The three European towns you must visit before they completely disappear

The towns of Belchite, El Acebuchal, and Granadilla could be about to disappear unless action is taken.

By Christopher Sharp, News Reporter

The ruins of the old town of Belchite

Three towns in Spain could be about to disappear (Image: Getty)

Three pretty towns in Spain could be about to disappear off the map as locals look to leave their homes. The towns Granadilla in Caceres, El Acebuchal in Malaga, and Belchite in Zaragoza are must-visit places before they become far lesser-known. 

One of the reasons why these towns could be about to disappear, apart from the departure of the people living in them, is the damage they sustained during the Spanish Civil War, reported the Olive Press.

Belchite was hit at its heart during the battle of Belchite in 1937 and in the 87 years since has been left almost untouched, acting as a time capsule into a conflict that started nearly 100 years ago.

But not all of the three towns are the victims of war - Granadilla is a beautiful walled town, but GB News reported it has been uninhabited for around six decades. In that time, its main visitors have been tourists.

El Acebuchal in Malaga is considered a must-visit place by La Razon who said it is best known for its whitewashed houses and becoming a hub for tourists looking to experience a different side of Spain.

ruins of houses in abandoned village of granadilla in caceres spain

Granadilla is spectacular, but also facing the possibility of being abandoned by locals and tourists (Image: Getty)

The potential demise of these three towns comes as the country attempts to walk a tightrope between too few tourists in some areas and too many in others. A new report by Braintrust has warned the Balearics such as Majorca not to crack down on visitors who come for the sun and sand.

The consultancy firm said the beach holiday trade contributes more than other forms of tourism to the economy and an anti-tourism message could prove detrimental. 

Director Ángel García Butragueño, warned: "In Spain, we continue to exploit the sun and beach model, when we have excellent other markets to promote, other niches are increasingly important, such as culture, sport, shopping and nature”.

The warnings come weeks after thousands of people marched through the seaside town of Palma expressing their displeasure at the impact of tourism on their community.

Speaking to MailOnline, local resident Patric Vecina explained just how significant the impact of tourism on the community had been. She said: “I work in the hotel industry and my husband is a builder.

"We cannot afford the inflated price of property in Majorca so we were never able to buy our own home. Now we cannot afford to live in Majorca anymore we are moving to Asturias in the north of Spain. It was our dream to bring up our children in Mallorca but that cannot happen."

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