Spain’s beautiful architecture and nature take on a whole new look when the ‘nieve’ (snow) starts to fall during the chilly winter months. These are the places which are transformed into winter wonderlands and are definitely worth visiting.
Yegen, Granada
The village of Yegen lies within the Alpujarras in Andalusia’s province of Granada. It sits on the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada and the tallest mountain in mainland Spain – Mulhacén. The village was once home to the British writer Gerald Brenan in the 1920s, who wrote the book South from Granada. When it snows here, the white seems to blend in to the snowcapped mountainous backdrop.
The village of Yegen is close to the Sierra Nevada. Photo: GRGO / Wikimedia Commons
Cerler, Huesca
Cerler is the highest village in the Aragonese Pyrenees at 1,540 metres above sea level. Set right in the middle of the mountain slopes themselves, it’s home to the Aramon ski resort with 79 kilometres of skiable terrain. The white snow-topped roofs here contrast beautifully with the dark stone of the architecture.
The village of Cerler is is the highest resort in the Aragonese Pyrenees. Photo: Patantxa / WikiCommons
Advertisement
Bagergue, Lleida
Bagergue lies within the municipality of Naut Aran in Catalonia’s Val d’Aran area of the Pyrenees. The highest municipality in the area, it’s situated at 1419 metres, so can often be found under a blanket of the white stuff. It’s known for its traditional architecture Pyrenean architecture and 13th-century church of Sant Feliu.
The village of Bagergue lies in the Val d’Aran area of the Pyrenees. Photo: Alberto-g-rovi / Wikimedia Commons
Advertisement
Taüll, Lleida
The delightful Pyrenean village of Taüll is located in the Vall de Boí valley, just south of Catalonia’s only national park – Aigüestortes y Estany de Sant Maurici. The village, along with a few others in the valley has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its unique Romanesque churches. The one in Taüll looks particularly impressive sprinkled in snow flakes.
Taüll is famed for its Romanesque architecture, which looks even better in the snow. Photo: Foto de Manuel Torres Garcia / Pexels
Arties, Lleida
Arties is another village found in Catalonia’s Val d’Aran area and is just 7km from the Baqueira-Beret ski station, one of the best in Spain. It was named as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain in 2023 and it’s easy to see why with its castle-like Parador hotel punctuating the skyline and its triangular almost Swiss-looking chalets.
The village of Arties in the Pyrenees is home to one of Spain’s Parador hotels. Source: Paradores / WikiCommons
Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha
It doesn’t often snow in Spain’s cities, but when it does these elegant places look even more spectacular. One of the cities that looks especially good with a sparkle of white is Toledo, the capital of Castilla-La Mancha and the ancient capital of the Visigothic Kingdom. One of the last times the city was covered in a lot of snow was during storm Filomena in 2021.
The city of Toledo looks enchanting in the snow. Photo: Pxhere
Burgos, Castilla y León
Burgos is another great Spanish city that looks like it’s stepped out of the pages of a storybook when it snows. This is one of the snowiest cities in Spain, located at high altitude with Castilla y León. Other nearby cities that could see snow are Soria, Ávila and León.
The city of Burgos is one of the snowiest in Spain. Photo: Dieglop / WikiCommons
Mount Teide, Tenerife
Teide is Spain’s highest mountain at 3,718 metres, so it’s not surprising that in winter it’s often covered in snow. It’s located on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands and even when it’s warm enough for the beach on the rest of the island, it can still be pretty cold up here.
The village of Santiago del Teiede lies near the base of Spain’s tallest mountain. Photo: Irenexpo99 / WikiCommons
Valledemosa, Mallorca
People go to the Balearic Island of Mallorca for sea, sun and sand, so it’s definitely not the first place that comes to mind when thinking of Spain in the snow. The village of Valldemossa, however, sits within the Tramuntana mountain range 1,436 metres above sea level. Valldemossa is in fact one of the most picturesque villages on the island at any time of year, but particularly when it snows. Surprisingly, it’s not that rare for it to snow up here.
The mountain village of Valldemossa covered in snow. Photo: JAIME REINA / AFP
