Spain’s Hidden Villages and Untamed Landscapes

Spain has long been associated with the beaches that miss the sun, vibrant cities, and world -famous cuisine. While Barcelona, ​​Madrid and Ibiza are famous for some reason, Spain is often found in its remote corners. One of the regions that I love the best I love is northern Spain, with its green mountains, rough coast, and villages in the Middle Ages, offering a completely different perspective. Do not get the largest number of visitors like hot points in the south, but they are beautiful in my opinion.

If you want to see a quieter aspect of Spain, think about getting out of the usual tourist path and heading north yet A trip to Madrid. Spend a few days in Madrid (which is amazing) and then training it north for a week or more to roam along the paths that the Romans once carved in the mountains, exploring the deserts known to a few travelers, and wandering in the villages where the traditions continue centuries after the fall of the empires.

Today, I want to share three destinations I love: Las Médulas, Bardenas Reales, and Santillana Del Mar. Each offers a unique mixture of history, natural beauty and cultural indulgence, and each of them can be accessed enough of Madrid.

1, Las Midols

Almost thousands of years ago, Roman engineers have turned this scene in search of gold. Using a technique called Ruina Montium (“Mountain Destruction”), they directed water across the tunnels to collapse the entire hills, and revealed gold deposits in the area. The result is a surreal scene of the serrated red slopes, the hollow, and the mixture, which was diluted by the chestnut trees forests and widespread with walking paths. Today, Las Médulas is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a testimony to human creativity and the permanent strength of nature. Walking long distances through Roman grooves and exhibitions, it is easy to imagine the work and vision necessary to reshape this rugged terrain.

What I love in Las Midols is calm. Even in the peak season, you can find extensions from the corridor where the only sounds are your footsteps and the leaves of the leaves. The views of the hills are amazing, and the smell of chestnut in the air. It is the place that makes you slow down, not only to take pictures but to allow history and still drowning.

The most prominent and paths

• Wadien tracks (episode 4 km): This gentle corridor passes through the shaded orchids of the shaded chestnut and the previous openings of Roman tunnels. It is ideal for walking in the easy morning still gives you a feeling of site. It often stops looking at the slopes. Red soil against green spaces make amazing images.
• Mirador from Aurelan: Short but sharp climbing leads to a platform overlooking the brick and valleys. The sunset is my favorite time here when the dull light turns almost orange slopes. There is also a small gallery where you can see how the Romans dug into the rock.
• Orellán Gallery: If you enjoy a little adventure, explore the mining tunnel that has been restored. Stand inside, you can imagine workers who pull the ground with Torchlight.
• Senda Perimetral (Episode 14 km): For committed hikers, this path takes place in the entire archaeological area. You will pass the isolated forests, small farms and the cross -wild swine path. It is long but not difficult, and you often have for yourself.
• Castro de Chano: A short drive away, this hills before the Romanian shows that the story of Las Médulas extends beyond the Romans.
• Return point of view: Less well -known monitoring with a quiet seat and comprehensive views via chestnut forests and distant hills.

Practical details
Where do you stay?: Ponferrada is just half an hour and has a wide range of hotels and guests.

The best seasonAutumn for golden foliage and fragile air. Spring brings mild weather and blooms wild flowers.

adviceBring water and light meal, especially if you plan to try to walk long. The maps or GPS will help you stick to the appropriate paths.

2. The real Prodenas

South of Pamblona, ​​the scene changes dramatically. Agricultural lands circulating allow the plains to dry up and ultimately a semi -journalist of Mesas Maghra and Dramatic valleys. This is Bardenas Reales, a 42,000 hectare of Navarre. This place is a protected by UNESCO, the biological ocean and an area of ​​active military use, however shepherds still sponsor their herds through the plains, and wildlife like the Eagles of Griffon and foxes flourish. The garden insulation means that you will often get most of the tracks for yourself.

The first time I visited, I was surprised by the diversity of the scene. From a distance, it looks arid, but as soon as they enter, the details are observed: ripples of clay, solid flowers flourish to cracks, and gaps sometimes wander behind the herd. Feeling space is delighted. It is a destination that calls for roaming and rewarding those who take their time.

Scenes and roads

• Castildetierra: This high -rock summit is a garden symbol. Photographers love this at dawn when the soft light highlights its exact shape. Even if you do not chase the perfect shot, it is worth seeing the shadows that turn through the apartments.
• Low white ring (34 km): Driving or biking along this path gives you a full round in the park’s central area. Upon looks on the admiration of Lukosh, Misa and wide ponds, where storms sometimes leave shallow baths.
• Piskerra and Hike Rallon: This moderate road ascends to the heart of rugged lands. Expect rugs and exciting views of the top of the hills. Bring a lot of water, as there is no shade as soon as the lowlands leave.
• Pilate balcony: High point where Griffon Eagles wheels on warm air currents. Watching it rises on the valleys is an unforgettable experience.
• Curtains head: The quieter formation of the short path. The colors of the rocks from the pale cream turn to copper depending on the sun.
• Aragon Corridor River: Follow the green tape along the river to get a softer side of the garden. It is a good thing for birds and a break from dry heat.

Practical details
Where do you stay?Tudila is the nearest city, with comfortable housing and excellent local restaurants that offer Navarra majors.

The best seasonA visit in the spring or early autumn to get enjoyable temperatures. Wild flowers appear after the rain, adding color touches to the plain. It can be very hot summer.

adviceThere are no services inside the garden, so storing sunscreen and already snacks.

3. Santilana del Mar

Santillana Del Mar is one of my favorite sites in northern Spain. It is located in Kantabria, about 30 internal minutes of the coast. Its streets are packed with gravel, which is the well -preserved architecture in the Middle Ages, and the charming squares make it one of the most picturesque villages in the region. The city is also working as a gateway for one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe, The Altamira Cave, famous for its Stone Age paintings. Wandering in its narrow streets is similar to a time retreat, and survival overnight allows visitors to enjoy calm as soon as the trainees leave today.

What makes Santilana unique is how she feels life. Despite its old walls, there is nothing dust on this topic. Small bakeries sell lobos butter, store owners live as you pass, and horses sometimes flow through the corridors. The rhythm is not impossible and warm.

Things to be seen and do

• Santa Juliana’s collective church: Romanian jewel with quiet monasteries and complex capitals. Take your time to explore the arches and stone sculptures.
• A replica of Altamira Cave: The original cave is closed to preserve art, but the symmetry version is impressive. Standing under the roof of the bison and horses gives you a glimpse of human creativity 14,000 years ago.
• Tamira Museum: A museum next to the cave, which is expanding in a prehistoric culture in the region. Attractive and family -friendly exhibits.
• Mayor Plaza: The central square is framed by stone houses with wooden balconies. It is an ideal place for coffee or a cup of apple juice late in the afternoon.
• Near paths: From the village, you can wander around the surrounding hills where you meet the promoter blut Woods. Some tracks continue towards the coast, which gives comprehensive views of the Kanabrien Sea.
• Soblaw caves: A short car away, this cave is filled with amazing controls, rules, and unusual formations called helicits.
• quotation marks: A neighboring town with modern architecture, including Capricho Godi, only 20 minutes by car.

Practical details
Access thereBuses are transported from Santander or Bilbao in about 45 minutes. Her rental car is given to explore the nearby bays and valleys.

The best seasonSpring and autumn brings light temperatures and a lower number of crowds.

Spain’s main attractions deserve attention, however the landscape and less well -known towers reveal something richer. They remind us that besides the beaches of Spain and the loud cities lies in a country where history, geography and daily life converge into experiences that deserve to be existing. Whether you are tracking the Roman tunnels in Las Midola, riding a bike via dusty tracks in Bardenas, or sipping apple juice in the Canaprien Square, every moment adds a new layer to your understanding of Spain.

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