The ingredients of a summer holiday in a sleepy Spanish pueblo are slow living, local food, serenely beautiful landscapes and loads of time to do nothing. Mix with remote boutique retreats for a good-life getaway — whether on the most chilled Balearic island or the mainland’s verdant northern coast — and you have the recipe for true luxury. Get ready to go off the beaten track in Spain…
MENORCA
Though not usually the number one Balearic island on everyone’s must-go list, Menorca is the Goldilocks of the sun-soaked Spanish Mediterranean. While not exactly forgotten, it’s wilder than its more conquered cousin Mallorca and more chill than nearby Ibiza. As such, visitors can expect endless space for exploration and a slow pace that is endemic to a middle-of-the-Med island.
Where to stay Cap Menorca is elegantly poised amid olive-coloured foliage and a 74-acre estate to quickly gain the title of most luxurious. Once the country house of one of the island’s historic families, before being transformed into a military base, the property forms its very own Spanish pueblo, with 15 whitewashed suites, each complete with a private garden and swimming pool. Three dedicated concierges become your guides, setting you up for a day at the open-air spa, directing you to the secret nearby cove or sending you off on the resident 26-metre yacht with a chilled bottle of wine.
ASTURIAS
Villages with more boats than inhabitants, where the mountains of the majestic Picos de Europa roll languidly into the sea… is there a more beautiful backdrop than Asturias for a rural getaway? The beauty is more than landscape-deep, though; Asturias offers the tranquillity of cricket-quiet mountainous countryside, but with quite the roster of activities for those hours between siestas. There are prehistoric caves for escaping the rare too-hot summer’s day and inland beaches reached by hiking amid the viridescence.
Where to stay Settle into village life 40 minutes south of Oviedo, in warm, centuries-old mountain home Solo Palacio. With a wabi-sabi-flavoured mix of period decor, including carved wooden doors and original chimneys, the feeling is that of stepping into your very own (extremely well-preserved and impeccably decorated) rustic casa. Embrace the lo-fi lifestyle and amenities designed for the region’s fickle weather, from the charming roaring fireplaces to the fancifully carved infinity pool.
ANDALUCÍA
The eight provinces of Andalucía are the stuff Spanish sueños are made of: centuries-old olive trees with thick, knobby trunks dotting a landscape of sunflower fields and rocky hills, bathed in clean, blinding sunlight. Against the sound of the wind rustling the oleander bushes, time stops on the plains of the southlands.
Where to stay Whether traipsing your way through Doñana National Park or tasting olive oil at the source, you’ll want to make a traditional hacienda or cortijo your base, and the bohemian Hacienda de San Rafael whisks you magically into rural Andalucían life.
From the terracotta courtyard to the lounge-ready pool area, this restored olive estate has an understated glamour, overstuffed with mismatched yet fabulous fabrics and antiques, with amenities that seem to be mostly siesta-related. When not splashing around in the cool turquoise pool, gallop off into the sunset on one of the hacienda’s numerous equine experiences, whether that’s a family-friendly pet-and-trot to a visit or a Spanish thoroughbred horse farm with more than 200 foals, mares and stallions.
GALICIA
Rugged coastlines and fairy-tale forests are par for course in this unspoilt corner of northern Spain — the riches of Galicia could fill a lifetime of summer days. If your thing is cathedrals, they come in a pilgrimage-worthy version in the Romanesque Santiago de Compostela, or in the naturally occuring variety, in the soaring organic rock arches of Praia das Catedrais near Ribadeo.
Where to stay Set up your basecamp in Rías Baixas, a series of estuarine inlets on the south-western coast with water-splashed landscapes and the home to albariño, one of Spain’s most beloved wines. Casa Beatnik is a casa de pueblo extraordinaire: a hot pink 18th-century mansion with a working winery, pickleball and tennis courts, and a few luxury yurts for those serious about that summer-camp feel. Its maximalist decor gives Yves Saint Laurent gallivanting through southern Europe — the design is fantastic fun to accompany the equally joyous Estonian igloo saunas and glowing-red zellige-tiled pool.
PRIORAT
The hot, dry summers of Priorat give the region’s red wine its characteristic bold minerality and upfront fruitiness — and they also give life to local villages, scattered across the jagged landscape. Expect cobblestoned streets crowned with ornate architecture, as seen in the lovely bases of Gratallops or Falset, launching pads for dizzying climbs in the Montsant Natural Park, which is best seen like a local from behind the handlebars or by (well-cushioned) foot.
Where to stay The estate of Terra Dominicata is an easy patch to settle into for summer pueblo life, especially when your main requirements include glowing sunsets bouncing off some terracotta and endless olive groves. Hairpin turns and the extra-remote location at this hideaway encourage a more monk-like approach to socialising (fitting for a former monastery), but never fear — it will be one well watered with some sought-after Priorat wine.
LA RIOJA
La Rioja in the summer is all about walking through the village to the swimming pool with an icy drink in hand, winding through teeming vines laden with sun-warmed grapes, and jumping into cold rivers after grilling up some lunch on the banks. In a region crossed by seven rivers and dotted by nearly 600 wineries, just about every village boasts an ancient church, a local bakery and a watering hole. The Rioja town of Grañón (population: 250) is no different — except, however, when it comes to your village housing options…
Where to stay Casa Grande isn’t your grandma’s country home — instead, this manor house from the late 1700s has been transformed by Francesc Rifé Studio into a modern and minimalist hideaway. Monochromatic decor mixes warm stone with sleek black wood, a monastic design that’s right at home on the famed Camino de Santiago.
Here comes the sol: see our full collection of summer-ready Spanish hotels