Pueblos más bonitos de España (The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain) is an non-profit association founded in 2010 and born out of the conviction to bring attention to the wonderful villages that dot the Spanish landscape. Places of great beauty that exude history and culture.
The aim of the accociation is to promote preferably rural areas and small towns through different actions that the association undertakes.
The Association does not have or seek any political interest, but it will try to involve the different administrations so that they support, care for and respect our heritage, as well as promoting cultural events associated with 'their' villages.
The association select villages based on the following criteria:
An audit of the village is carried out by personnel from the quality commission of the association. There are just over one hundred awarded the title in Spain and 18 are in Andalucia. Trevelez was the last to be added in 2022. All are listed below.
Lucainena de las Torres, more popularly known as Lucainena, has the privilege of lying adjacent to one of the most magnificent protected areas in Andalucía, the Parque Natural Sierra de Alhamilla. It has about 540 inhabitants.
Genalguacil is one white Andalucian mountain village that art lovers will not want to miss. Prize-winning contemporary works of art are on permanent public display throughout the village as a result of the bi-annual art festival called "Los Encuentros de Arte del Valle del Genal" (1st to 15th August 2018) to and in the aftermath of the festivals.
Just seven kilometres north of Nerja is the typical pueblo blanco of Frigiliana which sits high on a mountain ridge overlooking the sea with spectacular panoramic views.
Most well-known for its mouth-watering cured ham, jamón serrano, the village of Trevélez is the highest in mainland Spain, at 1,476m. Its clear mountain air is ideal for drying the sweet-tasting ham, which has its own Denominación de Origen, although it′s not as pricey as jamón from Jabugo in the Sierra de Aracena.
Halfway between Capileira and Pampaneira in the Poqueira gorge is the sleepy village of Bubión, which like its neighbours is surrounded by magnificent views of the often snow-capped Sierra Nevada peaks and the Alpujarras. Bubión is also a good base for walking and is on the GR7 long-distance footpath. A great place to just wander around the narrow streets and admire the local crafts and flower laden balconies.
The highest of the three villages in the Barranco de Poqueira, at 1,436m, Capileira is a good base for walking in the gorge itself or up to the Sierra Nevada. Its twisting, steep streets are dotted with many springs gushing with fresh mountain water and there are superb views of the Poqueira gorge and the Sierra Nevada everywhere you look. With a population of 600, it′s also the largest of the three villages in the Poqueira gorge.
One of a trio of popular and picturesque whitewashed villages, Pampaneira – like its neighbours Bubión and Capileira – hugs the steep slopes of a lush river gorge, the Barranco de Poqueira. Pampaneira is the lowest of the three, at just over 1,000m. The small village – with a population of around 300 – centres on its pretty square dominated by a 16th-century Mudéjar church
Tucked away on the southwestern edge of the park is Almonaster, one of the most quaint villages of the Sierra. It has a magnificent hilltop mosque dating from the 10th century situated in amongst the ruins of a castle.
Baños de la Encina offers visitors interesting historical and artistic heritage as well as attractions for lovers of nature. Once called simply Baños, the village adopted ‘de la Encina’ (‘of the holm oaks’) in the thirteenth century, after a reported apparition of the Virgin Mary amongst the oak trees.
Glaring light reflecting from chalky white walls against the Mediterranean blue sky is everybody's image of a "pueblo blanco" (white village). Zuheros is one of the best of these. It has around 640 inhabitants.
Mojácar clings to a rocky hillside watching over the Mediterranean. An hour’s drive from Almeria City. It actually comprised of two distinct areas; Mojácar Pueblo (town) and Mojácar Playa (beach), roughly 2km apart. It has around 6,300 inhabitants.
Níjar is renowned for its superb handcrafts in pottery, ceramics and textiles. This exceptional corner of Andalusia is a stunning natural enclave, right on the edge of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park. It has been described as one of the most picturesque towns in the whole of Spain. A visit to Níjar guarantees the traveller a flavour of the ‘real’ Andalusia.
The old village of Castellar de la Frontera is perched high on a hilltop in the province of Cadiz, with commanding views over the Guadarranque reservoir. The village is easiest reached from the A-405 road that leaves the coast at San Roque, branching off to Castellar on the (CA-P-5131) after just 10 kilometers.
The white village of Zahara de la Sierra has one of the most stunning settings in the province of Cadiz.
Located in a high valley over 800m in the Sierra del Endrinal and dominated by the magnificent rocky outcrop known as Peñon Grande, the pretty mountain village of Grazalema is most popular base for visitors to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. The park is a vast protected area of rugged limestone mountains, which are famous for being the rainiest place in Spain.
Named after its once flourishing wineries - bodegas - Setenil is probably unique among the pueblos blancos, white villages, of Andalucia. Where most pueblos blancos were built on protective bluffs and pinnacles, this town grew out of a network of caves in the cliffs above the rio Trejo north-west of Ronda.
If you are exploring the N340 Costa de la Luz coast road, you'd be wise to make time for a wander around Vejer. This classic white village on the hilltop is well worth a visit. It is actually 10 kilometers inland, perched high above the steep gorge of the River Barbate.
