Family road trips Spain: 7 epic roads to drive on your summer holiday
There is a particular kind of summer holiday routine that most families know well. Breakfast runs late. Beach bags multiply. Everyone has a favourite pool lounger. The days are warm, easy and familiar – and that is exactly why we love them.
But somewhere between the airport transfer, the hotel buffet and the third afternoon spent negotiating sun cream, the driver in the family starts to wonder what lies beyond the resort road.
In the first of a series of journals, we explore Spain. Not just Spain as a destination, but Spain as a driving country. The Spain of sweeping coastal roads, quiet mountain passes, whitewashed villages, limestone gorges, pine-covered ridgelines and tarmac that seems to have been laid with a sense of theatre. For anyone searching for road trips in Spain or trying to make family road trips Spain feel more memorable, the answer does not have to be a two-week expedition with everyone trapped in the car.
Sometimes, the best drive of the summer is just one day.
Choose your family base well, hire a car, open New Roads, and let one carefully planned route become the part of the holiday that stays with you long after the suitcases are unpacked. Not a detour. Not an obligation. A proper escape built around the roads worth waking up early for.
Here are seven Spanish driving roads to weave into a family summer holiday, with nearby places to stay that keep the rest of the family happy too.
Murcia Coast, Region of Murcia
The Murcia Coast is one of Spain’s most underrated summer driving escapes. The Costa Cálida stretches along roughly 250 kilometres of coastline, with cliffs, coves, beaches and the warm waters of the Murcia region, making it a strong base for families who want sunshine without losing the sense of discovery.
For the family holiday, look towards Cartagena, La Manga or Mazarrón. Cartagena gives you culture, restaurants, a handsome harbour and enough history to make an evening stroll feel worthwhile. La Manga is more classic beach territory, with the Mediterranean on one side and the Mar Menor on the other; Murcia’s official tourism site describes the region as a family-friendly destination shaped by this “two seas” setting.
For the driver, the reward is the coast road itself. Head out early, before the heat builds and the beach traffic wakes up. The Murcia Coast is not about intimidating altitude or hairpin drama. It is about rhythm: the road rising and falling with the landscape, sea views appearing between the bends, and the satisfying sense that you have found a quieter side of Spain.
This is one of the easiest routes to justify on a family holiday. You are never too far from the sea, lunch can still involve grilled fish and sandy feet, and the drive can be shaped around a half-day escape rather than a full-family endurance test. It is the kind of road trip in Spain that feels effortless.
Sa Calobra, Mallorca
Mallorca is already one of Europe’s great family holiday islands, but Sa Calobra is the reminder that it is also a serious driving destination. Tucked into the Tramuntana mountains, the road to Sa Calobra has become almost mythical: a coil of engineering, stone, heat and concentration that rewards patience more than aggression.
For families, base yourself around Port de Pollença, Pollença, Alcúdia or Port de Sóller. Port de Pollença works especially well for a family road trip in Spain because it offers a long sandy beach, watersports, restaurants and an easy holiday pace, while still placing you within reach of the island’s mountain roads.
Sa Calobra itself is not a casual road. It is narrow, popular and best driven with respect. Go very early. Avoid the busiest parts of the day. Treat the drive as something to savour rather than conquer. The reward is a road that feels hand-carved into the island: switchbacks, rock walls, sudden views, and that wonderful moment when the Mediterranean appears below.
For the family, Sa Calobra also offers a destination rather than just a turnaround point. The area is known for its dramatic beaches and the Torrent de Pareis gorge setting, giving non-drivers something tangible at the end of the road.
Plan it properly and this becomes the ideal summer compromise: early drive and back for brunch and a dip with the family before anyone has decided you have disappeared.
Garraf Coast, Catalonia
The Garraf Coast is perfect for families who want Barcelona energy without staying in the middle of it. South-west of the city, the coastline around Sitges, Garraf and Castelldefels blends beaches, relaxed restaurants, coves and easy access from the city. Sitges tourism highlights its urban family-oriented beaches as well as smaller coves inside the Garraf Natural Park.
For a family base, Sitges is the obvious choice. It is polished without being soulless, lively without feeling overwhelming, and compact enough to make evenings easy. Castelldefels works well too, especially if beach time and airport access matter. Garraf itself has a more intimate feel, with a distinctive beach setting and quick access from Barcelona.
The Garraf Coast road is not long, but it proves that a great drive does not need to be remote. This is a road of Mediterranean light, cliffside curves and short, sharp views over the water. It is ideal when the family plan already includes Barcelona, the beach or a few days in Catalonia.
The trick is timing. Drive it early, when the road is quieter and the sea still has that silver morning calm. Then return to Sitges for beach time, lunch and the kind of afternoon that makes everyone feel like the day was designed for them.
For anyone searching for road trips in Spain that can be blended into a mainstream family holiday, the Garraf Coast is one of the easiest wins: accessible, beautiful and over before anyone has time to ask how much longer is left.
Larra-Belagua, Navarre
Not every Spanish summer holiday needs to be about the coast. Larra-Belagua, in the Navarrese Pyrenees, offers something cooler, quieter and more elemental. This is Spain with altitude and edge: green valleys, mountain air, grazing land and roads that feel a long way from the beach resort map.
The natural base here is Isaba, in the Roncal Valley. Navarre’s tourist board describes Belagua as the only glacial valley in Navarre, reached from Isaba and shaped by long-standing farming and livestock traditions. Spain’s official tourism site also places Larra-Belagua in the heart of the Navarre Pyrenees, near Isaba.
For families, this is a different kind of summer escape. Think rural guesthouses, mountain walks, local food, space to breathe and a slower pace. It suits families who prefer rivers and ridgelines to waterparks, or who want to add a few days of northern Spain to a longer road trip.
For the driver, Larra-Belagua is about flow and atmosphere. The road climbs through changing scenery, with the landscape opening out as you gain height. It is not showy in the way Sa Calobra is showy. It is more meditative than that. More remote. More grown-up.
This is one to plan carefully. Fuel up, check conditions, carry water and avoid turning it into a race. Let the road come to you. A family road trip in Spain does not have to mean constant entertainment; sometimes the best family memory is simply the shared silence when the view gets big enough.
Ronda to Málaga, Andalusia
The road from Ronda to Málaga is one of the great ways to turn a Costa del Sol holiday into something with a little more pulse. Families often base themselves along the coast – Málaga, Marbella, Estepona, Mijas or nearby resort towns – because the beaches, restaurants and family attractions are easy. The Costa del Sol tourism board highlights the region’s broad family leisure offer, including zoos, aquariums, multi-adventure activities and theme parks.
But inland, the mood changes. Ronda sits high, dramatic and historic, with centuries of heritage and one of Spain’s most recognisable gorge settings. Start there, or make it the destination, and the drive towards Málaga becomes a proper Andalusian escape.
This is a road for early starts and clear heads. It offers changing surfaces, mountain sections, wide views and a sense of leaving the coast behind. For the driver, it is a chance to swap beach traffic for bends. For the family, Ronda gives the route a reason: a beautiful old town, places to eat, viewpoints and enough drama to make even reluctant passengers look up from their phones.
If you are staying in Málaga itself, this can be a full day. If you are based further west along the Costa del Sol, New Roads can help shape the drive around where you are actually staying, rather than forcing your holiday to fit a generic route. That is the difference between simply going for a drive and planning one properly.
Peña de Francia, Salamanca
Peña de Francia is for families who like their holidays a touch more authentic: old stone villages, mountain views, cooler evenings and food that feels rooted in place. Located in the Sierra de Francia, the mountain rises to 1,723 metres and is crowned by a sanctuary, viewpoints and a sense of arrival that makes the climb feel quietly ceremonial.
For places to stay, look at La Alberca, Mogarraz, Miranda del Castañar or Salamanca itself. La Alberca and Mogarraz are ideal if you want to stay close to the mountains and wake up inside the landscape. Salamanca works better if the family wants a city base, with culture, restaurants and a grander evening atmosphere.
The drive to Peña de Francia is not about speed. It is about ascent. The scenery gathers around you: forests, ridgelines, glimpses across the Sierra, then the exposed summit and the huge views beyond. Castilla y León tourism describes the area as a mountainous landscape of culture, oak woods and pine forests.
This is a brilliant option for families who have already done the obvious Spanish coast and want something more characterful. It is still a road trip in Spain, but a different Spain: inland, storied, slightly cooler in tone and rich with atmosphere.
Take it slowly. Stop often. Let the family explore the villages. Then make the drive itself the thread that ties the day together.
El Chorro Gorge, Andalusia
El Chorro Gorge is a gift for anyone staying in or around Málaga, Antequera, Ardales or the inland Costa del Sol. The road brings you towards one of Andalusia’s most dramatic landscapes: reservoirs, rock faces, tunnels of heat and shadow, and the famous Caminito del Rey nearby.
For families, this is one of the strongest day-trip combinations in southern Spain. The Caminito del Rey route runs through cliffs, canyons and a large valley, with restored walkways hanging over 100 metres above the gorge. It is important to plan around age restrictions: children under eight cannot access the Caminito del Rey, and older children need the correct identification.
Even without walking the Caminito, the area makes sense as a family base or day trip. Ardales offers a quieter inland feel. Antequera adds history, food and access to wider Andalusia. Málaga keeps things simple with beaches, restaurants and city comforts, while still putting El Chorro within reach.
For the driver, El Chorro Gorge delivers the kind of terrain that makes a hire car feel like more than transport. The road moves through a landscape that feels sculptural: rock, water, heat, height. It is an ideal early morning drive, followed by lunch inland or a return to the coast before the day gets too hot.
As with all the best family road trips in Spain, the magic is in the balance. The family gets a proper outing. The driver gets a road worth remembering. Nobody has to sacrifice the holiday.
How to make it work: Hire car, one day, no overplanning
The beauty of Spain is that great roads often sit just beyond the places families already go. Mallorca. Málaga. Murcia. Sitges. The Costa del Sol. These are not obscure expedition points. They are real summer holiday bases, with beaches, hotels, restaurants, airports and all the small practical things that keep a family trip running smoothly.
The mistake is assuming a great drive needs to dominate the whole holiday.
It does not.
Book the family-friendly base first. Decide where the holiday is going to work for everyone. Then, once you know where you are staying, open a New Roads account and plan the drive around your real location, your available time and the kind of road you actually want. Coastal sweepers. Mountain passes. A two-hour escape before lunch. A full-day loop with a village stop and a view worth parking for.
That is where hyper-personalised planning matters. Most maps are built to get you from A to B as quickly as possible. New Roads is built for drivers who know the journey can be the point. It helps make a family holiday even more special, more memorable and more personal – without asking you to spend evenings buried in forums, maps and half-useful route lists.
So this summer, take the family holiday. Choose the pool. Book the beach. Enjoy the long lunches and the familiar rituals.
Then pick a day. Grab a hire car. Open New Roads. Plan the road properly.
And just drive.
