The Spanish village that looks like Havana – but sits in the mountains of Asturias

You wouldn’t expect to see palm trees, colourful mansions from the colonial era and a little bit of Cuba in rural Asturias.

Malleza has it all.

A tiny village of fewer 200 residents has earned the nickname Little Havana due to a strange connection dating back more than a century.

You’ll see that the houses in northern Spain are usually made of stone, but you won’t find them here. Instead, there are pastel-coloured villas with elegant balconies.

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How did this happen? How did it happen? indianos.

In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, thousands of Spaniards went to the Americas looking for work.

Cuba was the number one destination for Asturian immigrants who made their fortunes abroad.

They didn’t build Asturian-style homes when they returned.

They recreated some of the lives they left behind.

Malleza was dotted with large colonial mansions painted in vibrant colors and surrounded with palm trees and exotic plants imported from the Caribbean.

After more than a century, they are still the first thing that visitors notice.

Some of the grandest houses, including Villa Alicia, Casa Panchón and the Palacio del Conde de Toreno, remain standing today. Several of the houses are still privately owned, but others have been turned into rural accommodation or restaurants.

Al Son del Indiano is a restaurant that operates from one of these buildings, which has been welcoming visitors since the end of the 19th century.

Malleza, despite its appearance, has avoided the crowds which have transformed some of Spain’s prettiest village.

The village has a unique past and is a place of quiet tranquility where the locals outnumber tourists.

It is easy to uncover the past. Malleza lies in western Asturias in the municipality Salas. It is around an hour drive from Oviedo, and only 20 minutes away from the town of Salas.

Little Havana in northern Spain’s quieter region is worth the detour for those travelling through.

The Olive Press Travel News is available here.