Creative Commons licensePhoto by flickr user gigile

As you climb inland from the coast you enter the real Spain - a land of fighting bulls, flamenco and fiesta. Here the landscape dramatically changes around every corner, where white villages cling to the hillsides and vultures soar overhead. This is somewhere to come and escape, to relax and be pampered, to enjoy the beauty of the countryside and its wide, sweeping skies. You can choose from cosy, family-run B&Bs or more sophisticated boutique country hotels. Spend your time walking or horse riding, or just chill by the pool. The food and wines are always sourced locally, and wherever possible home-grown or organic. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.

Written by Tristam Templer