Deep in inland Spain sits one of the most fascinating villages we've ever come across. At first sight, it could pass for any other half-abandoned village in rural Spain, with empty houses slowly crumbling away. But walk a little further and look more closely, and you'll start spotting portraits of people painted onto the walls. And that's where a genuinely moving, human story begins.
Why Mogarraz is worth visiting
What draws most visitors to Mogarraz is the open-air gallery formed by the 800 faces painted across its houses. This artistic project turned a small village into a genuinely unique destination in Spain, one that puts you face to face with its former residents. It's also a reflection of the rural exodus that hollowed out much of inland Spain, leaving entire villages abandoned altogether. Understanding that context is what made the portraits hit differently for me, they're a way of keeping people present even after they're gone. It's genuinely moving.
But Mogarraz would be worth the trip even without the portraits. It's a village of just over 230 residents that has somehow kept its architectural heritage remarkably intact.
The village was declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1998 and has belonged to the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain association since 2014. Its isolation, combined with decades of population decline through the 20th century, kept away the kind of property development that reshaped so many other Spanish villages, replacing old buildings with newer ones.
The story behind Mogarraz's 800 portraits
It all started in 1967, when carrying an ID card (DNI) became compulsory in Spain, and a local photographer took a passport-style photo of every resident in the village. Decades later, Florencio Maíllo, an artist and university professor from Salamanca, rediscovered the forgotten negatives and decided to turn each face into a painting on sheet metal.
The result, an exhibition called Retrata2-388, opened in 2012, with the artworks mounted on the houses where the people portrayed used to live. It was only meant to stay up for six months, but residents asked for the portraits to remain permanently, and so they did. The collection has kept growing ever since, and today counts more than 800 portraits across the village, including some on the church walls, reserved for people who no longer had a house of their own in Mogarraz.
What to see in Mogarraz
Beyond the portraits, Mogarraz's historic centre has a handful of spots worth stopping at as you wander through the village.
Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor has an irregular shape and sits at the heart of village life. Every August, it's covered in sand and fitted with stands for the local bullfighting festivities. The stone houses with wooden balconies around the square carry portraits of their own too.
Church and bell tower
The Renaissance-style parish church has a plain, unadorned facade, which only draws more attention to the paintings on its outer walls. Its bell tower stands apart from the main building entirely, a 17th-century granite structure that originally served as a watchtower.
Ethnographic museum
The Casa de las Artesanías showcases the region's traditional trades, shoemaking, goldsmithing and Serrano embroidery, through original pieces and a room dedicated to regional dress. Entry costs €2.
Camino del Agua
A 6km circular trail linking Mogarraz and Monforte de la Sierra, dotted with art installations along the way, through chestnut and oak woodland. If you fancy walking it, we've included a link to the route on Wikiloc here.
Where Mogarraz is and how to get there
Mogarraz lies in the Sierra de Francia, in the south of Salamanca province, within the Las Batuecas and Sierra de Francia Natural Park. The drive takes around an hour from Salamanca, two from Ávila and three from Madrid, and is by far the easiest way to get there, especially since the area is full of other villages worth visiting on the same trip.
If you don't have a car, there's a direct bus route between Salamanca and Mogarraz, though it only runs a few times a week, so it's worth checking days and times before planning your trip. The bus leaves from Salamanca's Estación de Autobuses, the city's main bus station, on Avenida Filiberto Villalobos.
Bus times between Salamanca and Mogarraz (Autocares Cosme)
| Route | Mon–Fri | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salamanca to Mogarraz | 13:30 e 18:00 | 14:00 | 10:00 |
| Mogarraz to Salamanca | 7:15 e 15:00 | 8:30 | 18:00 |
This same route continues on to other villages in the Sierra de Francia, including La Alberca. Times are subject to change, so always check the official route page before travelling
Where to eat and stay in Mogarraz
Being such a small village, the choice of restaurants and places to stay is limited too, but there's enough to go around for a meal or an overnight stop.
Where to eat
Mesón Taurino de Mogarraz
Right on the Plaza Mayor, we'd recommend the oxtail, the cheeks in wine sauce and the patatas meneás. Expect to pay around €20-30 a head. Worth booking ahead at weekends and during peak season.
Bar Fuente la Pila
A tapas bar on Plaza Pozo Barrero. We'd go for the croquettes, the farinato and the ribs. Around €10-€20 a head. It stays open later than most places here, so it's a good shout outside typical lunch hours.
Mirasierra
The most upscale choice on this list, with views over the sierra, traditional cooking, and a few mentions in the Michelin guide. Around €40-€50 a head, and it is essential to book in advance, specially on the weekend.
Where to stay
Hotel Spa Villa de Mogarraz
The most complete option in the village, with a heated pool and its own restaurant.
El Balcón de Mogarraz
A rural hotel right on the Plaza Mayor, with just 5 rooms and warm, personal service, including a homemade breakfast.
Book your hotel in Mogarraz
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More photos
Mogarraz is one of those places that catches you off guard precisely because it gives nothing away at first. From a distance, it looks like just another quiet village in the Sierra de Francia. But walk its streets up close, and you'll find hundreds of faces looking straight back at you. It's worth setting aside at least a morning to take it all in slowly, camera in hand.
