Whether for their medieval streets, quiet squares or natural landscapes, many Spanish towns boast a special charmthat wins over all who visit them. To highlight them, the Institute for Local Development(IDL) has made a list of villages that could be the ideal setting for a fantasy film. And the best part: it has created a magical passportto get discounts every time we pass through them.
Villages with the category of ‘magical’
The IDL’s map of magical villages aims to promote tourism development in rural areas of Spain by publicizing the heritage, nature, gastronomy and traditions of places rarely visited on the peninsula.
Luckily for Madrileños, some of the towns on the list are less than an hour and a half from the capital. The closest to the city is Loeches, a thirty-minute drive from the center. Its 17th-century monuments and vibrant medieval past are more than enough excuses to plan a getaway any weekend.
National Heritage considers the legacy of Loeches as Bien de Interés Cultural. Some monuments where you can learn about its history are the Pantheon of the Dukes of Alba; the Crypt of the Olivares family; the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Monastery San Ignacio Mártir.
Editorial credit: Ayuntamiento de Loeches.
Among other places near Madrid that IDL has included in its selection are the Toledo towns Yepes and Escalona; El Tiemblo and La Adrada de Ávila; Miraflores de la Sierra; Brihuega, the Guadalajara town of lavender fields and the Segovian town of Turégano with its impressive castle.
In addition, IDL has created 18 routes to get to know essential places on the peninsula. The number 16, Great route of magical cities and villas of the ancient kingdoms (from Viso del Marqués to Cangas de Onís), passes through Toledo and the Community of Madrid.
How to get the magic passport?
The passport is available for free through the app Pueblos Mágicos de España or in the places that IDL has included in its map if we prefer it in physical form. Every time we pass through one of the selected localities, we must go to a tourist office to have our document stamped, and thus leave proof that we have been in a magical town. The more stamps, the more discounts on tickets to monuments, museums and cultural centers for the next trip. It’s as simple as that.
With the passport we can also get exclusive gifts every quarter, which are announced on the Instagram and Facebook accounts of the Asociación de Pueblos Mágicos, so you’ll have to keep an eye on social networks.
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