Spain’s most beautiful secret villages

There are 8 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 3,068 times. The latest Post () was by Rice.

    Many years ago I was in Santillana del Mar, in the Asturian region (The green Spain).

    Very close of this place there was the famous Caves of Altamira. (Prehistorics paintings of bulls andother animals).

    At that time you were allowed to get inside, a guardian will give you free pass and you only needed to give him an inexpensive tip.

    Santillana was an example of a town of the 1600's, no new buildings were there and the place was really charming. I think that nowadays this place would probably overcrowded with tourist. and the entrance to the caves are now prohibited: The outcomes of the "developed countries".

    You are right, Carlos . When visitors were few and respectful (except for Mark Twain’s character who chipped off a souvenir chunk of every monument he saw), archaeological treasures were guarded casually, if at all. Now that tourists a booming industry, that is necessarily a thing of the past.


    We used to picnic among the Bronze Age monoliths of Stonehenge, which now is completely off limits to the public.

    I can be a witness of the deterioration that touristic places which are gradually destroyed with the so called "progress". In my boyhood and later, we used to go in vacations to the Hills of Cordoba-

    At that time there were few paved roads, and few people going there. The landscape was almost untouched, the houses built in those times were decent and fit with the tradition,

    The access to charming sites in the shore of the rivers were free, nobody invaded them.

    Now every good place to have a refreshing swim is surrounded by restaurants, shops with several kitsch objects to sell, and worst, the people is definitely rude and invading. Even they charge you money to park the car. Things are beyond description about the bad taste of the visitors.

    The only way to escape of this mess is going to more far places. There are still good places, but you need to drive 80 or 90 miles to be there.

    That is why the rich people go to the Southern lakes, as the Nahuel Huapi. But I cannot afford this.

    And the long queues of tourist, hurried by guards which pushes you to walk forward, not allowing to contemplation!

    Fortunately you can see now Venice with digital procedures from your comfortable home. Of course, is not the same, but a clear advantage.