4 underrated cities in Spain that offer smaller crowds and 70-degree temperatures this spring

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With tourism at this level, though, it’s not like you haven’t been warned: if you head to the touristy side of Spain this year, you can’t exactly be mad at the crowds, let alone the spike in hotel and restaurant prices.unless you’re smart Where you go.

Places like Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Mallorca and Seville are busier than ever before, but these five lesser-known Spanish spots continue to fly under the radar, and watered-down $15 sangrias are nowhere to be found.

Oh, and guess what, if you’re visiting this spring, you can put your winter coat out of commission:

Murcia

A much overlooked gem in the south of Spain, only about 50 kilometers inland from the coast of Spain Costa CalidaMurcia boasts one of the hottest microclimates anywhere in the Mediterranean, with scorching hot summers and terribly mild winters.

It’s only January and daily highs are already reaching 65°F. From the end of March you can expect Murcia to reach a comfortably warm temperature of 22°C.

As for the city itself, it is a multi-layered open-air museum with Roman, Moorish and Christian influences. Murcia Cathedral is the centerpiece of the cathedral monumental historic centerwith a lavish Baroque facade and main structure dating from the 12th century.

In terms of gastronomy, make sure you include a no-nonsense, locally frequented restaurant Bocana de Palos on your restaurant wishlist. They are best known for their… calderoa rich fish dish that is Murcia’s signature creation.

Water temperatures are certainly not summer high in April, but if you find 20°C tolerable, the iconic beaches of La Manga, a narrow spit of land between the Mar Menor, a saltwater lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea, are about an hour’s drive southeast of Murcia.

Elche

In the Valencian heart of Spain, Elche is a vibrant university city, blessed with a rich history, a subtropical climate and an abundance of tapas bars dishing out all your favorite Iberian delicacies and silky smooth tinto de verano.

With temperatures here reaching an impressive 22°C as early as mid-March, it’s no wonder Elche is flooded with Brits and Germans looking to escape the winter blues. It is especially famous for its palmerala vast urban park covered with more than 200,000 palm trees and indelible Moorish heritage.

If you’re not sure what that means, the Moors were the Muslim rulers of Spain from the early Middle Ages until the Age of Discovery. Yes, the Spain of devout, devout Christians was once divided and conquered by a number of Islamic caliphates… because about eight centuries.

The park itself is built over Muslim-era irrigation canals that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and on the hill that rises above the town is the imposing Altamira Castle, which offers a breathtaking panorama of the Mediterranean, another textbook example of Moorish architecture.

Ceuta

Speaking of the Moors, you probably didn’t know that when the Christians regained control of Spain, they pushed their Muslim rivals back into North Africa and even claimed swaths of land along the coast for themselves.

Ceuta is a Spanish city on the coast of Morocco. Located in Africa, and fenced off from Morocco by imposing barbed wire fences, and although it is firmly entrenched in another continent it feels like an average Iberian port city:

Imagine large squares flanked by newspaper kiosks and few Mercadosornate churches that defy the Islamic hegemony of the wider region, and an impressive coastal fortress, complete with ramparts and drawbridges that have protected Ceuta from invaders for centuries.

Needless to say, with all the sporadic Heat waves coming from the SaharaCeuta is far from experiencing seasonal changes like the rest of the country. In spring it can be as high as 23°C: perfect if you plan to explore the exclave’s Mediterranean coves and lush hiking trails.

It is without a doubt one of the most unique places you can visit in Spain, and only a short 1-hour ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Cadiz

Listen, everyone is always talking about Seville and Malaga, the two biggest hotspots in the southern region of Andalusia, and as beautiful as they are, if you ask us, that pristine andaluz charm you are looking for is not in either.

Instead, head to the much more unusual Cádiz, on the southeastern edge of Andalusia: one of the oldest cities in Western Europe, founded by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC, and since ruled by Romans, Visigoths, Moors and every major empire in between.

It’s no surprise that the cityscape is particularly diverse, with a partially excavated Roman theater, characterized by its preserved tiered seating, right in the core of the old city, a now leveled 8th-century mosque later converted into the current cathedral, and many more ancient gems.

You are probably aware at this point that Andalusia is the warmest region in Europeand we’re not kidding you, there’s no better time to visit Cádiz and its sandy La Caleta beach than the end of April, when the weather is 22°C and short, but you’re not panting and desperate for the nearest air conditioning.

A note about safety

Spain is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in Europe, with violent crime exceptionally rare. The biggest risk for tourists is simply petty theft in the big cities. However, government advice does not always reflect the current atmosphere.

To give you the most accurate, up-to-date picture, we rely on the Safety index for travelers. This tool uses real-time reports from fellow travelers to gauge how safe the country currently feels.

Been recently? Cast your vote below.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior head writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60 countries to his name (and is currently weaving stories from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.