12 Unusual Places and Traditions to Explore in Spain
Explore unusual landscapes, museums, villages, and traditions across Spain. Check official local information before travelling because access, schedules, and festival programs can change.
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Things to SeeThe Witch Museum: Museo de las BrujasTowns built into the mountainsCuevas de ArtàThings to DoUnusual Festival TraditionsConclusionSpain offers striking landscapes, layered history, distinctive villages, and many regional traditions. Some of the places and events below are far from the most familiar tourist routes.
Here are eight unusual places to see and four traditions or festivals to learn about.
The guide is divided into places to visit and traditions or festivals.
Things to See
Whether you’re looking for history, nature, or just weird things to see and experience, Spain has no shortage of fun, random, and completely unexpected things to add to your list of places to visit.
Mars on Earth: The Río Tinto Mining Area
Where: Huelva Province, Andalusia, Spain
Río Tinto means “red river.” Dissolved iron gives the river and parts of the surrounding mining landscape their striking red and ochre colors, which have led to comparisons with Mars.
Mining along the Río Tinto has a history of roughly five thousand years. Copper, gold, silver, and other minerals have been extracted in the region, but the site did not “cause” the Copper or Iron Age.
The river’s highly acidic, iron-rich environment supports microorganisms adapted to extreme conditions. Astrobiologists have studied the area as a possible analogue for early, wet, acidic environments on Mars. Visit only designated areas and follow local guidance around active or historic mining sites.
Prehistoric Art: The Cave of Altamira
Where: Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, Spain
If you’re interested in ancient history–and I mean ancient history–this place is right up your alley!
Altamira became central to the study of prehistoric art after Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola published the cave’s paintings in 1880. Many scholars initially rejected their prehistoric origin, but later discoveries confirmed that Upper Palaeolithic people had created sophisticated cave art.
The cave contains bison, deer, handprints, and other images produced across different periods of the Upper Palaeolithic, with some art substantially older than 18,000 years.
Access to the original cave is tightly restricted for conservation. The nearby Altamira Museum contains the Neocave, a detailed full-size reconstruction of the best-known painted chamber.
Europe’s Desert Landscape: Tabernas
Where: Almería, Andalusia, Spain
The protected Tabernas landscape in Almería is widely described by regional authorities as Europe’s only true desert area. Its badlands, ravines, sparse vegetation, and low rainfall create a landscape unlike most of the continent.
The area has served as a film location since the mid-twentieth century, especially for westerns. Use marked trails or an authorized guide: motor vehicles are restricted outside permitted routes in the protected landscape.
The Witch Museum: Museo de las Brujas
Where: Zugarramurdi, Navarra, Spain
If you’re into mysterious history and legends of the occult, this place is just right for you! The history of Zugarramurdi is a complex one. The village is closely associated with the Basque witch trials of 1609–1610, one of the best-known episodes in the history of witch persecution in Spain.
The Witch Museum is located in an old hospital (that’s not creepy at all…). The museum examines local life, legends, and the persecution surrounding the trials during the Spanish Inquisition. Its exhibits place the accusations in their social and historical context.
The displays also explore traditional beliefs, herbal knowledge, myths, and later ideas associated with witchcraft.
Towns built into the mountains
If dark history and outer-space type landscapes aren’t what you’re into, maybe something a little more natural and awe-inspiring is what you’re looking for. Don’t fret! Spain has that, too.
Spain has many villages shaped by cliffs, caves, and steep terrain. The next two places are known for how their buildings and streets fit into the surrounding rock.
Margalef
Where: Margalef de Montsant, Catalonia, Spain
Margalef is internationally known for sport climbing, with hundreds of routes in the surrounding limestone. Route availability and access rules can change, so climbers should consult current local guidance. The compact village and its rugged setting also appeal to hikers and visitors interested in the Montsant area.
Setenil de las Bodegas
Where: Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain
Built along a river gorge, this small town makes a big impact. With houses built into the stone walls of the gorge and a castle that dates back to the 12th Century, this little village is sure to draw you in.
And, being famous for its meats and pastries, you definitely won’t go hungry as you explore the winding streets.
Josep Pujiula’s Labyrinth and Cabins
Where: Argelaguer, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
For decades, self-taught builder Josep Pujiula i Vila created and rebuilt an extraordinary environment of wooden towers, cabins, tunnels, sculptures, and labyrinths near Argelaguer.
Authorities required major wooden sections to be dismantled more than once. Pujiula died in 2016, and the surviving site is remembered as the Parc d’en Garrell; parts of his work received local cultural-heritage recognition. Check local access information before visiting.
Cuevas de Artà
Where: Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain
This is yet another example of the wonderfully varied Spanish landscape. The Cuevas de Artà, near Canyamel in the municipality of Capdepera, contain large limestone chambers and dramatic rock formations.
The caves are visited on scheduled guided tours lasting about 35–40 minutes. Check the official site for current languages, hours, and accessibility details.
Things to Do
Spain’s regional calendars include many religious, historical, and seasonal festivals. Programs and participation rules vary, so verify dates and local guidance before attending.
Everyone knows about San Fermín (the running of the bulls in Pamplona) and Tomatina (the tomato throwing festival in Buñol), but those aren’t the only festivities worthy of notice. Read on to find a few other strange celebrations that take place in Spain.
The Muixeranga of Algemesí
Where: Algemesí, Valencia, Spain
On September 7 and 8, Algemesí celebrates the Festes de la Mare de Déu de la Salut, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
The processions include the Muixeranga, a traditional performance combining music, dance, and human towers. It is one part of a larger festival rather than a separate “Human Pyramid Festival.”
The correct term here is muixeranga. It is related to, but distinct from, the Catalan tradition of castells and their participants, known as castellers.
Unusual Festival Traditions
The Tomatina (mentioned before) is probably one of the most world-famous throwing festivals ever. However, tomatoes aren’t the only thing that gets thrown around in Spain. There is a decent-sized list, actually, of different throwing parties that take place year-round. Below are three traditions that involve participants getting covered with wine, paint, flour, or—in Laza—ants. Observe local rules and consider safety, consent, and animal welfare before participating.
Batalla del Vino
Where: Haro, La Rioja, Spain
La Rioja is known for wine. So, it would only make sense that in this northern Spanish region, the celebrations and festivities include a fair deal of the delicious red liquid.
On the morning of June 29, during the San Pedro festivities, participants travel to the Riscos de Bilibio and splash red wine over one another. Wear suitable clothing and follow the event organizer’s current instructions.
Cascamorras
Where: Baza, Andalusia, Spain
Cascamorras is celebrated in Baza on September 6 and in Guadix on September 9. In Baza, participants cover themselves and the Cascamorras figure with ecological black paint made with natural dyes and a vegetable-oil base. It is inaccurate to describe the event simply as people throwing industrial oil.
The tradition, more than five centuries old, reflects a dispute between Baza and the neighboring city of Guadix over the image of the Virgen de la Piedad.
According to the festival tradition, a worker from Guadix found the image in Baza. The modern Cascamorras, chosen in Guadix, enters Baza and symbolically tries to reach the church clean enough to claim the image; the crowd prevents this by covering him in black paint.
The celebration continues in both cities, with a return event in Guadix on September 9.
Ants at the Entroido de Laza
Where: Laza, Galicia, Spain
The Entroido de Laza is a traditional Galician carnival with several distinct characters and events; it is not formally called an “ant-throwing festival.”
On Shrove Monday, during the descent of the Morena, members of the procession traditionally throw live ants over the crowd, sometimes mixed with flour and vinegar. Visitors should understand this practice before entering the square and should follow current local safety guidance.
The correct Galician name is Entroido. Its best-known figures include the peliqueiros and the Morena, a costumed character with a cow’s head. The wider program also includes the Farrapada, Xitanada, music, food, and other local rituals.
Check the official Galicia tourism listing for the current program and visitor information.
Conclusion
These places and traditions show the variety of Spain’s landscapes, local histories, and regional cultures. Research access conditions and festival rules before travelling, and approach living traditions with respect for residents and participants.
