Combarro (Pontevedra), one of the most picturesque towns in Galicia
"The towns , it could be said, are the jewels of Spain ". Albert Ollé Martín assures it in Essential Towns of Spain (geoPlaneta, 2021), a guide with 28 small towns 'that everyone should know'. The most obvious reasons? valuable popular architecture -farmhouses in Catalonia, pallozas in Galicia, whitewashed houses in Andalusia...-, but also its fabulous cultural heritage in the form, above all, of temples, castles and palaces.
Of course, there is something else that has decided Martín to include these and not other places on his list: an intangible aspect, a characteristic spirit that these populations have been able to protect . "Local awareness is very strong in Spain," says the author. " The peoples want to preserve their signs of identity at all costs , of which they are proud even if they do not offer much and simply because they are peculiar to each one: the remarkable buildings that its enclosure contains, its landscapes, its gastronomic specialties, or else, the splendor and originality of its patron saint festivities ", he continues.
Bearing all this in mind, the writer, traveler and graduate in Geography and History unravels in the pages of Essential Towns of Spain a comfortable and up-to-date review of the most striking aspects of each of these municipalities: he brings us up to date on their past and stands out so much curiosities (Why is there an English cemetery in Mojácar? What does the Masonic lodge have to do with Masonic Victoria Gardens in La Orotava?) as data of interest: what to visit, what to eat, when to go... and, of course, when their festivals are celebrated.
'Essential towns of Spain'
FROM RONDA TO ONDARROA
Perfect for a road trip, the book presents a map at the beginning in which to locate each of the 28 towns mentioned. In Andalusia , the author highlights Carmona (Seville), Ronda (Málaga) and Mojácar (Almería).
In Estremadura , are Trujillo (Cáceres) and Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz) the chosen ones. In Castilla la Mancha , the municipalities that one should not miss are Sigüenza (Guadalajara) and Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real). In the Region of Murcia, Lorca is chosen, and in the Valencian Community, Morella and Peñíscola, both in Castellón.
Further north, in Castillo and León, La Alberca (Salamanca) and Pedraza (Segovia) are particularly interesting, while in the Community of Madrid it is worth visiting the monumental sites of Aranjuez and San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
Peñíscola, a medieval fort facing the sea in Castellón
La Rioja also has its representative, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, while in Aragon, the beautiful Albarracín (Teruel) and Sos del Rey Católico (Zaragoza) are the fundamental ones. In Navarra, for its part, the unmissable enclave is Estella.
In Catalonia, Cadaqués, "the pearl of the Costa Brava" (Girona) and Rupit (Barcelona) stand out. Combarro (Pontevedra) and O Cebreiro (Lugo) are the jewels of beautiful Galicia.
The famous Cudillero shines in Asturias, while Santillana del Mar does the same in Cantabria. In the Basque Country, Laguardia (Álava) and Ondárroa (Vizcaya) take the cake. The islands, of course, also have excellent local exponents. In the Balearic Islands, it is Ciutadella (Menorca), while in the Canary Islands it is La Orotava (Santa Cruz de Tenerife). Some are very obvious; others, secrets yet to be discovered. All, essential, absolute wonders a walk from home.