Explore the destinations where locals travel in Spain

20.05.2024 - 19:19 / lonelyplanet.com

Our 'Where Locals Go' series features under-the-radar holiday destinations that are often overlooked by visitors but cherished by locals. Here, we ask four experts on Spain for their top picks.

Where do you go if you want to experience Spain like a local? We tapped our experts in Spain to show us the places where they love to go on vacation there, ranging from slow-traveling around the vineyards and villages of Catalonia with their traditional artisan cultures, to escaping the heat in Asturias and discovering the more laid-back side of Ibiza with its pristine beaches and quiet coves.

Isabella Noble grew up in Málaga and now splits her time between Andalucía and Barcelona

Why Tarifa?

My family stumbled across laid-back, surf-loving Tarifa in the 1990s, and I still escape here every year, whether for a few beachy days in early September (bliss) or working remotely during low season. On the southernmost tip of mainland Europe, in Cádiz province, Tarifa is one of Andalucía’s most magical coastal towns, with miles of wild golden-white beaches, a relaxed vibe and views of neighboring Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar. 

Must-do activity 

Cádiz’s Atlantic-washed Costa de la Luz has been popular with Spaniards for years, and Tarifa has a special edge thanks to its lively kitesurfing and windsurfing scene. The entire undeveloped coast stretching northwest from Tarifa is a protected parque natural, and even when things get busy in summer, there are plenty of hidden corners. I love the coastal walk past natural sea pools from tiny Bolonia’s Roman ruins to Punta Paloma dune. Or the hike to secluded El Cañuelo beach – a pine-fringed, back-to-nature paradise where there’s often no one else around. 

Tarifa tips

I usually stay at one of the small, independent boutique hotels in Tarifa’s meandering old town; The Riad is a stylishly converted 17th-century home with creative Moroccan-Andalucian design, while Hostal África has boho-cool rooms and rooftop yoga. You’re spoiled for choice with Tarifa’s lively international-influenced food scene; I often grab a fruit-and-yogurt breakfast bowl at Morocco-inspired Café Azul, and later stop for tapas (just-cooked tortilla, payoyo goat’s cheese) on the terrace at El Lola, which also serves local sherries and Cádiz wines. 

Joan Torres is a writer from Barcelona who loves getting off the beaten track

Why Priorat?

In the heart of rural Catalonia, Priorat is an off-the-beaten-track region where visitors can learn about traditional wine making. Many consider the wines produced in Priorat to be the most sophisticated in all of Spain (with prices to match).

Must-do activity

Dotted with several medieval villages, Priorat is best visited on your own wheels, road-tripping from