Despite being named by locals as 2018's "most beautiful town in Spain", Albarracín remains relatively untouched by tourism. Teetering on a rocky promontory carved out by the winding Guadalaviar River, this medieval settlement is blanketed in history - the Museo de Albarracín, set inside the town's former hospital, makes a great starting point for curious travellers. Alternatively, head to the nearby pine forests of Rodeno, in which hiking trails afford vistas of across Albarracín's gypsum-tinted buildings.

Setenil's 3,000 residents live under a rock - no pun intended. Burrowed beneath the cliffs of the Río Trejo, the town's cave houses provide shade during hot summer days and trap heat in winter. Originally occupied by 15th-century Moorish residents, many of these dwellings have now been transformed into some of Cádiz's best restaurants and bars, serving the olive oil, almonds, chorizo and pastries for which the town is famed. Setenil makes a perfect day-trip destination from the nearby city of Ronda, a 30-minute drive away.

Whitewashed villages framed by rolling countryside are an emblem of Andalusia, and Frigiliana is among the region's best-kept. Found in east Malaga, this mountainside enclave is a tangle of alleyways and Moorish-Mudéjar architecture. Explore the ninth-century Castillo de Lízar before stopping by Vinos el Lagar for a glass of muscatel and local tapas. The Festival de Las Tres Culturas is a highlight of the local calendar - come in August to experience this village-wide celebration of Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions.

The cobalt waters of this bohemian port town have inspired the likes of Matisse and Picasso, though it's Salvador Dalí who put Cadaqués on the map - the surrealist spent holidays here and lived in nearby Port Lligat. A happy marriage of nature and culture, this slice of the Costa Brava is best enjoyed out of high season, when the population increases tenfold. Meander among Cuban-inspired houses to the Dalí Museum-House or the Església de Santa María, get stuck into local culture at the travelling Monday market or explore the Cap de Creus Natural Park.

Built on a rocky headland, this fortified fisherman's village is nicknamed the "Gibraltar of Valencia". If you thought it looked familiar, you wouldn't be wrong. The Plaza Santa María, Castillo de Peñíscola and the Parque de la Artillería set the scene for Meereen in the Game of Thrones. While visitors don't have to contend with dragons today, they can visit the hilltop fortifications for 360-degree views and enjoy a long, leisurely walk along the Paseo Marítimo promenade to neighbouring Benicarló.

An hour-long scenic train ride from Palma, Sóller is surrounded by Edenic woodland, mountains and sea, making it a tranquil base from which to explore Mallorca. You can breathe deeply here; the ocean breeze is tinged with the aroma of orange blossom thanks to the region's abundant citrus groves. Sóller life revolves around the Plaça Constitució, from where you can catch the heritage Tranvía de Sóller tram to the main station which doubles up as a museum dedicated to Picasso and Miró.

Santillana del Mar is known as "The Town of Three Lies"; it is neither holy (santi), flat (llana) nor by the sea (del mar). The use of cars is limited here, meaning you can wander the cobbled streets overhung with flower-strewn balconies in relative peace. Among Santillana's must-sees is the Cave of Altamira - a Unesco World Heritage Site and the so-called "Sistine Chapel of cave art - which contains paleolithic paintings that date back over 36,000 years.

Take the hour's drive north of Girona to Besalú and you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stepped into a fairy tale. Straddling the Fluvià river, its 12th-century Romanesque bridge gives way to arcaded streets that congregate around the Plaça de la Llibertat. Vestiges of the town's Jewish past can be seen in its restored mikveh (an 11th-century bathhouse) and the remains of a medieval synagogue. The Museum of Miniatures and Microminiatures makes for an unlikely but eye-opening pitstop - literally, some of the models are so small that they must be viewed with a microscope.

A fisherman's refuge, San Vicente de la Barquera is among the most picturesque spots on the Cantabrian coast. It's hemmed by magnificent beaches - try Fuentes, Primera de San Vicente or Merón - an estuary, the Oyambre Natural Park and the snow-capped Picos de Europa mountains. Attractions include the 13th-century church of Santa María de los Ángeles and the Puente de la Maza, a low-slung bridge with 28 arches. Seafood is spectacular here - try sorropotún, a stew prepared with tuna and potatoes.