Five overlooked corners of Spain to visit in 2025

We’ve all had quite enough of these grey, overcast days now, thank you. It’s time for a dose of Spain, where you can rely on bright light and blue skies much of the time. If you fly to Barcelona, Madrid or Malaga, you could jump on a train or a bus, or hire a car, and be somewhere new within an hour or so. Spain is full of underrated towns that don’t see many tourists, yet still have all the tapas bars, restaurants, shops and museums you could ever wish for. Try Burgos, Vitoria, Vigo, Murcia or Almería. I could go on.

Alternatively, with rising temperatures making some resorts in the south and east of the country uncomfortably hot in summer, this could be the year to look to northern Spain. The beaches are nothing short of spectacular right across the coast, in the four regions of the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia – not to mention the fish and cheese.

So go to Spain in 2025. Go into the first bar you come across. Order a beer or a glass of wine. Have another. Eat a few slices of jamón, a few prawns, a wedge of tortilla. A tomato that actually tastes like a tomato. Order whatever the people next to you are having, particularly if you have no idea what it is. It’s that simple. You’re smiling already, aren’t you?

1. Costa de la Luz

Jet2 is starting holidays to the Costa de la Luz, on the Atlantic coast of Andalucia, this year. If you like neverending beaches and superb seafood, you’ll love it here. As this stretch was developed later than other costas, hotels are of a very good standard, with a lot of all-inclusive complexes with excellent facilities. If you prefer to do your own thing, take advantage of the new Jet2 flights to Jerez from Birmingham, Leeds-Bradford and Manchester for a city break to lovely Jerez or nearby Cádiz. This new connection also makes it easier to get to cool places like Tarifa or the hilltop town of Vejer de la Frontera.

When to go and where to stay:

The Costa de la Luz is perfect for summer holidays – and a favourite with the Spanish – but prices are more reasonable and beaches quieter in May, June and September.

A week’s stay at the Daia Slow Beach hotel in June with Jet2 starts from £970 per person, based on two sharing, including breakfast, flights from Manchester with checked baggage and transfers.

2. Letur

Tucked away in the Sierra de Segura in the southeastern corner of Albacete province in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, the remote village of Letur was in the news for all the wrong reasons at the end of October, when floods raged through its narrow streets. Six people drowned and there was substantial damage. There are happier prospects for 2025, however, as Letur is joining the list of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain, one of seven new entries, which will speed up the restoration work and attract much-needed visitors. If you are staying on the coast on the Costa Blanca or Costa Cálida, drive up for the day, have lunch and lose yourself in the cobbled lanes, where the village’s Islamic heritage is still very much discernible.

When to go and where to stay:

You could go at any time of year, but temperatures are most comfortable in spring and autumn.

The Hotel Termas, in the nearby spa town of Archena, has striking neo-Islamic architecture, extensive thermal pool facilities, and doubles from £113, including breakfast.

3. Aragón and Navarra

Start in Zaragoza, the capital of the vast inland region of Aragón, before venturing into the countryside to the Cariñena wine area, then on to Navarra, a region best known internationally for the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, though its cuisine and wines are actually among the best in Spain. Vegetable dishes are particularly good (as you’ll find out in Tudela), while in Pamplona, you can learn how to make the pintxos that adorn the counters of the city’s many bars. Finish up in Getaria on the coast near San Sebastián, and don’t miss a taste of the local cider and exquisite turbot at the legendary Elkano restaurant.

When to go and where to stay:

A new nine-day tour with Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen covers all of the above, and departs May 21 – a lovely time of year to visit (£3,733 per person, based on two sharing, including accommodation, activities, excursions and most meals). If you’re travelling independently, try and avoid the busy months of July and August and bear in mind that December and January can be bitterly cold. The Gran Hotel La Perla in Pamplona, made famous by Ernest Hemingway, has rooms from £126 per night.

4. Guadalajara province

If you have been to Madrid a few times, you may well have taken trips south to Toledo and north to Segovia. It is far less common, however, to head northeast from the Spanish capital to the province of Guadalajara – although it is a favourite escape for Madrilenians who want to get out of the city. You could base yourself in Brihuega, a pretty little place with a wealth of Renaissance architecture, tapas bars and shops that sell products made from the lavender that grows around the town. Spend a morning in medieval Sigüenza, which is dominated by a dramatic castle that is now a parador (reopening in May after a revamp) and have lunch in one of the traditional restaurants in the main square.

When to go and where to stay:

Go in July for the lavender festival in Brihuega, or in autumn, when the Hayedo de Tejera Negra beech forest is at its most spectacular. The five-star Castilla Termal Brihuega has a sumptuous spa in a circular 18th-century building, and doubles from £205 per night, including breakfast.

5. Soria and the Duero river

Soria is one of the least visited and most sparsely populated parts of Spain. But this small city and its surrounding province in the east of Castilla y León are well worth exploring for anyone who loves Romanesque architecture, myths and legends, the poetry of Antonio Machado and moody riverside walks. The local chorizo is pretty good too.

Begin at the source of the Duero river, following its course across Spain to the sea in Portugal, taking in a string of castles, ancient settlements and elegant cathedrals along the way. Leaving Soria, travel through Castilla y León, taking in the Ribera del Duero wine region and Valladolid, Tordesillas, Zamora and Toro for a journey through Spain’s rich history, where lavish meals and superb wines are very much part of the experience.

When to go and where to stay:

A new 10-day tour with Martin Randall covers all of the above, and departs on April 25, which is an ideal time to go (£4,860 per person, based on two sharing, including flights, accommodation, visits, tastings, and most meals). If organising your own trip, avoid winter, as this part of the country can be very cold. Valladolid’s magnificent Abadía Retuerta Le Domaine, one of the best hotels in Spain, has rooms from £379 per night. For a more affordable trip, stay in paradors in Soria, Tordesillas and Zamora.