{"id":85297,"date":"2025-05-08T18:33:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T18:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/85297\/"},"modified":"2025-05-08T18:33:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T18:33:11","slug":"these-are-the-best-destination-dupes-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/85297\/","title":{"rendered":"These Are the Best Destination Dupes in Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spain \u2014 which already ranks as the second-most popular destination globally (following France) on the World Tourism Barometer<\/a> from U.N. Tourism \u2014 set a new record last year. The country welcomed 94 million<\/a> international tourists in 2024, up from 83.5 million from 2023. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder why tourism accounts for more than 12% of the country\u2019s gross domestic product. Spain is tapas territory. Jamon heaven. A paradisiacal place of paella and patatas bravas. With everything from flamenco, football, sun and surf to art, architecture and cultural and historic heritage, Spain has something for everyone. <\/p>\n

While most tourists crowd the cobblestoned corners of cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla, or swarm sunny Spanish islands like Ibiza, Mallorca and Tenerife, there\u2019s a lot more to Spain than its already deluged destinations.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\"spaindestinationdupe\"La Palma in the Canary Islands is a great dupe for Spain\u2019s more popular islands.
Credit: 2025 engel.ac\/stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Here are a few attractive alternatives \u2014 destination dupes,<\/a> if you will \u2014 that offer clients the experiences they seek, sans the seas of people. <\/p>\n

Destination Dupes in Northern Spain\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Cantabria<\/b>
While the streets of San Sebastian and Bilbao in Basque Country are packed with people coming for the beautiful beaches and Michelin-starred restaurants (and the famous cheesecake at La Vina<\/a>), the northern region of Cantabria<\/a> offers the same renowned gastronomy and vivacious views without the same crowds.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Santander, for example, is a port city set along the Bay of Biscay that features the Cabo Mayor lighthouse and El Sardinero Beach \u2014 but Cantabria itself is home to 60 beaches, giving clients plenty of space to spread out. Visitors to the region can also explore its prehistoric caves \u2014 such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Altamira<\/a> (often called the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art) \u2014 and various monuments along the area’s Camino de Santiago<\/a> pilgrimage route. Farther inland, Picos de Europa National Park<\/a> offers nature enthusiasts a variety of reserves. <\/p>\n

Galicia
<\/b>West of Cantabria, there\u2019s the Galicia region, including its capital of Santiago de Compostela \u2014 the alleged burial place of Biblical apostle St. James, as well as the end of the well-trodden Camino de Santiago route. The streets of the capital\u2019s UNESCO-recognized Old Town<\/a> are filled with Romanesque, Renaissance, baroque, Gothic and neoclassical homes that hold secrets of the city’s storied history.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Destination Dupes in Southern Spain\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Andalucia<\/b>
The region of Andalucia<\/a> makes up all of southern Spain, famous for its year-round sunny skies and seafood. Cities such as Seville and Granada attract most of the international tourism to the area, along with other popular places like Malaga, Marbella and Tarifa. But all along the coast are hidden gems and historic havens, from Bolonia and Conil de la Frontera to Cadiz, the capital of the\u202fProvince of Cadiz. <\/p>\n

Bolonia, for example, is a small former fishing and farming village that hugs that coastline. There, clients will find Baelo Claudia, one of the region\u2019s most well-preserved Roman archaeological sites. Bolonia is also a popular windsurfing spot \u2014 which makes sense, given its proximity to Tarifa, which is primarily known as a destination for wind sports.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\"spainunderratedcities\"Conil de la Frontera\u2019s white-washed buildings
Credit: 2025 Patricia\/stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Conil de la Frontera, meanwhile, is more well-known for surfing. With white-washed villages and cliffs, coves and sandy beaches as far as the eye can see, the town attracts swell-seekers and van campers who come to the coast to soak in the Spanish sun. It\u2019s also not far from Cadiz, considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Old Town Cadiz spoils visitors for their choice of high-end restaurants and cervecerias alike that offer specialties such as regional red tuna, tapas and gazpacho. <\/p>\n

Destination Dupes on the East Coast <\/p>\n

Comunitat Valenciana
<\/b>Swap the bustling international city of Barcelona on Spain\u2019s eastern coast for Valencia,<\/a> located about 4 hours south by car. Nestled in the region of Comunitat Valenciana (Valencian Community), Valencia features the 13th-century Valencia Cathedral and La Capilla del Santo Caliz (Chapel of the Chalice), which houses the \u201cHoly Grail\u201d \u2014 a chalice (and Vatican-recognized relic) that is believed to have been used by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper. The cathedral\u2019s museum also houses famous artwork by Maella and Goya, and visitors would be remiss not to climb the Gothic-style El Miguelete tower for expansive views of the city.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Located in the Barrio del Carmen district in the historic city center, where thousands of years of history come alive, the Church of San Nicolas de Bari and San Pedro Martir\u202f\u2014 considered the Valencian Sistine Chapel \u2014 is also a must-see. For a more modern experience, the Ruzafa<\/a> neighborhood is flocked with beautiful bakeries and buzzing bars, cozy cafes and crawling clubs, and vintage stores and vinyl shops. And Valencia\u2019s beaches are just a short bus ride away from the city center, where visitors will find tons more dining and nightlife. <\/p>\n

Alicante is another can\u2019t-go-wrong option in Comunitat Valenciana. The city\u2019s picturesque coastline is peppered with ports and historic landmarks such as the Santa Barbara Castle. The steep climb to the castle is worth the sweeping views of the Mediterranean coast, but for different views, there are tons of craggy cliffs to explore\u202f\u2014 both outside and inside. The Canelobre Caves, for example, are teeming with tons of speleothems (geological formations\u202fmade by\u202fmineral\u202fdeposits, such as stalactites and stalagmites). It\u2019s no wonder Alicante is considered a climber\u2019s paradise. <\/p>\n

Central Spain Destination Dupes\u00a0<\/p>\n

Castilla\u2013La Mancha
<\/b>Most visitors to Central Spain head to Madrid, a major museum city and home to the famous football team, Real Madrid. But there are other destinations to discover in central Spain outside of the Comunidad de Madrid region. For example, Toledo is a tiny town \u2014 and another UNESCO World Heritage Site \u2014 in the region of Castilla\u2013La Mancha. Toledo is recognized as \u201cthe city of three cultures,\u201d with a mix of Muslim, Christian and Jewish heritage. Clients will come across medieval Arab, Christian and Jewish monuments inside the walled city, just through the Moorish Bisagra Gate that opens into the old quarter.<\/p>\n

\"spaintravel\"Toledo is called “the city of three cultures.”
Credit: 2025 dudlajzov\/stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Castile-Leon
<\/b>Nearby in the region of Castile-Leon is Avila, known for its well-preserved city walls and the Romanesque Basilica of San Vicente. For a bit of a bigger city experience, Salamanca is home to the Universidad de Salamanca, one of the oldest universities in Europe and one of the first in the world to accept female students. And Segovia is known for its Romanesque churches and the ancient Roman aqueduct of 160 arches. <\/p>\n

Spanish Island Destination Dupes <\/p>\n

Canary Islands\u00a0
<\/b>Instead of Spain\u2019s party islands \u2014 such as the Balearic Islands of Ibiza or Mallorca, full of high-end resorts, luxury shops and world-renowned nightlife \u2014check out the quieter Canary Islands, which float just off the west coast of Africa. While Tenerife and Gran Canaria are already well-known amongst expats and digital nomads, in particular, the islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma or even El Hierro have plenty to offer without plenty of people around. <\/p>\n

Lanzarote, for example, is known for its volcanic landscapes and Timanfaya National Park, while Fuerteventura is characterized by white-sand beaches that beckon kitesurfers and windsurfers. While La Palma is lesser known, it is known as \u201cthe beautiful island\u201d thanks to its lush green forests and seemingly ceaseless hiking trails. Meanwhile, El Hierro is the smallest of the Canary Islands (and one of the least-frequented bits of the bunch), but it\u2019s a go-to for divers and travelers interested in eco-tourism. Travelers will find all the same sun-swathed beaches without tripping over a grid of towels or maze of umbrellas. And they\u2019ll get a greater diversity of nature thanks to the kaleidoscopic combination of verdant forests, volcanoes and black beaches. \u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Spain \u2014 which already ranks as the second-most popular destination globally (following France) on the World Tourism Barometer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85298,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[12255,2000,299,126,24565,24566,182,104,41040,18889,17669],"class_list":{"0":"post-85297","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-andalusia","9":"tag-eu","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-features","12":"tag-home-top-carousel","13":"tag-landing-top-carousel","14":"tag-social-media","15":"tag-spain","16":"tag-the-canary-islands","17":"tag-travel-guide","18":"tag-western-europe"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114473651772436912","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85297\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}