Guided travel in inland Spain – 24 hot Spanish destinations

Most of us have been to Spain at one time or another, many to one or more of the Costas for a classic sun, sea and sand holiday. But go inland, heading far away from the drunken Brits rolling around in the gutters, the faux Irish bars and the fish and chips, and there’s a whole different Spain to get to know, a fascinating, ancient and often brooding place with a violent history, stunning empty landscapes and extraordinary towns and cities to explore.

When off-the-beaten-track adventures are on the cards, you might want to add some of these to your guided travel plans. Welcome to authentic Spain.

24 not-to-be-missed  places to explore off-piste in Spain

1. Burgos is home to one of the most magnificent cathedrals in the world and resting place of El Cid, the Castilian nobleman and military leader in medieval Spain celebrated in the old Charlton Heston movie.
2. Barcelona’s beautiful Gaudi mosaics and buildings, Gothic Quarter, vibrant street food scene, funicular, Tibidabo mountain, beach and night life make it a must.
3. Bilbao in the Basque region has its own rebellious language and culture, as well as being greener and more fertile than the rest of Spain. As a centre for world-class modern art, it’s great for culture lovers. Don’t miss the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, the enormous Arts District full of open-air works, and the impressive Plaza Berria.
4. Consuegra is the legendary place where Don Quixote fought the giants.
5. Castilla La Mancha is where the infamous windmills that the deluded Don Quixote are, also a place where the cuisine is spectacularly good and the wine is well worth relaxing over.
6. Madrid, Spain’s capital, is a haven for lovers of fine art with a huge collection of home-grown old masters in the city’s man amazing museums, royal palace and La Latina neighbourhood where mouth watering tapas are the name of the game.
7. Albarracin is widely praised as ‘the most beautiful town in Spain’
8. Love old 1970s Spaghetti Westerns? Almería is where a lot of them were filmed, home to Europe’s only desert. The town itself is known for its beautiful architecture and is surrounded by quaint villages, perfect for a flavour of the real Spain.
9. Granada feels like a North African city, stacked with gorgeous old Moorish influences and their final stronghold in the country. The Alhambra palace is spectacular, there’s the 1000 year old Albaicín to explore, a medieval university, thrilling flamenco everywhere and the dreamy Sierra Nevada Mountain range to discover.
10. Girona is in the Catalonia region, offering a captivating mix of history and modernity. The medieval architecture in the perfectly preserved Jewish Quarter and the towering city walls make it a dramatic choice and there’s another magnificent cathedral to wander in, Girona Cathedral, which blends several different architectural styles. The pretty colourful homes along the Onyar River are a delight and Game of Thrones fans love it here. Some of the locations from the TV show are clearly recognisable. Add festivals, fabulous food and the proximity of the Costa Brava and it’s hard to resist.
11. In Rioja, as you can imagine, it’s all about the wonderful red wines.
12. Ronda is famed as a particularly pretty old town, perched high up on both sides of the dizzying El Tajo Gorge and home to rows of lovely whitewashed houses. But beware – this is also a place famed for bullfighting, so it is well worth avoiding as an animal lover who doesn’t want to spend their hard earned cash in a place that treats our fellow creatures so barbarically.
13. Food lovers flock to San Sebastián in the northern Basque region, a place that’s stuffed with Michelin-star restaurants, awesome street food, and the Basque tapas called pintxos. There’s also a surfing beach, Playa de Zurriola, you’re surrounded by natural beauty, easily accessible, and Monte Urgull delivers fabulous views of the landscapes below.
14. Segovia is another top destination for people who adore ancient history, with a particularly attractive Old Town and a well preserved Roman aqueduct spanning the street. The castle called the Alcázar de Segovia perches on top of a hill like something out of a storybook and the nearby Sierra de Guadarrama Mountains are a visual delight, accessible via a guided travel day trip.
15. Salamanca is home to the stunningly lovely old university of Salamanca, founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX of León.
16. Head for the north west of Spain to discover Galicia, set like a jewel in a landscape of peaceful river estuaries surrounded by deep forests and ancient towns with a rich Celtic heritage. If you like seafood try Pulpo a la Gallega. If you love wildlife avoid it – octopi are unusually intelligent and charming animals that you might not want to eat! Weirdly they play bagpipes here, part of its ancient Celtic heritage. And there are some supreme beaches to relax on.
17. Valencia and paella go hand in hand. It’s also one of Spain’s biggest cities and in the past a vital port. Visit the San Miguel de los Reyes monastery, City of Arts and Science, IMAX theatre, lovely beaches and the glorious Turia riverbed.
18. Santiago de Compostela is loved for its splendid seafood as well as being an internationally renowned Catholic pilgrimage site dating back to the Middle Ages. The Praza do Obradoiro and cathedral are rather fabulous and the Pilgrimage Museum delivers the history in an entertaining way.
19. The hanging houses at Cuenca are extraordinary, nicknamed the ‘casas colgadas’
20. Córdoba is thousands of years old, small enough to walk around with ease, full of fascinating history and home to the legendary Mezquita medieval mosque, now a Christian church. The Roman bridge, Jewish quarter and Archeological Museum are also stars in this gorgeous city.
21. In the Ribera Del Duero region they’ve been making wine for two and a half thousand years.
22. Toledo is a city where several cultures meet: Reconquistas, Christians, Jews, and Muslims. A lovely old walled city, it offers the magnificent Catedral de Toledo, El Transito Synagogue, Cristo de la Luz Mosque, charming UNESCO medieval streets and churches offering paintings by El Greco, who lived and worked here.
23. Seville is Andalusia’s capital, a blend of ancient Moorish and modern Spanish culture. There’s the cathedral, the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world, and everywhere you go there’s flamenco music playing. Fragrant orange blossoms line the streets, the Seville oranges that make such great marmalade, and the whole city is a showcase for the region’s traditions, cuisine and arts.
24. Pamplona is fun but it’s another place animal lovers prefer to avoid thanks to the brutal San Fermin festival, where idiots run with terrified bulls through the cobbled streets. There’s a pretty old town, gorgeous local wines, grand medieval walls and the surrounding, very lovely Navarre region.

In between these better-known jewels there are countless lesser-known treats revealing more about the Spain hidden behind the glitter, bars, beaches and sunshine.

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