Expert reveals the perfect Spanish drives for those who prefer their travel with a side of fresh air
Key Points:
- Travel expert shares five breathtaking Spanish road trip routes that offer unforgettable experiences perfect for convertible driving
- Routes include coastal paradises in Costa Brava, wine regions in La Rioja, and majestic mountain drives through the Pyrenees, each featuring iconic stops, hidden gems, and cultural highlights
- Expert recommends timing your journey for optimal weather and fewer crowds, packing essentials for convertible travel, and embracing spontaneous detours for authentic Spanish experiences
With the summer travel season fast approaching, a time when convertible rentals usually trend across Europe, more tourists will be trading city-hopping for open-road adventures. Spain, with its stunning coastlines, mountains, historic villages, and vineyards, offers some of Europe’s most rewarding road trip experiences, especially with the top down.
“The magic of exploring Spain by car is that you experience the country with all your senses,” says Javier Sobrino, Founder of Descubriendo Viajes, a Spanish travel platform specialising in curated accommodations. “You not only see incredible views but feel changing temperatures, smell pine forests and salty sea air, and have the freedom to stop whenever something catches your eye.”
Below, Sobrino reveals Spain’s most beautiful road trip routes that shine when experienced in a convertible.
1. Costa Brava’s Coastal Charm: Blanes to Cadaqués
This northeastern coastal route delivers stunning Mediterranean views at every turn. Begin in Blanes, continue to the medieval town of Tossa de Mar with its impressive fortress, and don’t miss Calella de Palafrugell with its whitewashed houses.
Hidden gem: The small village of Sa Tuna near Begur provides a perfect lunch stop with seafood restaurants overlooking a tiny protected cove.
Best time: May-June or September for pleasant temperatures and fewer crowds. “The summer heat is perfect for convertible driving, but July and August bring heavy traffic,” notes Sobrino.
2. Andalusian White Villages: Ronda to Arcos de la Frontera
This route through southern Spain’s pueblos blancos offers striking white villages against green hillsides and blue skies.
Begin in Ronda, perched dramatically above a deep gorge, continue to Grazalema nestled in its national park, then to Zahara de la Sierra with its Moorish castle overlooking a turquoise reservoir.
Hidden gem: “Stop at tiny Setenil de las Bodegas, where houses are built into overhanging rock faces,” suggests Sobrino.
Best time: Spring when wildflowers bloom or autumn when fall colours transform the landscape. “Mid-summer can be intensely hot, though early morning drives can be magical,” Sobrino adds.
3. Pyrenees Mountain Magic: Jaca to Ainsa
For dramatic mountain scenery, this northern route through the Aragonese Pyrenees delivers breathtaking high-altitude views and medieval villages.
Start in historic Jaca, wind through Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, visit the picturesque valley town of Torla-Ordesa, and end in medieval Ainsa.
Hidden gem: “The Valley of Tena offers stunning mountain lakes few international tourists discover,” says Sobrino.
Best time: June through September. “Summer brings perfect temperatures and wildflowers across the alpine meadows,” Sobrino explains.
4. Wine Lovers’ Route: La Rioja Loop
This circular route through Spain’s most famous wine region offers vineyards stretching to the horizon, innovative architecture, and world-class gastronomy.
Begin in Logroño exploring Calle del Laurel for excellent pintxos. Visit Haro for cellar tours, continue to the medieval town of Laguardia, and don’t miss striking winery architecture at Marqués de Riscal and Ysios.
Hidden gem: “The Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture in Briones houses one of the world’s most comprehensive wine collections,” recommends Sobrino.
Best time: September through October. “Witnessing the grape harvest adds another dimension, and autumn colours in the vineyards are spectacular,” says Sobrino.
5. Mediterranean Majesty: Valencia to Alicante
This east coast route combines urban sophistication, pristine beaches, and charming coastal towns with a perfect climate for convertible driving.
Start in Valencia exploring the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, stop at coastal Denia with its impressive castle, continue to picture-perfect Altea with its blue-domed church, and finish in Alicante.
Hidden gem: “The town of Xàbia has some of the Mediterranean’s clearest waters at Granadella Cove,” Sobrino shares.
Best time: May or late September when temperatures are perfect and summer crowds have thinned. “This coast enjoys over 300 days of sunshine yearly, making it ideal for convertible driving almost year-round,” notes Sobrino.
Javier Sobrino, Founder of Descubriendo Viajes, commented:
“What makes a Spanish road trip so magical is the incredible diversity you experience in relatively short distances. You could be driving along a coastal road with the Mediterranean glittering beside you in the morning, and by afternoon find yourself winding through mountain villages where time seems to stand still.
“With a convertible, these journeys become multi-sensory adventures; feeling the temperature change as you climb mountain passes, smelling orange blossoms in Valencia or the pine forests of the Pyrenees.
“My advice? Plan your key stops but allow time for spontaneity. Some of Spain’s most enchanting moments happen when you turn down that unmarked road leading to a village you’ve never heard of.”
