Andalusia's pueblos blancos itinerary

Perched on cliffs, clinging to hillsides or tucked beneath the rock, the pueblos blancos, the white villages of Andalusia, are one of the loveliest sights in Spain. Lime-washed houses with barred windows and pots of geraniums on the walls huddle around an Arab castle or a church, along narrow, steep lanes designed for shade. Many began as frontier fortresses between the kingdom of Granada and Castile, which is why so many names end in de la Frontera.

This seven-day itinerary follows the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos through the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga: from Jerez, the city of sherry and horses, to Arcos de la Frontera on its cliff, through the Sierra de Grazalema natural park, to Zahara de la Sierra, Setenil de las Bodegas, with houses built under the rock, Olvera and Ronda, with a detour to the sea at Vejer de la Frontera. A slow journey through mountain landscapes, cheeses, olive oil and sweet wines.

Why they are white

The white of Andalusian villages is not just an aesthetic choice. Lime reflects the sun and keeps houses cool in summer, and it was once used as a disinfectant during epidemics. Every spring, before Holy Week and the festivals, families repaint their façades, and some councils require by law that they stay white. The layout of the villages, with narrow winding streets and houses built close together, often dates from Arab times, when this was the frontier between the Nasrid kingdom of Granada and the Christian kingdoms. See Andalusia and Muslim Spain.

Day 1: Seville and Jerez

Arrive at Seville airport, pick up the car and drive to Jerez de la Frontera (about an hour). Jerez is the home of sherry, the fortified wine aged in casks using the solera system, and you can visit one of the great bodegas in the centre, with cellars built like cathedral naves and a tasting of the different styles, from dry fino to intensely sweet Pedro Ximénez. In the evening have tapas in the Santiago quarter, one of the birthplaces of flamenco, and listen to cante in a peña. See Jerez de la Frontera and sherry.

Where to stay: in Jerez, for two nights.

Day 2: the horses of Jerez and Vejer

In the morning watch the show at the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, where Andalusian horses dance to music in an equestrian ballet; on days without a show you can visit the stables and training sessions. In the afternoon detour to the sea at Vejer de la Frontera (about three quarters of an hour), one of the loveliest white villages, on a hill a few kilometres from the ocean, with walls, almost North African-looking lanes and squares with palm trees. At sunset go down to the ocean at El Palmar beach. Return to Jerez for the night, or stay in Vejer.

Day 3: Arcos de la Frontera

Drive to Arcos de la Frontera (half an hour), the white town on the crest of a cliff dropping sheer to the Guadalete river. From the Plaza del Cabildo, between the basilica of Santa María and the castle, a viewpoint hangs over the void, and you can watch birds of prey flying beneath your feet. Stroll through the lanes of the upper town, among convents, palaces with stone doorways and arches, and go down to the Mirador de Abades for the view over the valley. In the afternoon climb into the sierra through El Bosque and Ubrique, the leather-goods town, to Grazalema (about an hour and a quarter).

Where to stay: in Grazalema, for two nights.

Day 4: the Sierra de Grazalema

Grazalema is a white village at the foot of limestone mountains, in the heart of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Because the mountains catch the clouds blowing in from the Atlantic, it is one of the rainiest places in Spain, and its woods are home to the pinsapo, a rare fir that survived the last ice age. Go for a hike: the Garganta Verde, a deep, narrow gorge with griffon vultures, or the Pinsapar, the pinsapo forest, both of which require a free permit from the visitor centre. If you would rather stroll, visit Villaluenga del Rosario, the village of payoyo goat's cheese, and Benaocaz. In Grazalema you can buy wool blankets woven in the old mill.

Day 5: Zahara de la Sierra and Setenil

Drive down over the Puerto de las Palomas, one of the most scenic roads in Andalusia, to Zahara de la Sierra (about half an hour): a white village beneath a Nasrid tower on top of a crag, above a turquoise reservoir. Walk up to the tower for the view. Then go to Setenil de las Bodegas (about three quarters of an hour), one of the strangest villages in the world: the houses are built under the rock walls of the river gorge, which serve as their roofs. In the streets of Cueva del Sol and Cueva de la Sombra you walk beneath a stone vault, among bars and shops. Have a tapa under the rock.

Where to stay: in Setenil or Olvera.

Day 6: Olvera and Ronda

Olvera (a quarter of an hour) dominates the countryside with its Arab castle and the great church of La Encarnación, at the top of a white town surrounded by olive groves: it is the olive oil capital of the sierra. From here runs the Vía Verde de la Sierra, a railway that was never brought into service, turned into a cycling and walking route of about 36 kilometres, with tunnels and viaducts; you can hire bikes and ride a stretch.

In the afternoon reach Ronda (about three quarters of an hour), the most famous town in the sierra, split by the Tajo gorge, more than a hundred metres deep, and joined by the 18th-century Puente Nuevo. Visit the bullring, one of the oldest in Spain, the House of the Moorish King with its staircase cut into the rock down to the river, and the Arab baths, among the best preserved in Spain. See Ronda.

Where to stay: in Ronda.

Day 7: to Málaga

In the morning walk down the path beneath the Puente Nuevo to see it from below. Then drive to Málaga (about an hour and a half), or detour to the Caminito del Rey, the walkway clinging to the Gaitanes gorge, which must be booked in advance. Fly home from Málaga Airport.

How much it costs

To save money: the sierra villages are among the cheapest places in Spain, and rural houses cost little outside holiday weekends; a tapa in a bar costs €2-3. Returning the car in Seville rather than Málaga avoids the one-way fee.

Practical information

• Driving: mountain roads are narrow and winding; in the villages park at the entrance and walk, because the lanes are very narrow.
• Permits: the Garganta Verde and the Pinsapar require a free park permit, to be requested a few days ahead; in summer some trails close because of fire risk.
• Rain: Grazalema is wet from November to March; bring hiking shoes and a waterproof jacket.
• Festivals: Holy Week and the summer ferias are the liveliest times, but also the most expensive. See Spanish festivals.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card. See getting around Spain.

Variations

• The white villages of Málaga: Frigiliana and Mijas, near the coast.
• Cádiz and Tarifa: the oldest city in Western Europe and a kitesurfing paradise; see Cádiz and Tarifa.
• The Alpujarras: the white villages of the Sierra Nevada, near Granada; see Granada.
• Mojácar: the white village by the sea in Almería; see Mojácar.

What to read before you go

For the atmosphere of rural Andalusia, Lorca's Blood Wedding; for the journey, Laurie Lee's As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, about crossing Spain on foot in the 1930s. See also the cities of Andalusia and Spanish cuisine.

Final tips

• Pace: spend at least two nights in the sierra, in Grazalema or Zahara, to enjoy the villages in the evening and early morning.
• Combinations: from Ronda you can link up with the Hemingway itinerary; from Seville with the al-Andalus itinerary.
• A tip: in Zahara de la Sierra climb to the tower at dawn, when mist covers the lake and the sierra villages emerge one by one.

See also our other itineraries in Spain.

Sierra de Grazalema on the map

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