventional structures, thinks the Roque de los Muchachos in the wild northern side of La Palma is an ideal spot for mountain bikers and trekkers. “At our lighthouse hotel, Faro Punta Cumplida, we work with local guides who can suggest the best routes,” he says.

La Gomera, a small island 50 to 60 minutes from Tenerife via fast ferry, offers quieter day trips in the subtropical laurel forest setting of the UNESCO World Heritage Garajonay National Park. El Hierro is the smallest island and most successful at avoiding an influx of visitors due to restrictions on new builds. After a few hours by ferry from Tenerife or a 55-minute flight from Gran Canaria, this diver’s haven rewards guests with over 40 dive sites.

See Spain through a new cultural lens

Photo by tolobalaguer.com/Shutterstock

Spain has ample museums and archaeological points of interest. To learn more about its ancestors and artisans, venture into galleries and small museums. Segovia, a romantic hilltop city in the country’s largest region, Castilla y León has the Antonio Machado House-Museum, a prime example of early 1900s provincial Castillian living, named after the Spanish poet who lived there.

In Alcudia on Mallorca, a forested winding road leads to Museo Sa Bassa Blanca, a whimsically eclectic collection of artworks from multiple media, periods, and curiosities. The brainchild of artist couple Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu, it features Aboriginal and African art pieces, 17th–19th century portraits of children, a dynamic sculpture park, and contemporary and ancient memorabilia.

Salvador Dalí, Girona’s most celebrated artist, is still a major draw at his museums and monuments in Figueras, Portlligat, and Cadaques. For a more intimate experience, head to medieval Púbol’s Castillo Gala Dalí, the former residence of the artist’s wife and muse, Gala. Filled with art, photos, letters, and clothing, the museum presents their complicated love story and devotion.

Explore regions rich in food and wine

Photo by BearFotos/Shutterstock

Spain ranks sixth globally for Michelin stars and holds the top spot at 50 Best Restaurants with Barcelona’s Disfrutar. Visitors can find great meals everywhere.

Castilla-La Mancha, a two-hour drive from Madrid, evokes the castles and windmills of Don Quixote. Sigüenza, a town with fewer than 5,000 residents, has two one-star Michelin kitchens. Find dishes prepared with organic ingredients like duck ham cured in beeswax and trout tartare with mango, green shiso, and Iberian bacon at Enrique Pérez’s El Doncel. At Molino de Alcuneza, a restaurant and 17-room Relais & Châteaux hotel, Samuel Moreno prepares a twist on traditional recipes and seven types of bread using a 14-century flour mill.

In Cuenca, renowned for its dramatic clinging rock formations, recent Michelin star recipient Jesús Segura’s Casas Colgadas stands out for its modern take on classic regional dishes—like lobster seasoned with purple garlic from nearby Las Pedroñeras and roe deer in a bao bun.

Support local restaurants in big cities

You can also support local restaurants and visit little-known markets in well-known Spanish foodie cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and San Sebastian by booking educational (and fun!) food tours with Devour Tours. I’ve tried several of them and learned about origins of Spanish cuisine while sampling traditional recipes.

Spain is renowned for wine and new zones are emerging outside the mainstay region. Málaga is a prime example and Forbes, a long-time resident, has several suggestions. “For over 15 years, Bodega La Melonera has been recovering nearly extinct grape varieties,” he says. “Descalzos Viejos, an abandoned 16th-century convent turned winery with contemporary additions and wine barrels stored among ancient frescoes, is another intriguing place.”

Viticulture is also growing in Mallorca. Finca Biniagual, a once-thriving wine-growing community with a winery, 14 houses, gardens, and a chapel, lost all its vines during the turn-of-the-century phylloxera devastation. It took almost 100 years to start producing wines again, and it is now among the most beautiful wineries in the Binissalem wine region.

In Pals, Mas Geli, an 11-year-old family-owned winery with visits hosted by the convivial Anna Pérez, offers a selection of winetasting experiences, yoga sessions, and live music.

Book boutique hotels

Courtesy of Mas de Torrent

In Spain, boutique hotels offer more than pretty places to slumber. Some have deep-rooted historical significance or feature offbeat designs or memorable views.

In Basque Country

If viewing free art at leisure appeals to you, travel to Getxo, 20 minutes by metro from Bilbao, in the Basque Country. Here you’ll find the newly transformed Palacio Arriluce, a stately family palace converted into a 39-room art-filled hotel with views of the Bay of Abra. The vast collection includes artworks by Basque masters Jose Alberdi and Eduardo Chillida.

In Mallorca and Menorca

Among 388 acres of trails, orchards, and lavender fields, the Lodge near Sa Pobla, Mallorca, immerses guests in nature. An outdoor gym, two swimming pools, and yoga classes are available on the estate; sailing trips and bike and horseback riding routes can be arranged at reception. Can Albertí 1740, an 18th-century townhouse in Mahón, Menorca, features rotating exhibitions and events, ceramic-making workshops, and walking tours to promote local culture.

In Andalusia

Nature also takes center stage at the 11-room La Fuente de la Higuera, a centuries-old millhouse among olive groves and with views of Serranía de Ronda. Guests enjoy regional meals and vintage art, plus cycling and hiking trails and, most notably, Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos, a route through southern Spain’s most pictorial white villages.

Twenty-two minutes from Ronda by car, the sleepy village of Montecorto—in the hills of the Serranía de Ronda—houses Finca La Donaira, a century-old cortijo (farmhouse) turned nine-room eco-retreat and equestrian center. Guest experiences range from hiking on the expansive property to sound baths to Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), a Japanese meditation practice combining mindfulness with nature and, in this case, donkeys.

In Catalonia

Mas de Torrent is an elegant 18th-century farmhouse under two hours from Barcelona, with indulgent in-house services and a detailed guide to the Costa Brava. For art folk, the 39-room estate is a museum of sorts; the house features an art collection with pieces by local legend Josep Maria Sert and a vintage Chinoiserie screen from Coco Chanel’s atelier.

In Northern Spain (Asturias)

At Faro de Cudillero, a 19th-century, two-suite lighthouse in Asturias, the accommodation is the attraction—and the perfect way to take in the surroundings. “You’re near a beautiful village, but, simultaneously, in your own world, “Wittenbecher says. “You’re at sea, surrounded by seagulls, watching the ships go by or reading a book while listening to waves.”