Three Spanish villages have been selected among the best world tourism villages by UNWTO, with Rupit in Catalunya being listed 26th, Alquézar in the province of Huesca is at 27, and Guadalupe, situated in the community of Extremadura is 28th.
Unfortunately all of them are over 600 km from the Costa Blanca so any potential visits would each have to be planned over a couple or more days. This would be no bad thing, however, as each is described as being an outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with accredited cultural and natural assets that preserve and promote rural and community-based values, products, and lifestyle with a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability in all its aspects – economic, social and environmental,
The village of Rupit is of medieval origin and is considered to be one of the jewels of Catalonia in Spain. It preserves baroque buildings from the 17ᵗʰ century and is surrounded by the Rupit stream, lush forests, caves, prehistoric tombs, waterfalls, and miles of cliffs.
Strolling aimlessly and discovering its nooks and crannies is like travelling four or five centuries back in time, on a journey which enables you to witness the true essence of local tradition.
Alquézar, on the other hand, is a historic-artistic site since 1980 and has the status of a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Its name originates from the Arabic words al qaçr, meaning “for fort”.
Being part of the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park , Alquézar is also an ideal destination to enjoy nature, adventure sports (hiking, climbing, canyoning…) and rock art . If you want to discover the beautiful corners of the Vero River as it passes through the town, you can walk the simple route of the Alquézar footbridges
And last, but no less important, is the village of Guadalupe, which can be accessed only through mountainous roads. It has several recognised cultural spots such as the world heritage site, the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe, Villuercas Ibores Geopark Jara or The Pilgrimage Paths to Guadeloupe, The Well of the Snow of Guadalupe, Los Molinos, Aceñas, etc.
In 2017, Guadalupe received the award the “Most Beautiful Christmas Town in Spain” from Ferrero Rocher which chose to celebrate it’s 30th anniversary ‘Great Festival of Light’ in the town.
The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) took into consideration 136 villages in its 57 Member States, each of which was eligible to nominate a maximum of three villages. It subsequently selected a total of 32 villages in 18 countries, across five world regions. It was notable that all 3 of Spain’s nominated villages were placed in the top thirty.
