As other cities across Spain call for a limit to tourism after protests have mounted over the number of visitors, one is bucking the trend by calling for more holidaymakers, especially from Britain. Zaragoza, the capital of the eastern region of Aragon, is just over an hour on the high-speed train from either Madrid or Barcelona but it has not witnessed any protests over tourism. The city boasts a rich mix of cultural tourism with two cathedrals, the Cathedral of Our Lady Pilar and El Salvador, known as La Seo, the 11th century Aljaferia Palace, a UNESCO world heritage site, and two exhibitions of works by the Spanish master Francisco de Goya, who was born nearby. (Photo: Jessica Jane Taylor)

Skiing, kayakking or trekking

Nearby, the peaks of the Pyrenees are popular for skiers while in summer they come for kayaking or trekking in the same mountain range. Others jump on the ‘wine bus’ to enjoy day trips to wineries which produce the local Garnacha vintage. A day visiting these wineries costs only £36/US$49 per person. The Plaza Pilar, the second biggest city square in Europe after Red Square in Moscow, is refreshingly free of crowds of tourists even in the height of summer. Before the pandemic, Zaragoza attracted about 50,000 Britons, but since then this number decreased last year to 25,900 last year. The city received 1.2 million visitors in 2024. Tourism chiefs in the city are pushing to attract more visitors in contrast to other cities like Barcelona which are buckling under the number of holidaymakers. (Photo: Artur Debat/Getty/Moment RF)

A city of events throughout the year

“Zaragoza is an underrated city. It has much to offer in terms of hotels, restaurants and cultural riches. It is a welcoming city,” said Ignacio Rodriguez Ruiz, head of tourism promotion at the Aragon regional government. “We want more tourists because Zaragoza is eager to show to the world the cultural and gastronomic treasures that it has. It is a city which is more than 2,000 years old. It wants to share this legacy with other tourists from across the world.” He added: “We want tourists to come, not just in summer. We want them to come in spring and autumn. It is a city full of events throughout the year. It is a city full of life.” In 2024, four million people visited Aragon but data was not available for the number of British tourists. (Photo: Eloi_Omella/Getty/E+)

Younger visitors come for sports

Fernando Madariaga, who heads the initiative from the Aragon government to attract more British tourists, said Zaragoza was not a magnet for rowdy hen nights and stag parties. “The profile of the British who come here is older people who want cultural or gastronomic tourism. Younger people in winter want sports linked to the snow or in summer kayaking or rafting,” he said. (Photo: Marcos Cebrian/Getty)

Wine tours and Goya exhibitions

Zaragoza airport only has three flights per week with Ryanair from London Stansted airport, but authorities want more airlines to fly directly to the city. Vanessa Ball, from Manchester, spent two days in Zaragoza and then joined a wine tour. “We were curious to visit a lesser-known region of Spain. Zaragoza proved a fantastic base for a couple of days,” she told The i Paper. “Its spectacular Goya exhibitions and an old town filled with bars and restaurants were wonderfully free of tourists and perfect for experiencing a relaxed Spanish vibe during a June heatwave.” (Photo: Anton Petrus/Getty/Moment RF)

The city could do with more visitors

She visited the 12th century Cistercian monastery outside Zaragoza and tasted Garnacha wine at the Bodega Borsao. Jorge Acero, who runs gastronomic tours at Rutica 41 for British tourists and holidaymakers from around the world, said he believed the city could do with more visitors. “Obviously we do not want people turning up in buses to take a picture of the Basilica de la Pilar and get back on the bus and leave. I think the city could do with more quality tourism,” he said. (Photo: Tibor Bognar/Getty/The Image Bank RF)