Spain has hundreds of towns that ooze charm from their medieval walls to their wooden balconies bedecked in brightly coloured geraniums. But only a few are credited with being quaint enough to win a coveted spot in the Association of the Most Beautiful Towns in Spain. 

Well, until now, 44 towns to be exact.

The association has announced the 13 towns that will be added to the list in 2017.

The idea to start the association, in 2011, came after the success of its French counterpart and first such group, Les plus beaux villages de la France. 

“It is our goal to promote preferably rural and small towns,” the association says on its website. 

Town halls can apply for their town to join the list, but only 20 percent make the grade, winning the right to publicize themselves as “one of Spain's prettiest towns”. 

To qualify, towns must have a population of under 15,000 and some kind of provable architectural or cultural heritage. 

So which are the newest towns make the grade? The Local gives you the rundown. 

Grazalema, Cádiz province, Andalusia

Photo: Jason Goeke / Flickr

The charming ‘pueblo blanco’ nestled high up in a valley on the edge of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, boasts white washed houses and winding cobbled alleys set within a dramatic landscape.

Puebla de Sanabria, Zamora province, Castile-León

Photo: www.spain.info

One of the oldest settlements in the region, the town is clustered around a 15thcentury castle atop a hill between the rivers Tajo and Castro.

Villanueva de los Infantes, Ciudad Real province, Castilla-La Mancha

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

This town is thought to be the place refered to in the opening sentence of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote. “Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember”…

Miranda del Castañar, Salamanca region, Castile-León

Photo: www.spain.info

This medieval walled town in the Sierra de Francia,boasts a 15th century castle and the stone and wooden buildings typical of the region.

Capileira, Granada province, Andalusia

Photo: UncleBucko / Flickr

With its narrow streets and White washed houses clustered in a the Poqueira ravine, this is one of the most beautiful villages in the Alpujarras, the foothills of Sierra Nevada stretching from Granada to the Mediterranean.

Caleruega, Burgos province, Castile-León

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

This small town build of sandstone is the birthplace of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican order and is home to the Santo Domingo de Silos monastery.

Fornalutx, Mallorca, Balaeric Islands

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

This hillside village inland from Mallorca’s northern coast is a hidden jewel in the interior of the island where you can wander up and down the narrow cobbled steps and breathe in the scent of orange blossom.

Ujué, Navarra

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

The delightful village of Ujué consisting of a maze of tiny streets is crowned by a fortress atop a plateau looking out over the green valleys of Navarra.

Sajazarra, La Rioja

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

This town of just 130 residents is home to a restored castle dating from the 14th century, rising above the vineyards of Spain’s most famous wine region.

Chinchón, Madrid

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

An easy daytrip from Spain’s capital, Chinchon is famous for its Plaza Mayor, a circular plaza surrounded by wooden houses whose galleries look over the central meeting place.

Yanguas, Soria

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

With two churches, a castle and just 100 residents, a visit to this sleepy town is like stepping back in time.

Hita, Guadalajara province, Castilla-La Mancha

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

A fortified town northeast of Madrid, Hita stages a Medieval Theatre festival each July and also boasts examples of gothic military architecture and a Gothic-Mudejar church.

Covarrubias, Burgos province, Castile-León

Photo: Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España/ Facebook

Its name comes from the red earth caves in the local hillsides and the town is a lovely example of traditional Castilian architecture with arcaded streets and decorated facades of noblemans houses.