Spain, which this weekend hosts the travelling Formula One circus, overtook the US to become the world’s second most popular holiday destination last year. It welcomed an estimated 82.2 million international visitors in 2017 – more than ever before and up from 75.3m in 2016. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still find pockets of seaside tranquility and cities untouched by mass tourism. Let our experts shine a light on some of Spain’s best lesser-known gems. 1. Llafranc, Catalonia Sally Davies writes: “The very word ‘Costa’, these days, can be enough to conjure up images of towering apartment blocks and litre tankards of cheap lager, but the Costa Brava is altogether classier. “At its centre is the perfectly proportioned Llafranc, large enough to keep a family entertained on a week’s holiday, small enough to catch some peace and quiet. Outside the chaotic but short-lived high season (July and August), in fact, you’ll hear little more than the birdsong and the waves lapping on the rocks.” Of Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc’s immediate neighbour, Eddi Fiegel says: “It’s one of the region’s loveliest coastal resorts with low-rise, pastel-coloured villas facing the horse-shoe beach. Every July, Catalans flock to the shore for the annual Havaneres fiesta, when a stage is set up offshore and groups sing traditional Cuban sea shanties brought back to the region by returning seafarers in the 19th century.” 2. Segovia and Salamanca, Castile and León “Go to Segovia for one single stunning Roman view, and a spectacular piece of Roman engineering,”… [Read full story]
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