Spain's prettiest villages by season
Every list of pretty villages looks the same. The problem isn't which ones they are — it's that half of them are miserable in the wrong season.
The problem with generic lists
Most rankings mix mountain, coastal and inland villages without saying when to go. That matters enormously: a whitewashed Andalusian village at 42 degrees in August is no fun, and a Pyrenean village in November may have half its streets shut. Here they are split by season.
Spring: inland and the south
April and May are the best window for the white villages of Cádiz and Málaga, for Ronda, Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema, and for the villages of the Alpujarra. Temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees, green countryside and none of the August crowds. It's also when Extremadura and the Sierra de Francia are at their best.
Summer: north and altitude
In July and August, head north. The Cantabrian coast and the fishing villages of Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria sit at 22 to 26 degrees while the interior burns. And mountain villages above 1,000 metres: the Aragonese and Catalan Pyrenees, the Picos de Europa valleys and the Sierra de Gredos, which also has river pools to swim in.
Autumn: the best season
September and October are by far the best time of year for almost any Spanish village. Good weather, low-season prices, restaurants open and empty streets midweek. The beech and chestnut woods of the north are at their peak, and the villages of La Rioja and Ribera del Duero coincide with the grape harvest.
Winter: villages with an indoor plan
December and January suit villages that have something under cover or that don't need hours of walking: the walled towns of Castile, the Sierra de Madrid villages with fireplaces, or the Maestrazgo. And the Andalusian Mediterranean coast, which hits 17 or 18 degrees in January.
Which to avoid in peak season
Some beautiful villages are simply uncomfortable in August or on a long weekend: gridlocked car parks, queues for viewpoints and streets you can't walk down. If you go on a busy date, arrive before ten or go midweek.
How to choose without getting it wrong
Before deciding, check three things: how far the car park is from the centre, whether there's anything to do besides walking, and which days the restaurants close. Many small villages shut their kitchens on Mondays and Tuesdays out of season, and that ruins a trip.
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