Spain's 35 'most attractive towns' stage open days By: pienso Espagna , Monday, October 5, 2015

A TOTAL of 35 municipalities in Spain celebrated National Most Attractive Town Day this week, opening museums, parks and monuments to the public free of charge and milking their tourism highlights for all they were worth.Run by the Asociación de Pueblos Más Bonitos de España('Most Attractive Towns in Spain Association'), the nationwide 'open day' was aimed at putting the country's undeniably unique and charming but underrated areas on the map, encouraging visitors from elsewhere in Spain and abroad to check them out, and calling for the Spanish tourist board, Turespaña – also known in English as Tour Spain – to promote them more. The '35 most attractive' varied dramatically from each other in location, landscape, climate and salient points for visitors – some are already fairly well-known in their own regions, especially among regular foreign and national tourists and many expats, whilst others are practically unheard-of not only to holidaymakers from other countries, but even those from just a province away. Better-known towns and villages in the top 35 include the whitewashed hilltop town of Mojácar, in the province of Almería on the south coast – although now a hotspot for holiday resorts, the town itself retains its rural and ancient charm – and Santillana del Mar in the northern coastal region of Cantabria, a quaint, cobbled village overflowing with the typically continental-style flower-filled balconies, and known as the 'town of three lies': it is neither holy (santa), nor flat (llana), nor does it have a sea (mar), but it is nonetheless a pretty, charming little town with plenty of authentic souvenir shops selling local delicacies.Rubielos de Mora in the province of Teruel, southern Aragón is fairly well-known by skiing fans, given that it is very close to the slopes and home to small, rural hotels which offer rooms for those hitting the piste and, like many ancient, remote hamlets in Teruel, keeps working huskies for the snowy season; Albarracín, deep in the mountains of Teruel, is a splendid photo opportunity because of its dramatic rocky mountain formations. The Comunidad Valenciana is replete with 'Most Attractive Towns in Spain' – Morella, deep inland with its ancient fortresses, the more famous coastal holiday destination of Peñíscola with its iconic castle, and the quaint village of Vilafamès (second photograph) – all in the province of Castellón - and in the province of Alicante, the much-frequented Guadalest: a cobbled hamlet high on a mountain overlooking a huge, blue reservoir in vast, verdant landscape, filled with craft shops, ancient houses and small museums, the most-lauded of which is the 'miniatures museum' where visitors can see paintings on flies' wings and fleas riding bicycles, is a popular day trip for residents and holidaymakers on the Costa Blanca or further inland. Other towns and villages listed include Pampaneira (Granada province), Lucainena de las Torres (Almería province), Vejer de la Frontera (Cádiz province) and Frigiliana (Málaga province) in Andalucía; Valderrobres, Calaceite, Puertomingalvo (third photograph), Cantavieja (all in Teruel province), Anento (Zaragoza province), Aínsa, Alquézar and Ansó (Huesca province), in Aragón; Maderuelo, Pedraza, Ayllón (Segovia province, first photograph), Frías (Burgos province), Urueña (Valladolid province), Medinaceli (Soria province), La Alberca, Mogarraz and Candelario (Salamanca province), in Castilla y León; Valverde de los Arroyos (Guadalajara province), Alcalá de Júcar (Albacete province) and Almagro (Ciudad Real province) in Castilla-La Mancha; Bárcena Mayor in Cantabria; Tejeda (Gran Canaria) in the Canary Islands, and Llastres in Asturias. The http://www.elpremio.es  -team expects you in Alicante province, Costa Blanca North