Siurana, the Spanish village that has rejected the "most beautiful village" title to avoid mass tourism

This small village in Tarragona with only 30 inhabitants has rejected an invitation to be added to the list of the "Most Beautiful Villages in Spain".

The picturesque Siurana (Tarragona) Pablo Fernández on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Editorial Team

7 November 2022, 13:55

Siurana, a village in Tarragona, has decided to refuse its invitation to enter the list of the most beautiful villages in Spain for fear of suffering from tourist overcrowding. The village has a population of just 30 inhabitants, 5 restaurants and 2 hotels. Its landscapes are a great attraction, especially for climbers. In order to preserve the care and sustainability of the area, the mayor of the town has declined to enter this prestigious ranking. We have all the details about Siurana, the Spanish village that has rejected the "most beautiful village" title to avoid mass tourism.

"We cannot overcrowd the area any more, because the orography is what it is and because it even harms quality tourism", says Salvador Salvadó, the mayor of Cornudella de Montsant, the municipality on which Siurana depends, to eldiario.es.

In this sense, Salvadó argues that overcrowding is a "big" problem because it affects the environment and heritage. In fact, the mayor clarifies that the village already belongs to the Catalan version of the most beautiful village list "Pobles amb Encant" and prefers that the internet reaches Siurana rather than attract more tourists.

cc by-sa Michael131977 (Wikimedia Commons)

The area is visited by 419,000 people, 53% of whom come to the town centre. The mayor has a report which reflects the collapse of the two car parks (with a capacity for 200 vehicles) at weekends, with the police even having to close the road to prevent more cars from passing.

According to the organisation "Los pueblos más bonitos de España" (The most beautiful villages in Spain), they clarify that in order to be included in the list, the application must be approved in the municipal plenary of each locality, meet certain requirements such as having a certified natural and architectural heritage, well-kept green areas, facades in a good state of conservation or a remarkable cultural activity.

However, the reality is that not all local residents agree with the mayor's decision. "For us, the more publicity and buzz about Siurana the better, and the more tourism the better," says one resident. "If there is no tourism, the village will die," says another resident. "If Siurana works, it will spread to all the surrounding villages", concludes another neighbour.