SPAIN’S MOST BEAUTIFUL SECRET ESCAPES
If you want to escape pretty much everything, from home, from work, from cities, from politics, from the news, from media, from winter, from harsh weather, from most clothing and shoes, you might want to head to the quiet, almost secret fringes of islands scattered off the coast of Spain.
While Ibiza, Tenerife and Gran Canaria are party-central islands for the clubbing set, and Mallorca and Menorca are soiree-central for the upper-scale, Canary Islands have some little known treasures where few tourists tread. This archipelago sits just 62 miles off the coast of Africa. The Balearics are another collection of island gems.
In fact, more than 60 islands stud Spain’s coastlines. So there are plenty of beautiful places where you get truly get lost if you don’t want to be found.
Some of the lesser-known islands are maintained as virgin nature reserves, while others have UNESCO listings. Divers love the drama of underwater volcanic rock formations an endlessly shifting kaleidoscope of colorful fish. Centro de Buceo El Hierro is a world-class diving school here. There’s even an underwater art museum that only divers can see.
Check out these beautiful Spanish secret hideaways below.
Escape to a place time forgot -- La Gomera, the second-smallest of the 7 Canary Islands. Shaped like a jagged circle, it’s only about 25 km in diameter. It is ringed by volcanic cliffs, punctuated by an ancient 15oo metre high mountain, and edged with black sand and rocky beaches.
At the heart of the island, a lush tropical jungle pulsates. Monster flowers, giant ferns, palms, and banana trees sway. Thick flowering vines adorn rocks and tree trunks. Exotic butterflies flutter. You can hike through this paradise on well-marked trails.
Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO listed ancient laurisilva rainforest, is one of the most beautiful spots on the planet, thick with life, shrouded in mist.
Driving around the island is quite an adventure. The landscape is extreme, carved by now extinct volcanoes, with rock formations that look otherworldly.
The island undulates, with plunging ravines and breathtaking valleys. Mountains and high cliffs are dotted with sleepy villages. Some natives still communicate using Silbo, a pre-Columbian whistle-based language, protected by UNESCO on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
La Gomera was the last port of call for Christopher Columbus before he sailed the ocean blue in 1492.
Settle in at the charming Hotel Jardin Tecina, atop a cliff above Playa de Santiaģo, a tiny fishing port. We also love the Parador de Gomera, a lovely Canarian-style mansion-turned-hotel. Surrounded by gorgeous sub-tropical gardens, offering killer views straight across to Spain’s highest mountain, Mount Teide, rising up from the island of Tenerife.
Valle Gran Rey is a chill hippie hangout -- sometimes compared to Glastonbury-on-Sea -- which offers another kind of escapism for you to experience.
There is a tiny airport here, for small planes only. No international flights. But the ferry ride is delightful, and you get to see more of the glorious seascape, so we prefer that approach.
Escape the throbbing beat of Ibiza and head to Formentera, the smallest and least-known of the Balearic Islands. You can escape your clothes too, as this little wishbone-shaped island is loved by nudists.
While Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan put this place on the map by vacationing there in the 1970s, Formentera is relatively low on tourists. There’s no airport and no dock for cruise ships so Formentera stays pretty empty and chill.
Walk the sumptuous soft white sand beaches, dip into the warm turquoise waters -- there’s not much else to do here. And that’s why it’s perfect...
Head to Playa Blanca, where you can take a dive into Museo Atlántico, an incredible underwater museum, filled with impressive sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor.
Nearby, Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Fuerteventura also beloved by divers looking for some colorful undersea action.
Just 3 miles out from Lanzarote, lies the “secret” island of La Graciosa. Escape here and you can be fairly certain, no one will find you unless you leave a trail of breadcrumbs.
It’s a beautiful place to tour with a mountain bike -- there are no paved roads here. Walk along the windswept sand dunes, stroll along the water’s edge of deserted beaches. Or just sit… and revel in the quiet.
The Islas Cíes, a 3-island nature reserve, serves up blindingly white pristine white-sand beaches in the northwesterly region of Galicia. Some call it the Spanish Galápagos.
Only a few people live here. There are no hotels, no restaurants, no cars, no human interventions. You can come for the day or camp out on the dunes.
Read more about Extraordinary Escapes. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.
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