12 Surreal Places in Spain That Feel Like Another World
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Millions of tourists visit Spain yearly to indulge in Spanish culture, explore historic cities, and enjoy the nation’s picturesque coastline. However, most tourists stick to the well-known coastal resorts and major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. While there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, Spain has many hidden gems to explore.
You can discover natural, historical, and cultural treasures everywhere in Spain. Hence, it’s time to leave the big cities and visit lesser-known destinations. To get you started, here are 12 surreal places in Spain. These places make our list because you need to see them to believe they exist.
Mount Teide, Tenerife
Let’s start this list with an otherworldly destination famous for its lunar landscapes. Mount Teide, known simply as Teide, is a tall volcano on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. At 12,188 feet (3,715 meters) tall, its summit is the highest point in Spain, so you don’t want to miss it.
While its sheer height is impressive, Mount Teide’s moon-like landscape steals the show. The volcano and surrounding Teide National Park are a joy to behold. To admire the landscape in all its glory, walk along the hiking trails and take photographs from the best viewpoints. Don’t forget your hiking boots, though, because the trails can be pretty rugged.
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Vixía Herbeira, Galicia
Another impressive landscape that’ll blow your mind is the Vixía Herbeira cliffs in Galicia, in Northern Spain. Located in Serra da la Capelada, between Cariño and Cedeira, the cliffs are 2,034 feet (620 meters) high, making them the highest in continental Europe.
The cliffs themselves are impressive, but the surrounding area also has plenty to offer. From the cliffs, travelers are spoiled with spectacular views of the Galician coast. Watching the powerful waves crash against the cliffs is a real treat. To enjoy the cliffs to their fullest, we recommend visiting the main La Garita de Herbeira Viewpoint. From here, you can see all the cliffs in their glory.
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Setenil de las Bodegas, Andalusia
Andalusia is generally best known for its coastal cities, beautiful beaches, and hilltop towns. However, this region in Southern Spain is also home to some of the country’s best-hidden gems, including Setenil de las Bodegas. Setenil de las Bodegas is a breathtaking town loved for its whitewashed houses, hilltop castles, and tower.
However, what makes the town special is where its houses are built. A large part of the town is constructed incredibly into a surrounding cliff. The town’s buildings sit under a massive rock face, a brilliant sight. Hilariously, it’s believed the locals built their houses into the rockface to avoid paying for new roofs. Walk around the village and visit the castle and Torreón del Homenaje Tower.
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Agüero, Huesca
While the residents in Agüero, northeastern Spain, didn’t decide to build their houses in a rock face, they still chose to set up base just in front of one. This charming village is only small, but it packs a punch. You’ll find pastel-colored traditional houses, two churches, and a small hotel here.
However, while the 12th-century Santiago Church is marvelous, the main draw is the enormous rock behind the village. Like something from a space movie, the Agüero backdrop is dominated by a vast 656-foot (200-meter) high rock formation. The rock is a fascinating sight because it has a unique appearance that almost resembles fingers from the ground.
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Portocolom, Mallorca
Places don’t have to be otherworldly, mysterious, or unusual to be surreal. Instead, some areas can be surreal just because their beauty is out-of-this-world. Portocolom, a small seaside resort in Mallorca, is a fine example. It’s easily one of the most serene and beautiful seaside resorts in Spain, if not Europe, so you must plan a trip.
Located in the southeast of the island, where nature is well-preserved, the Portocolom is the perfect destination for couples seeking a romantic escape. In the resort, you’ll find narrow streets lined with quaint cafes, shops, and restaurants and stunning rows of pastel-colored houses sitting right next to the water. You’ll also have easy access to Cala Marcal Beach, home to turquoise waters and soft white sand.
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Ronda, Andalusia
The following surreal destination on our list is Ronda in Southern Spain. Ronda is ideal if you’ve always dreamt of visiting a quiet and picturesque Spanish city packed with unique charm, serene landscapes, and history. Set majestically above a deep canyon, this city is famed for its countryside views, historic bridge, and beautiful Spanish houses.
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Ronda’s 15th-century new town is separated from its Old Town by a deep gorge called El Tajo. Brilliantly, though, the two areas are connected via Puente Nuevo, a tall stone bridge. This bridge offers some of the best views in the city. Other beautiful sights in Ronda include the Arab Baths Archaeological Site, Puerta de Almocábar, and the Bullring of the Royal Cavalry of Ronda.
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Anaga National Park, Tenerife
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Tenerife makes our list for a second time with the enchanting forests of Anaga National Park. Anaga National Park is a breathtaking destination, home to beautiful forests, fascinating wildlife, and charming rural settlements. The park covers 35,630 acres (14,419 hectares), so there’s much to see. You better put your hiking boots on for this one.
One of the best hiking trails in the national park is Sendero de los Sentidos. It features a mostly flat trail and a boardwalk, making it much easier to walk through the forest. However, what makes this trail so popular is its surroundings. Walking along the boardwalk, you’ll enter a fairy-tale forest surrounded by thick hedges and a tunnel of broad branching trees.
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Green Lake of El Golfo, Lanzarote
The Green Lake of El Golfo in Lanzarote might be the strangest, surreal place on our list. While most beaches in Spain are famed for their crystal-clear turquoise waters, soft sands, and coastal views, El Golfo Beach is better known for its quite bizarre bright green lake.
Also known as Lago de los Clicos, the lake is formed in the crater of an ancient volcano. It owes its nuclear-looking color to a type of algae that grows in it. Incredibly, the lake maintains its water level because it’s still connected underground to the ocean. Admittedly, there isn’t much to do at the lake, but admiring its fascinating color and volcanic surroundings is more than enough.
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The Pink Lake of Torrevieja, Costa Blanca
The Green Lake of El Golfo isn’t the only strangely colored lake in Spain. The Pink Lake of Torrevieja also has a surreal color. As you can probably guess, this lake is bright pink. The Pink Lake is split into two colorful salt lakes that hug the northwestern edge of a small seaside town along Spain’s Costa Blanca.
Together, these lakes form a nature reserve called Las Salinas de Torrevieja. They owe their mind-blowing color to bacteria and algae that live in the lakes. Usually, one lake is brighter than the other, featuring a more bubblegum pink color than a slightly green-tinted color. However, both lakes are impressive, especially if you can fly your drone over them.
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Zahara de los Atunes, Costa de la Luz
Upon first glance, the small seaside village of Zahara de los Atunes along Spain’s Costa de la Luz, in the Cádiz province, is like most coastal villages in Spain. It features long sandy beaches, emerald waters, and a charming village center with small cafes, bars, and restaurants. However, Zahara de los Atunes has a unique hidden gem.
You can see the African continent from the village’s main beach, Playa de Carmen. The weather will have to be on your side, but it’s possible to see North Africa from the European village on a clear day. As if that’s not enough, the village has 25 miles (40 kilometers) of coastline to explore and is close to Alcornocales Natural Park.
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Antequera Dolmens Site, Andalusia
The penultimate destination on our list is Antequera and its dolmens. Antequera is a lively city in southern Spain known for its serene landscape, beautiful architecture, and traditional Spanish charm. However, the city is most famous for its ancient burial mounds, better known as dolmens.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, these incredible prehistoric burial mounds are over 5,000 years old. They’re some of the world’s most impressive examples of megalithic architecture. The three main sites are Menga Dolmen, El Romeral Dolmen, and Viera Dolmen. Menga Dolmen is one of the largest megalithic tombs in Europe. It dates back to roughly 3700 BC and features 32 megaliths, the heaviest weighing over 180 tons (396,832 pounds).
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Nerja Caves, Nerja
The final surreal place on this list is the Nerja Caves, near the picturesque seaside town of the same name in the Malaga province. Known locally as Cuevas de Nerja, these vast caves are almost three miles (five kilometers) deep. Their unique landscape features thousands of sharp stalactites, giant caverns, and steep paths.
Not only are the caves an exciting place to explore, but they are often the scene for many local events and concerts. The story of how the caves were found is also fascinating. The caves were discovered in the 1950s by local schoolboys who decided to skip school. Picturing them going home and telling their parents the truth puts a smile on our faces.
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