Where will you be travelling this year – where´s the next hot destination – what type of travel feels right? With winter still dragging on, now´s the time to start travel planning for the year ahead. Whether you´re yearning for a late-winter walking trip, a city break at Easter, a beach holiday in summer, or a cultural road trip in the autumn; looking at the latest travel trends often helps give ideas for where to go and how best to travel. 
Main photo: Royal Alcazar palace in Seville (c.Turismo Sevilla).

Top travel trends for 2025

1) Night tourism – also called Noctourism. 
2) Calm-cations – also called Quiet-cations & Digital detox. 
3) JOMO travel - also called Soft travel & Arboreal Adventures.
4) Off the beaten track goes mainstream – also called Undertourism, DeTour destinations & Underrated Parks.
5) Travel gets Lit – book-inspired travel
6) Train hopping – also called Air alternative travel.  

Photo: hiking in the Sierras Subbeticas, off-the-beaten-path in Andalucia (Casa Olea).

In the BBC´s article “The Seven travel trends that will shape 2025” (published January 2025), Jenny Southan, CEO of Globetrender, the world's leading travel trend forecasting agency, says: "When it comes to travel, trends provide clarity and a roadmap for how to engage with the world around us…Whether it's the allure of off-the-beaten-path destinations or the desire to 'travel with purpose', trends provide us with an anchor, making it easier to understand where we fit within the broader landscape of global travel." BBC Travel.

When we look at the other “Travel trends for 2025” lists, published by industry leaders such as Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveller, National Geographic, Expedia and Airbnb, there are a few themes which really start to stand out. So, we´ve picked our top 6 trends for travel in 2025 and give suggestions for how they might relate to your travel plans to southern Spain this year, or in years to come… 

Visit the Travel pages on the BBC website for their 2025 travel trends.

The 6 hottest travel trends for 2025

1) NIGHT TOURISM  - Conde Nast Traveller
Also called Noctourism (BBC), this trend shows how climate change may start to affect our travel choices – both in terms of the destination and how/when we explore it. Night tourism makes great sense in the warmer months of the year, especially in countries like Spain, Italy and Greece. “Noctourism – nocturnal + tourism – encompasses nighttime travel experiences, from late-opening museums to bioluminescent beaches to northern lights watching...”.  BBC

“With 2024´s astro-tourism trend firmly planted, the logical next step is to find other adventures that travelers can have at night. Because with sunlight comes crowds and heat—as anyone who’s been to the Acropolis in Athens surely knows—but nighttime activities mean cooler temperatures and fewer people.”  Conde Nast Traveler.

Photo: marvel at the Milky Way - astro-tourism in Andalucia, at Casa Olea.

What´s more, many Mediterranean countries (especially Spain) have long had their summer cultural calendars focused around the evenings and nights. See list of 2025 events below. And anyone who has been to Andalucia in summer will tell you why the siesta makes total sense – both to avoid the mid-afternoon heat and to stay up later at night too!  So, if you´re travelling to these countries from June to early September, get used to the idea of active mornings (while it´s coolest), a long lazy lunch or afternoon in the shade by the pool (or on the beach); followed by delightful balmy evenings for a paseo, al fresco dining or night-time cultural visits or events. 

Photo: in summer, visit Andalucia´s cultural sites and night - Fortaleza La Mota, Alcala La Real.  

Night tourism Andalucia in 2025 

* Star gazing in the Sierras – all year. For the darkest night sky, when the stars and planets appear at their brightest, aim for dates when there´s a new moon and hope for good weather and little cloud cover. For the best shooting stars, check out the Perseids - known locally as the “Lagrimas de San Lorenzo”, the Tears of San Lorenzo - from 17 July to 24 August. The Milky Way is often at its most visible here in September (see photo above).  

* Fiesta, then Siesta…
If you´re looking for a bit more city life first, then why not combine a night-time visit to one of Andalucia´s many cultural attractions; or a late-night music, theatre, dance or flamenco festival, and then spend a few days sleeping it off at Casa Olea! See summer events listed below for Granada, Seville, Malaga and Marbella.

* Semana Santa processions – 13 to 20 April, 2025. Both day and night through Easter week in most Andalucia towns and cities.  Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga are the most famous, but probably more atmospheric at night in the smaller towns, such as Priego de Cordoba and Ubeda. 

* Domingos de Mayo processions – Sundays in May, 2025. Every Sunday in May in many of Andalucia´s historic towns and cities, such as Priego de Cordoba, with the processions usually starting around 7.30pm. 

* Corpus Cristi processions – 19 June, 2025. Celebrated throughout Andalucia, but especially popular in Granada (18 & 19 June, day and night) and Priego de Cordoba for its procession and the Fiesta del Barrio de la Villa (in the old town). 

Photo: Granada´s Music & Dance Festival , night-time concert in the Alhambra. 

* Night tourism in Granada
Night visit to the Alhambra, Granada – all year
Granada International Music & Dance Festival - 13 June to 19 July 2025, with open-air concerts and theatre in the city´s most emblematic spaces, including the Alhambra and Generalife gardens. 

* Night tourism in Cordoba
Night visit to the Mezquita – all year  
Noche Blanca de Flamenco festival – an "all-nighter" on the night of 21 June, 2025
Watch a Flamenco show in Cordoba´s "Juderia" old town, evening shows all year.  
Sound & light show in Cordoba´s Alcazar gardens – temporarily closed for maintenance. Keep an eye on the website for when it reopens. 

* Night tourism in Seville
Icónica Santa Lucia music festival, in the Plaza de España – 30 May to 14 July, 2025. This year´s lineup includes Justin Timberlake, Madness, Kylie Minogue and more!
Noche en Blanco cultural festival – early October (2025 date tbc):  24 hours of music, dance, theatre, literature, science, sculpture and audiovisual displays throughout the historic centre and other barrios.  

* Night tourism in Malaga & Marbella 
Noche en Blanco arts festival, Malaga – 10/11 May, 2025 (tbc). Open-air festival with a nice range of free, outdoor cultural attractions throughout the night in the old town and port area; including street theatre, art installations, music concerts and creative workshops. Night visits to the Alcazaba Moorish castle are also possible over this weekend!

Starlite Marbella – 13 June to 29 August, 2025. One of the best boutique music festivals in Europe, with headline acts playing at the spectacular outdoor venue, the Cantera de Nagüeles, an abandoned quarry with 60-metre high rock walls and amazing acoustics, just outside Marbella (see photo below). The 2025 lineup includes Santana, Duran Duran, Seal, Will Smith, Europe, Il Divo, The Beach Boys and more! The maximum capacity is just over 2000 spectators, so buy your tickets asap if you´re keen to go. 

Photo: Starlite festival, just outside Marbella.

101 Music Festival in Malaga – 27 June to 25 July, 2025. Attracting many of Spain´s biggest artists, from flamenco to hip hop, with open air night-time concerts in the city´s Plaza de Toros. This year´s lineup already includes Sara Baras and Pastora Soler. 

2) CALM-CATIONS - BBC 

Also called Quiet-cations, Taking it easy or Digital Detox (BBC, Conde Nast Traveller & Lonely Planet). According to many of the top travel companies, there has been a surge in demand for tech-free accommodation, off-grid cabins and peaceful, rural locations which enable you to properly switch off and reconnect with nature. 

Photo: get a good book and listen to the sounds of nature (Casa Olea). 

“It’s time to turn down the volume. In 2024, we saw the rise of “sleep tourism”, with travellers prioritising restful holidays over packed itineraries. 2025 will be for time off that actually helps you slow down, reset and recharge from the busyness of life…And the destination? Quiet spots where you can lose the earplugs and get lost in the sounds of nature instead”. Conde Nast Traveller.

“It's all a sign that right now, the escapism of travel includes escaping technology”, says the BBC. “Holidays purely focused on creating a sense of tranquility continue to be popular for 2025. Noise is in particular focus, following a report from the World Health Organisation that rates noise pollution, particularly from traffic, as the second most important cause of ill health in Western Europe”.  BBC

Photo: visit the Alhambra in Granada, then escape the city to your rural retreat (Casa Olea).

So, when you´re planning your next trip to Spain, make sure you allow time for some peace & quiet amongst nature. While Spain´s famous cities are great to visit and boast some truly amazing sites – such as Gaudi´s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Alhambra in Granada, or Seville´s Alcazar and Giralda – you´ll need some restful downtime on your vacation also. 

Casa Olea is a charming B&B/inn, located in a peaceful river valley in the little-known region of Andalucia called the Sierras Subbéticas. This is authentic, rural Spain at its best, yet you´re just over an hour´s drive from Granada and Cordoba, to visit the big-name sites and soak up the city atmosphere, before retreating back to your tranquil hideaway!       

3) JOMO TRAVEL: THE JOY OF MISSING OUT – Conde Nast Traveller 
Also called Soft Travel and Arboreal Adventures (BBC and Lonely Planet). Simple pleasures, basic joy-giving experiences. If you´re familiar with FOMO, the “Fear of Missing Out”, then all it takes is a small shift in travel priorities and you have JOMO... 

Photo: JOMO travel allows you to slow down and experience a region in more depth. 

As Conde Nast Traveller puts it, “JOMO travel, a type of soft travel that sits alongside the more familiar slow travel. It´s less about the pace of seeing a place and more about doing less, feeling more, and sinking into the experience, the people you meet and who you’re with....Given that overtourism is still an issue, and many places struggle to manage the needs of both locals and tourists, JOMO travel can help redirect the compass, an antidote to the restless, tickbox trips that still have appeal.” Meera Dattani in Conde Nast Traveler.

And for those more interested in nature, Lonely Planet suggests Arboreal Adventures for 2025 – “Places known for their remarkable trees and forests, in high demand as tourists discover novel approaches to connecting with their surroundings”. Why not write a journal while you´re away - with observations about the local nature, culture or history; making a list of the wild flowers you´ve seen, or the birds you´ve seen and heard (check out the excellent Merlin bird id app!). Or do some sketching outdoors, to properly slow down take in the beautiful views around you. 

Photo: get your sketchbook out and enjoy painting en plein air in Andalucia (Casa Olea).

As a way of diverting promotion away from the over-tourised “Instagram-effect” destinations, guidebook company Fodors brought out its “NO List:  Nine regions to reconsider in 2024”, which aimed to “encourage travelers to reexamine the impacts of tourism and reevaluate where to spend valuable dollars and time. Because, travel isn’t a bucket list challenge or a competition to one-up your friends and followers. It’s an impactful experience–to us as individuals, but also to the places we visit”. 

Photo: slow travel, Spain - biking the quiet backroads to an authentic white village.

4) OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH GOES MAINSTREAM - BBC 
Also called Under-tourism, Underrated Parks and De-tour destinations (Conde Nast Traveller, Byway Travel, Lonely Planet, Expedia, Airbnb).  

“In 2024, we saw an increase in trips away from touristy hotspots – with 68% of nights we booked were in non-hotspots” – Conde Nast Traveller. The BBC´s trends list backs this up, quoting no-fly rail expert Byway travel “People want to travel where they’re welcomed wholeheartedly. Amidst anti-tourism protests in Barcelona and measures elsewhere to monitor the influx of short-term rentals, avoiding over-touristed hotspots is high on this year’s agenda…”.

And for those looking for hiking away from the crowds, Lonely Planet adds Underrated Parks to this general trend – “Intrepid adventurers are vying to find the most under-the-radar parks and reserves, reclaiming the outdoors from the masses to experience the natural world without waiting in line”. In 2024, Airbnb also saw it as a key trend, with their "Wholesome escapes: National parks and amazing views".

Photo: biking in the Sierras Subbeticas, one of Spain´s under-the-radar natural parks. 

Conde Nast Traveller and travel giants Expedia and Airbnb call the trend Detour Destinations. “It’s a chance to get away from the crowds, and to spend more time getting to know a place – a sub-species of slow travel, really. Detour travel is finding a smaller, lesser-known destination close to the main event and spending a few days there. ” writes Rick Jordan in Conde Nast Traveller. 

This theme features in a wonderful travel piece I found recently on the Washington Post site, by Chico Harlan titled “Far off the tourist track, Molise offers the best parts of Italy”. Two of his quotes, describing the appeal of exploring this unknown region near Abruzzo, sum it up perfectly....  “In an era when Italy is so warped by tourism, when even the off-the-beaten-path itineraries lead you to crowded Instagram towns, visiting Molise feels like more than an antidote. It feels like finding the buried heart of why travelers fell for Italy in the first place”. 

And his general travel advice for Italy – “Trust the place you’ve never heard of. Up in those forgotten towns, on almost every hilltop in Lazio and Campania and inland Calabria, there are churches with 14th-century frescoes, town piazzas with 1 euro cafes and men playing cards, and almost inevitably some trattoria serving something great”.

Photo: Cordoba - visit the classic sites, then stay in the Sierras Subbeticas (Casa Olea). 

The same could be said for the lesser-known regions of Alentejo (Portugal), or the less-promoted rural corners of Andalucia (Spain), away from the cities and the Mediterranean.  If you make the effort to venture off the “Golden triangle” route of Seville, Cordoba & Granada – and it´s only a detour of a few kilometres! - to spend a few days in the Sierras Subbéticas; you´ll be rewarded with exactly this same appeal. Charming white villages with medieval Moorish castles (much quieter than the Insta-famous ones by Ronda), stunning Baroque churches, pretty town squares, great local food and a good coffee for just 1.50! Plus there´s great walking, biking, birdwatching, the world´s finest extra virgin olive oil to enjoy; and a warm welcome from the locals! 

And this goes for many other “hidden” areas in Spain you´ve never heard of – take a detour inland from the Costas and out of the tourist-magnet cities, and you´ll discover villages, towns and natural parks where normal rural Spanish village life continues to exist, in beautiful locations and without the crowds. For example, drive 90 minutes inland from Valencia and explore the emptiest part of España Vacíada (Empty Spain) in Teruel - see Chris Haslam´s piece in the Sunday Times - or venture just over an hour north from Segovia´s Insta-favourite Roman aqueduct and you´ll find one of Spain´s most dramatic river canyons with gorgeous hill towns nearby. The options are endless, you just need to “start trusting the places you´ve never heard” and make a detour destination the focus of your trip. 

5) TRAVEL GETS LIT - Conde Nast Traveller
There is no doubt that “set-jetting” continues to have a big effect on where people choose to travel – think of filming locations from big movies or popular Netflix series such as Bond films, Emily in Paris, Game of Thrones etc. It also still has a direct impact on the level of overtourism in some of these locations. But, after years of travel promotion focusing on film destinations, it seems that novel-inspired tourism is back!

JD Shadel in Conde Nast Traveller writes, “Shots of celebrities from Dua Lipa to Jacob Elordi zipping through the airport show them gripping paperbacks like they’re designer accessories. BookTok—a category of TikTokers focused on literature content—is putting fresh momentum behind the ancient concept of book tourism. In an era where we crave that cringe buzzword, “authenticity," there’s something, well, novel, in how books make us want to immerse ourselves in the offline world”. 

10 books to read if you´re planning a trip to Andalucia

1) South from Granada - Gerald Brennan 
2) Driving over Lemons – Chris Stewart
3) The Return – Victoria Hislop
4) Andalus: unlocking the secrets of Moorish Spain – Jason Webster
5) The Hand of Fatima – Ildefonso Falcones 
6) Ghosts of Spain – Giles Tremlett 
7) Ornament of the World: a culture of tolerance in Medieval Spain – Maria Rosal Menocal
8) Extra Virginity: the sublime and scandalous world of olive oil – Tom Mueller  
9)  Duende: a journey in search of Flamenco – Jason Webster
10) Court of Lions – Jane Johnson 

And our current favourite travel guidebook for southern Spain: “Experience Andalucia” by Lonely Planet.

Photo: Journey to Seville by rail, using Spain´s excellent high-speed trains (c. Turismo Sevilla). 

6) TRAIN-HOPPING  - Lonely Planet
Also called Air travel alternatives (National Geographic). Train travel is en vogue. While it may not be a fun part of your daily commute to work, the appeal of a slower way to travel (on holiday) seems to be growing each year.

The Guardian newspaper´s travel pages are now heavily focused on flight-free travel ideas (from the UK) and there´s a dedicated Rail Travel section. Environmental concerns are probably the main reason for this; but avoiding airport queues and stress, and looking at the total journey time are others too. “Flying does not save much time for certain trips in Europe when you factor in security lines and delays…As a means of transport, trains have the lightest carbon footprint: taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances reduces emissions by about 80%, and taking a train instead of a domestic flight cuts them by 86%, according to the climate and data researcher Hannah Ritchie.” M Ramirez (Guardian Travel).

Picture: Iryo´s high speed train network in Spain.

In an effort to combat the environmental impact of flying, some European countries have even started to ban short-haul domestic flights where these routes can be replaced by train journeys for relatively little extra time. France started the trend and Spain has followed suit, introducing a ban on domestic flights between destinations that are less than 2.5 hours apart by train.

The jury is still out regarding the environmental benefits of the move, but it shows which way the trend is going. “Skip the chaos of airports: take the quiet carriage somewhere away from the crowds. Going by train means more legroom and fewer luggage restrictions - so you can quiet your mind with a book to lose yourself in, or a journal to scrawl your thoughts into”. Conde Nast Traveller.

* Journey to Seville by train, then EV to Casa Olea
Example two-week trip: London – Paris – Barcelona – Seville – Casa Olea – Cordoba – Madrid – Paris – London: 14 days, 13 nights

Take the train from London to Barcelona, with a change of stations in Paris. Stay 3 nights in Barcelona, then continue by train to Seville. Stay 2 nights in Seville and pick up your EV rental car (at the station or airport) and drive to Casa Olea. Stay 4 nights at Casa Olea – for hiking, biking, pool time, white villages or a day visit to Granada. Return to Seville, via Cordoba (to visit the Mezquita and have lunch), then take the train to Madrid. Stay 2 nights in Madrid, before returning to Paris (stay 2 nights) and then return to London by train.

Picture: Spain travel specialist Pura Aventura offers "no-fly" trips to Andalucia by train.   

Spain specialist, Pura Aventura (certified B Corp since 2020), suggests the following itinerary: Barcelona, Madrid & Seville by train. Just add 3-4 nights in Casa Olea (from Day 9) with an EV rental car; and then decide how you want to return home – by rail via Paris or by air from Seville. NB EV car rental is currently not possible in Cordoba.

* Journey times by train
London to Paris  - from 2 hours 16 mins (+ change stations in Paris). Change in Paris, from Gare du Nord to Gare du Lyon.
Paris to Barcelona - from 6 hours 47 mins
Paris to Nimes – from 2 hours 52 mins
Nimes to Barcelona – from 3 hours 40 mins 
Barcelona to Cordoba: from 4 hours 29 mins, or with stop/change in Madrid.
Barcelona to Seville: from 5 hours 47 mins, or with stop/change in Madrid.
Barcelona to Malaga: from 5 hours 52 mins, or with stop in Madrid.

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Casa Olea is an award-winning, boutique B&B (see photo above) located near Priego de Cordoba in the unknown Sierras Subbeticas (Andalucia), yet close to "main-event" cities of Granada and Cordoba. The ideal destination for a "Quiet-cation" amongst nature, this restored farmhouse is set a beautiful valley, overlooking a river, olive groves and mountains. And there´s no light pollution, so the dark sky is perfect for stargazing on a clear night.  Base yourself here, as your "detour destination" away from the crowded cities and enjoy hiking, biking, local white villages, tasty homecooking and the world´s finest olive oils!