A Tiny Village Called One Of Spain's Most Beautiful Is A Scenic Gem With Charming Medieval Cobbled Streets

As a country, Spain is hardly lacking in small, beautiful villages scattered across its many diverse regions. Just look at Andalucia, where there's a whole route of beautiful white hill towns to explore. While Andalucia remains "steeped in the soul of Spain," per travel expert Rick Steves, villages like these are typically flocked to by legions of day-trippers who come by bus or train from the nearest city or beach resort, and the traditional look and feel of these towns are often commodified as gift shops and hotels take the place of local businesses. You'll still find architecture representing the epochs of Spanish history, but you might have to jostle for space to get your selfies if you're visiting some of the most popular villages, like the fairytale city of Segovia near Madrid.

If you prefer to take your vacations off the beaten path, plan to stay in a village like Mirambel. Located in a hard-to-reach corner of the little-visited region of Aragon, this is one of the most charming villages you can find in Spain. With unique monuments that hail from its medieval past, there's a reason why Mirambel is often referred to as "a jewel within the walls."

Mirambel received widespread recognition in the 1980s when it was awarded the Europa Nostra prize, presented by the Queen of Spain for the successful restoration efforts that brought the village back to its former glory. The village's most famous site is the Portal de las Monjas, or "Nun's Gate," which is an icon of the city with its lattice-style design of the clay windows. You can step inside the Convento de las Monjas Agustinas next door to admire the Gothic architecture in the cloisters and imagine the religious sisters who once roamed the halls. Or, read up on the history of the First Carlist Wars of the 19th century, during which the convent played a role as a political headquarters.

From here, you can wander the small town, protected by a 14th-century medieval wall, and lose yourself in its quiet streets, where you are likely to stumble upon other historic preserved sites such as the Iglesia Santa Margarita, a 17th-century church, or the ruins of the 13th-century castle. The tangible history of Mirambel should encourage you to also explore outside the town's walls, setting your sights on the nearby hermitages of San Roque, which were built to honor the town's freedom from the plague, and San Martín, which is a popular pilgrimage destination for locals.

Like the hidden gem of Albarracin, Mirambel is located in the province of Aragon, which is not the easiest region to travel to or around by public transportation. If you have a car, you can drive there in 2.5 hours from Valencia or roughly 3.5 hours from Barcelona. However, if you don't have your own transportation, you'll have to first find your way to the city of Teruel by a two-hour bus or train from Valencia and then catch a 3.5-hour bus to Mirambel. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, a road trip is the best way to approach a trip to Mirambel, either for the day or as part of a wider itinerary.

You won't find any hotels in the village, but you can find some nearby, like the four-star Hotel Spa Balfagon, which is located in a central area that allows you to explore more of the Maestrazgo region. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg of luxury hotels; if you're willing to drive a little bit further, about 40 miles from Mirambel, you can book a night at the five-star Torre del Marqués Hotel Spa & Winery, one of the elite hotels in the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Collection. Here you can combine elements of a spa and winery vacation to pair with your historic visit to Mirambel.