Spain is an ideal destination for lovers of rural tourism, and there are so many beautiful and unforgettable villages here. You can explore the old streets, and enjoy amazing views of the countryside. You could also visit some interesting museums and historical monuments, or try some outdoor activities like hiking or exploring the local flora and fauna!

To attract more tourists, some villages try to promote it every year. However, some villages prefer to become "hidden pearls" to protect their natural scenery.

According to reports, two villages in Catalonia, Spain, Rubit, and Siulana, refused to join the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain because they were worried that the promotion of "the most beautiful village" would attract too many tourists and adversely affect the local scenery.

Compared with villages that "do not refuse tourists", they advocate sustainable tourism and hope to provide tourists with high-quality services.

Rubit Village is a small village built on a huge rock. The stone walls and ancient wood make it look like a paradise. However, after the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the previously peaceful small village suffered from excessive tourism.

Every weekend, problems such as insufficient parking spaces and crowded streets often occur in the village. The number of tourists has exceeded the capacity of the village tourism service. To strengthen tourism management, Rubit has taken some measures, such as controlling parking areas and traffic arteries with a lot of tourist traffic.

Regarding the refusal to join the association of the most beautiful villages in Spain, the relevant person in charge of the village explained: "We understand that being part of this association means that the number of tourists will increase rapidly, but this place cannot receive more tourists."

Siulana also didn't want to be part of the association. The person in charge of the village said: "Joining the association means more private cars, more buses, and more tourists, and this is exactly the problem we are facing now."

The more there are, the number of inhabitants will multiply. "We don't have a wireless network that can broadcast in Siurana, and when it comes to solving the parking problem, we can only communicate through walkie-talkies."

Faced with this situation, Siurana Village had to build two parking lots and develop a computer system. It is hoped that providing more parking spaces for people will improve the quality of village tourism services intelligently.

The village chief said that we hope that the village will not become overcrowded and that people who come to Siurana can leave with a smile.

Rupit

Drive north along Barcelona, cross the mountains, and about 100 kilometers away, you can find the ancient town of Rupit. It is hidden in the deep mountains and old forests.

Rubit was rated as one of the 43 most beautiful towns in Spain. This is a town built on a huge rock. From a distance, this small town is built on the hillside of that mountain, the foundations are all laid on rocks, and the road is therefore rugged, which is very interesting.

The town is simple and quiet, and the old stone houses are quite strong. There are various house cards inlaid on the outer wall of the house, with the name of the owner's family written on it, and next to the name are patterns of flowers and plants, with various designs.

Siurana

Siurana is considered the most photogenic town in Spain. This small town built on a steep rocky mountain has only 27 permanent residents. To protect the original appearance of the town, no large-scale tourism development has been carried out. It is mainly rock climbing enthusiasts who come here.

The town is surrounded by water on three sides, and the entire village is built on top of rocky cliffs, which has a unique geographical advantage.