YOU’VE heard of the ‘most beautiful towns in Spain’ list, but now there’s a new way to rank the incredible collection of hilltop white villages dotted around the country – by how high above sea level they are.
Spain’s cliff-hanging enclaves hark back to the times of medieval conquest and even Roman occupation when they were built strategically on summits to command the best view of enemy invasions.
However as populations continue to move to the cities and coastlines, these historic marvels are coming under threat.
While some have benefited from nearby ski resorts, others are facing extinction with populations as low as 41.
Below we have rounded up a guide to some of the loftiest villages from around the country which you should visit while you have the chance.
Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.
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