![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SEI_269360371-c011.jpg\")
\n\t\tMany of the \u2018white villages\u2019 of Andalucia have become ghost towns (Picture: Shutterstock \/ siete_vidas)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tMany of the \u2018white villages\u2019 of Andalucia have become ghost towns (Picture: Shutterstock \/ siete_vidas)<\/p>\n
Ravaged by civil war and abandoned after failed investments, many of Andalucia\u2019s most beautiful pueblos blancos have become ghost towns.<\/p>\n
The famed white hilltop villages are one of the best reasons to visit this part of southern Spain<\/a>, but in recent years, they\u2019ve struggled, as younger generations move to cities and beach resorts in search of better lives.<\/p>\n For every Nerja<\/a> and Estepona<\/a>, where geraniums bloom over the whitewashed walls of booked-out Airbnbs, there\u2019s a shuttered settlement that sees just a handful of tourists<\/a> each summer.<\/p>\n For every Ronda<\/a> and Frigiliana, where squares heave and sangria sells out, there\u2019s a deserted town centre with boarded-up shops. Houses are empty; the fabric of community long since frayed.<\/p>\n But, as Italy\u2019s \u20ac1 housing scheme<\/a> and Extremadura\u2019s \u20ac15,000 digital nomad grants<\/a> prove, things can be done to draw tourists back to forgotten regions.<\/p>\n An accidental adventure<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/p>\n Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n When Ian Rutter and Andrew Watson packed their bags and moved to Andalucia, they thought they were embarking on a year of adventure away from the UK after the 2016 Brexit referendum<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018We were fed up in London and just felt like a break, but almost as soon as we got here, we knew we wouldn\u2019t go back,\u2019 Ian tells Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The couple found a new home in Mocl\u00edn, a hillside village about 30 minutes\u2019 drive from Granada, with views of the snow-topped mountains of Sierra Nevada.<\/p>\n \t\t Andrew recalls that the village had an \u2018amazing feel\u2019 to it, but Mocl\u00edn was having a tough time. <\/p>\n Many holidaymakers with second homes had not returned after Brexit, and older residents were fighting a losing war of attrition.<\/p>\n In 2010, a census found 4,237\u00a0people were living in Mocl\u00edn. Last year, there were 3,529.<\/p>\n \u2018In rural Spain, unless you\u2019re in construction or agriculture, there\u2019s very little work,\u2019 says Ian. <\/p>\n \u2018Young people go to the cities, to Malaga<\/a>, Barcelona<\/a>, Madrid<\/a>, for university and then to find jobs. More often than not, they don\u2019t come back.<\/p>\n \u2018What you find is a real apathy, a loss of confidence, and a loss of belief. People become resigned to the idea that the children will leave and the grandparents will die. It\u2019s a unique sort of despair, and it\u2019s very difficult to get out of that.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t They are full of fascinating history, magnificent architecture, and an abundance of culture, but without help, many of these villages could soon disappear.<\/p>\n The \u2018real\u2019 Spain<\/p>\n Determined to breathe new life into their adopted home, Ian and Andrew founded Granada Cultural Holidays<\/a>, a travel agency that offers immersive experiences showcasing the authentic side of Andalucia.<\/p>\n They opened a small B&B and Casa Alamanda Mocl\u00edn<\/a>, a larger tourist townhouse that was renovated by Alan Carr <\/a>and Amanda Holden<\/a> on BBC One\u2019s Amanda & Alan\u2019s Spanish Job<\/a> in 2024.<\/p>\n After the show aired, tourists from the UK flooded in.<\/p>\n \u2018They are staying in the village, and buying food and drink here. I think it\u2019s been a great step forward for Mocl\u00edn\u2019s social life,\u2019 Mario Costela Mart\u00edn, the owner of Bar La Plaza, says.<\/p>\n Fellow local bar owner, Mari Cruz Roman Costela, agrees: \u2018[The show has given] a lot of visibility to the rest of the world, especially in the United Kingdom, and we\u2019ve noticed an increase in the number of foreigners visiting us over the last year.\u2019<\/p>\n Ian and Andrew were conscious that they wanted to show the utmost respect to Mocl\u00edn, and bring its inhabitants along every step of the way.<\/p>\n To create genuinely authentic experiences, they involved locals in organising everything from fiestas and flamenco lessons to traditional cookery courses and mosaic-making.<\/p>\n Ian taught English at the village\u2019s Women\u2019s Association, a fast track to making friends and getting involved in the community, and both he and Andrew learned Spanish.<\/p>\n \u2018English is not spoken here, so you have to be prepared for that. But it\u2019s the best thing we\u2019ve ever done,\u2019 says Ian.<\/p>\n \t\t Andrew adds: \u2018Here, you\u2019re trying the local food, the local wine, the local olive oil. You\u2019re not going to find that in a tourist restaurant on the coast. <\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s something a lot of people are missing out on. If you really want Spain, you have to go inland.\u2019<\/p>\n The story of pueblos blancos<\/p>\n The \u2018white towns\u2019 of Andalusia are a series of whitewashed towns and villages in the northern part of the provinces of C\u00e1diz and M\u00e1laga in southern Spain, mostly within the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park.<\/p>\n Known for their beautiful architecture, these settlements were built to defend communities against invaders during centuries of conflict.<\/p>\n Historians say the town\u2019s distinctive colour was created with cal, a sort of whitewash from slaked lime that helped to keep homes cool in the searing Andalusian summer.<\/p>\n \t\t Today, after decades of depopulation, most are home to just a few thousand people, but the villages remain a point of great cultural pride.<\/p>\n Traditional production of Andalusian whitewash was awarded UNESCO status<\/a>\u00a0in 2011, and the\u00a0Museo de Cal de Mor\u00f3n<\/a>, southwest of\u00a0Seville,\u00a0demonstrates the artisanal process for visitors.<\/p>\n The best way to explore the region is on a road trip, navigating winding roads that reveal how traditional ways of life endure here.<\/p>\n Start with well-known coastal spots such as Nerja or Estepona, then travel inland to Ronda, Arcos de la Frontera, Casares (and of course, Mocl\u00edn).<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tThe 5 best lesser-known Spanish destinations tourists often miss\t\t\t<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s battle against\u00a0overtourism<\/a>\u00a0has been making headlines for years, with its popular cities and towns struggling to manage the influx of visitors\u00a0overwhelming local communities<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last year,\u00a0Barcelona\u00a0locals resorted to\u00a0using water guns<\/a>\u00a0to deter rowdy tourists, while in\u00a0Madrid\u00a0locals protested over rising rent prices, which many attributed to overtourism.\u00a0<\/p>\n Serious\u2019 tourism rules<\/a>\u00a0have been introduced to reduce the strain on residents, including restrictions on public drinking, partying, and the use of short-term rental services like Airbnb.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most recently, Mallorca residents have written an open letter to tourists, urging them not to come to the island<\/a>, as they \u2018face the worst summer in the history of Mallorca\u2019.<\/p>\n But despite the deluge of visitors in popular areas,\u00a0some regions of Spain remain relatively untouched<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you want to avoid the crowds,\u00a0Metro\u00a0<\/strong>has rounded up five lesser-known destinations to visit instead<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SEI_269363392-f7d2.jpg\")
\n\t\tMocl\u00edn, a hillside village about 30 minutes\u2019 drive from Granada (Picture: Metro)<\/p>\n![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SEI_269360377-4f1d.jpg\")
\n\t\tIn 2010, a census found 4,237\u00a0people were living in Mocl\u00edn; last year, there were 3,529 (Picture: Shutterstock \/ Antonio Ciero Rei)<\/p>\n![\"Ian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2f556230-81d7-43d1-b85e-cd868a5a14a8-700d-e1759837925779.jpg\")
\n\t\tIan Rutter and Andrew Watson moved to inland Spain and haven\u2019t looked back (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Exterior_01-1636.jpg\")
\n\t\tIan and Andrew\u2019s townhouse (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n
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