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Generation Z, the group of young people born between 1997 and 2012, have well and truly changed the way we think about travel. Rather than ticking off the big cities, they're increasingly drawn to rural destinations they've discovered through TikTok and other social media platforms, and one small Spanish village has been quietly stealing their hearts more than almost any other.

 

According to Airbnb data looking at where bookings from younger travellers have grown the most over the past year, the biggest rise in Spain belongs to Rojales, a charming town of around 16,000 people in the southern Alicante province, just eight kilometres from the Mediterranean coast.

 

The main draw is the Cuevas del Rodeo, a remarkable collection of cave houses carved into the rock between the 18th and 20th centuries. Today they're home to local artisans who display and sell their work inside them, giving visitors a unique experience that you're unlikely to find anywhere else on the Costa Blanca.

 

It's exactly the kind of off-the-beaten-track discovery that gets shared endlessly on social media, and it's easy to see why.

 

But Rojales has more going for it than just its caves. The town is bisected by the Segura River, and its historic hydraulic system, with components dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, is a fascinating piece of local heritage.

 

Just outside the town centre there's a beautifully restored windmill housing a small museum that's well worth a visit, and the Archaeological and Palaeontological Museum in town has fossils going back millions of years.

 

When visitors have had their fill of exploring, the coast is close enough for an afternoon at the beach, with some lovely stretches of Mediterranean shoreline just a short drive away.

 

Getting there from Alicante city takes around 50 minutes by road. Take the N-332, continue onto the CV-91 and then follow the signs onto the CV-860 into town.